Stelzer v. The Publisher Desk LLC
- Rochon
- 1:25-cv-01401
- U.S. District Court · Southern District of New York
- 2
In Stelzer v. The Publisher Desk LLC, Judge Rochon set deadlines and a hearing for Plaintiff’s default-judgment motion without deciding it.
Brigitte Stelzer and The Publisher Desk LLC, as well as any defendants referred to in the order, were affected by the deadlines, hearing, and service requirements.
What happened
In Stelzer v. The Publisher Desk LLC, Brigitte Stelzer filed a motion seeking a default judgment under federal and local court rules on May 19, 2025.
The court ordered the defendants to file any opposition by June 10, 2025, and scheduled a default-judgment hearing for June 17, 2025. The court also required Stelzer to serve the order and file proof of service. It did not grant or deny the default-judgment motion.
Judge Jennifer L. Rochon also warned that corporate entities must appear in federal court through licensed lawyers and that repeated failure to do so may lead to a default judgment.
The detailed version
- Stelzer v. The Publisher Desk LLC · No. 1:25-cv-01401
- Rochon
- May 20, 2025
Background
On May 19, 2025, Brigitte Stelzer filed a motion for default judgment under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 55(b)(2) and Local Civil Rule 55.2(b). A default judgment is a judgment that may be entered when a party fails to defend the case.
Court’s Orders
The court ordered the defendants to file any opposition to the motion by June 10, 2025. It cautioned that corporate entities may appear in federal court only through licensed counsel and stated that repeated failure by an entity to appear through counsel may support entry of a default judgment.
The court also scheduled a default-judgment hearing for June 17, 2025, at 4:00 p.m. in Courtroom 20B of the United States Courthouse at 500 Pearl Street, New York, New York. If a defendant appeared or opposed the motion before the hearing, the parties were required to promptly notify the court; the court could then adjourn the hearing or treat it as an initial pretrial conference for an appearing defendant.
Service Requirement and Disposition
The court ordered Stelzer to serve the defendants with a copy of the order within two business days after filing and to file proof of service within two business days after service. The order set procedures and a hearing for the pending motion; it did not grant or deny the motion for default judgment. Judge Jennifer L. Rochon signed the order on May 20, 2025.
Read the full 2-page opinion on CourtListener, the free public archive maintained by the Free Law Project.