English v. Combs
- Analisa Torres
- 1:24-cv-05090
- U.S. District Court · Southern District of New York
- 1
In English v. Combs, Judge Torres paused deadlines and sought clarification before deciding counsel’s motion to withdraw.
Plaintiff Adri[a] English, her counsel, and the other parties are affected because the court required a conference and further filings and stayed all hearings and deadlines.
What happened
English v. Combs concerns counsel’s request to withdraw from representing Plaintiff Adri[a] English. The court said the request’s memorandum was conclusory and included factual statements not supported by the accompanying declarations.
The filings were also unclear about whether English agreed to counsel’s withdrawal. The court ordered English and her counsel to confer and submit declarations describing the result by March 18, 2025.
Judge Torres did not decide the withdrawal request. She stayed all hearings and deadlines, including English’s deadline to respond to the defendants’ pre-motion letter, until further order.
The detailed version
- English v. Combs · No. 1:24-cv-05090
- Analisa Torres
- Mar. 11, 2025
Background
The order concerns, but does not resolve, motions filed at ECF Nos. 64 and 66–67. Counsel for Plaintiff Adri[a] English asked for permission to withdraw from the case. The court found that counsel’s memorandum was conclusory and made factual assertions that were not supported by the declarations filed with the motion. The filings were also unclear about whether English consented to the withdrawal.
Court’s directions
The court ordered English and her counsel to confer by March 18, 2025, to determine whether they shared an understanding about the appropriate next steps. By that date, counsel must email the court one or more declarations describing the result of the discussion for the court’s private review. If counsel continues to seek permission to withdraw, the declarations must detail the breakdown in communication, including its timeline and any steps counsel took to repair the relationship.
Ruling and effect
The court did not grant or deny the motion to withdraw. After considering filings at ECF Nos. 66 and 67, Judge Analisa Torres stayed all hearings and deadlines in the matter, including English’s deadline to respond to the defendants’ pre-motion letter, until the court issues a further order.
Read the full 1-page opinion on CourtListener, the free public archive maintained by the Free Law Project.