Pina v. United States

Background

Frederick D. Pina, who was representing himself, asked the court to reschedule an initial case-management conference set for January 18, 2022. He said that a different date would better accommodate his legal schedule and another civil lawsuit. Pina did not suggest specific replacement dates, and the opinion states that he did not appear to have consulted the United States’ lawyer about possible dates, as required by the judge’s practice rules.

Pina also accused the United States’ lawyer of making a preemptive and callous move, disregarding civility, and pressuring him to accept the conference date. The court explained that it—not opposing counsel—had scheduled the conference. The court also stated that it had mailed Pina the scheduling order and later converted the conference from in-person to telephone at the request of the United States’ lawyer, without changing the date or time.

Ruling

The court ordered that the initial case-management conference be adjourned to January 27, 2022, at noon, and provided the telephone number and access code for the conference. The opinion does not state that the court formally granted or denied Pina’s motion; it states that the conference was adjourned as a courtesy to him.

The court rejected Pina’s accusations against opposing counsel as baseless. It also reminded him that self-represented parties must handle scheduling and pretrial matters cooperatively, treat adversaries courteously, and respect the court’s authority. The court warned that abusive or insulting language can result in significant sanctions, including dismissal of an entire action, but this order did not impose those sanctions. Judge Barbara Moses directed the Clerk of Court to mail Pina a copy of the order.