Doe v. Life Insurance Company of North America
- James Donato
- 3:21-cv-06279
- U.S. District Court · Northern District of California
- 1
Jane Doe v. Life Insurance Company of North America: Judge Tse temporarily allows Jane Doe to use a fictitious name, subject to later review.
Jane Doe may temporarily use a fictitious name in the lawsuit; the defendants may respond after they appear.
What happened
In Jane Doe v. Life Insurance Company of North America, Jane Doe asked to use a fictitious name because the matter involved sensitive and highly personal information. The defendants had not yet been served or appeared.
The court said the defendants’ potential unfairness had to be considered. For now, Jane Doe may proceed as Jane Doe and sign lawsuit documents using that name.
Jane Doe must notify the court again within 30 days after both defendants appear so they can respond, under an order signed by Magistrate Judge Alex G. Tse.
The detailed version
- Doe v. Life Insurance Company of North America · No. 3:21-cv-06279
- James Donato
- Aug. 23, 2021
Background
Jane Doe asked for permission to proceed under a fictitious name. Her motion stated that anonymity might be necessary to protect privacy in a sensitive and highly personal matter. The defendants had not yet been served and had not appeared in the case.
Court’s action
The court explained that it needed to consider the risk of unfairness to the defendants when evaluating the request. For now, the order permits Jane Doe to proceed under the name Jane Doe and to sign documents related to the lawsuit using that pseudonym.
The order also requires Jane Doe to re-notice her motion within 30 days after both defendants appear. At that point, the defendants may respond. The order does not state that the court permanently granted the request or otherwise resolve the motion after the defendants’ participation.
Result
The court issued the temporary permission described above and ordered Jane Doe to re-notice the motion after both defendants appear. The order was signed by Magistrate Judge Alex G. Tse.
Read the full 1-page opinion on CourtListener, the free public archive maintained by the Free Law Project.