Rojo v. Lakeview Security & Investigations, Inc.
- James Oetken
- 1:24-cv-05729
- U.S. District Court · Southern District of New York
- 2
In Rojo v. Lakeview, Magistrate Judge Cave granted Defendants 30 more days to find counsel and extended the stay.
The order affected Defendants Lakeview Security & Investigations, Inc., Anthony D’Gracia, and Eric Scott by giving them additional time to retain counsel and extending the case stay. It specifically warned that Lakeview could face default and default judgment if it did not obtain a lawyer.
What happened
In Rojo v. Lakeview Security & Investigations, Inc., the defendants’ former lawyers had withdrawn, and the court had stayed the case for 30 days so they could find new counsel.
Anthony D’Gracia asked for more time on behalf of the defendants. The court granted the request and extended the stay until May 14, 2025, by which date defense counsel had to file a notice of appearance.
Magistrate Judge Sarah L. Cave warned that Lakeview, as a corporation, cannot proceed without a lawyer and that failing to retain counsel could lead to a default and default judgment against it. The order did not decide the underlying claims.
The detailed version
- Rojo v. Lakeview Security & Investigations, Inc. · No. 1:24-cv-05729
- James Oetken
- Apr. 14, 2025
Background
The court had previously allowed Forchelli Deegan Terrana LLP to withdraw as counsel for Lakeview Security & Investigations, Inc., Anthony D’Gracia, and Eric Scott. The court then stayed the case for 30 days, until April 9, 2025, to give the defendants time to retain new counsel.
On April 10, 2025, D’Gracia, whom the order identifies as Lakeview’s President, filed a letter asking for additional time for the defendants to retain counsel.
Ruling
The court granted the defendants’ request. It extended the stay for another 30 days, until Wednesday, May 14, 2025. By that date, defense counsel was required to file a notice of appearance on the docket.
The court explained that D’Gracia and Scott may proceed without counsel, but Lakeview, as a corporation, cannot represent itself without a lawyer. The court warned that failing to retain counsel for Lakeview may lead to entry of a default and a default judgment against the corporation. The order addressed only the defendants’ request for more time and the stay; it did not resolve the underlying claims.
Read the full 2-page opinion on CourtListener, the free public archive maintained by the Free Law Project.