Jones v. Thomas
- Ona Wang
- 1:20-cv-05581
- U.S. District Court · Southern District of New York
- 2
In Jones v. Volunteers of America Greater New York, Judge Wang granted in part and denied in part requests about filings, a stay, and volunteer counsel.
Brandon C. Jones, the defendants, and the pending motion to dismiss were affected. The order also concerned discovery and Jones’s request for volunteer counsel.
What happened
In Brandon C. Jones v. Volunteers of America Greater New York, et al., the court reviewed Jones’s June 8, 2021 email. Jones was representing himself, and the court treated the email as an opposition to defendants’ motion to dismiss, a request for an unspecified extension or stay, and a request for volunteer legal counsel.
The court allowed Jones to file another opposition to the motion to dismiss by June 30, 2021. Discovery remained paused while the court considered that motion. The court denied Jones’s request for volunteer counsel without prejudice, allowing him to renew it if the case survives the motion to dismiss.
Judge Ona T. Wang granted in part and denied in part Jones’s requests. The order also directed defendants to serve Jones with a copy and file proof of service, and it explained the proper procedures for future filings by a party without a lawyer.
The detailed version
- Jones v. Thomas · No. 1:20-cv-05581
- Ona Wang
- June 15, 2021
Background
Brandon C. Jones, who was representing himself, emailed the Pro Se Intake Unit on June 8, 2021. The court stated that he did not follow the proper procedures for filing documents by email. The court construed the email as three requests: an opposition to defendants’ March 4, 2021 motion to dismiss, an unspecified request for an extension or stay, and a request for appointment of pro bono counsel.
Rulings
The court granted in part and denied in part Jones’s requests. If Jones wanted to file an additional opposition to defendants’ motion to dismiss, the court required him to do so by June 30, 2021. Discovery remained stayed while the court considered the motion to dismiss.
The court denied Jones’s request for pro bono counsel without prejudice. It stated that Jones could renew the request if the case survived the motion to dismiss. The court also explained that, in a civil case, it can request that a lawyer volunteer rather than actually appoint counsel, and that a lawyer might not volunteer.
Other Directions
The court instructed Jones to send future filings to the Pro Se Intake Unit by email, regular mail, or in-person delivery to the courthouse drop box, rather than directly to chambers. It also advised him to limit sensitive personal information and documents to those necessary and relevant to the litigation.
Defendants were directed to serve a copy of the order on Jones and file proof of service on the docket by June 18, 2021.
Read the full 2-page opinion on CourtListener, the free public archive maintained by the Free Law Project.