1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT 9 SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA 10 11 ORLANDO GARCIA, Case No.: 21-CV-82 TWR (MSB)

12 Plaintiff, ORDER VACATING HEARING AND 13 v. GRANTING UNOPPOSED MOTION TO DISMISS 14 SOULDRIVER, L.P., a Delaware Limited

Partnership; SOULDRIVER LESSEE, 15 (ECF No. 5) INC., a Delaware Corporation; and Does 16 1-10, 17 Defendants. 18 19 On October 30, 2020, Plaintiff Orlando Garcia filed this action against Defendants 20 Souldriver, L.P. and Souldriver Lessee, Inc. in the Superior Court of California, County of 21 San Diego. (See ECF No. 1-1.) On January 15, 2021, Defendants removed, (see ECF No. 22 1), and on March 3, 2021, Defendants filed the instant Motion to Dismiss pursuant to 23 Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 12(b)(6). (“Mot.,” ECF No. 5). The Court set the Motion 24 for hearing on June 9, 2021. Pursuant to the undersigned’s Standing Order for Civil Cases, 25 Plaintiff was required to file a response in opposition to the Motion on or before May 12, 26 2021. See also S.D. Cal. Civ. L.R. 7.1.e.2 (stating that “each party opposing a motion . . . 27 must file that opposition or statement of non-opposition . . . not later than fourteen (14) 28 calendar days prior to the noticed hearing”). Plaintiff has not yet filed an opposition brief 1 || or statement of non-opposition in response to Defendants’ Motion. (See Docket.) 2 The Ninth Circuit has held that a district court may grant an unopposed motion to 3 || dismiss where a local rule permits but does not require it to do so. See generally, Ghazali 4 Moran,

(9th Cir. 1995). Here, Civil Local Rule 7.1.f.3.c provides, “[i]f 5 ||an opposing party fails to file the papers in the manner required by [the relevant] Civil 6 Local Rule[s], that failure may constitute a consent to the granting of a motion or other 7 request for ruling by the court.” As such, the Court has the option of granting Defendants’ 8 ||Motion on the basis of Plaintiffs failure to oppose. Generally, public policy favors 9 || disposition of cases on their merits. See Hernandez v. City of El Monte,

, 399 10 || (9th Cir. 1998). However, a case cannot move towards resolution on the merits when the 11 || plaintiff fails to defend his or her complaint against a Rule 12 motion. Accordingly, the 12 ||Court VACATES the hearing set for June 9, 2021, GRANTS Defendants’ unopposed 13 || Motion to Dismiss, and DISMISSES WITHOUT PREJUDICE Plaintiff's Complaint. 14 IT IS SO ORDERED. 15 16 || Dated: June 4, 2021 —_—_ 17 | 9) (2 re 18 Honorable Todd W. Robinson 19 United States District Court

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