Neill v. YMCA of San Diego

8 UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT 9 SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA ANGEL MICHAEL NEILL, Case No.: 23-CV-457 JLS (DEB) 12 Plaintiff, ORDER (1) GRANTING MOTION v. TO EXTEND TIME TO FILE OPPOSITION AND (2) VACATING YMCA OF SAN DIEGO, THE MOTION TO DISMISS 15 Defendant. HEARING AND TAKING SAID MOTION UNDER SUBMISSION 17 (ECF Nos. 27, 29) 19 Presently before the Court is Plaintiff Angel Michael Neill’s Ex Parte Motion to Extend Time to Answer and File Opposition to File Plaintiff’s Second Amended Complaint (“Mot. to Extend,” ECF No. 29). Defendant YMCA of San Diego filed a Motion to Dismiss Plaintiff’s Second Amended Complaint (“MTD,” ECF No. 27) on January 9, 2024.

23 The Motion to Dismiss was set for a hearing on February 15, 2024. See MTD. Per the briefing schedule issued by this Court, Plaintiff needed to file responsive briefing on or before February 1. See ECF No. 28. Plaintiff, who is appearing pro se, now asks the Court for an additional 90 days to oppose the Motion to Dismiss because he is unfamiliar with “amended local and federal rules.” Mot. to Extend at 2. Defendant has registered no opposition to Plaintiff’s Motion to Extend.

1 Under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 6(b), the Court may extend a filing deadline || for “good cause” where, as here, a request for such an extension is made before the original ||due date passes. Fed. R. Civ. P. 6(b)(1)(A). Mindful of the difficulties of proceeding || without counsel, courts often grant a pro se plaintiff's timely request for an extension.

5 || See, e.g., Roberts v. Cal. Dep’t of Corr. & Rehab., No. 2:12-CV-0247 KJM AC, ||2014 WL 117973, at *3 (E.D. Cal. Jan. 9, 2014). There is, however, a limit. See, e.g., || Dalisay v. Corbin Consulting Eng’rs, Inc., No. CIV.07-1616-HA, 2008 WL 1840750, 8 *3 (D. Or. Apr. 22, 2008), aff'd, 303 F. App’x 423 (9th Cir. 2008). This Court typically ||runs on a four-week motion calendar. See CivLR 7.1(e)(1). And the Court hesitates to || grant a lengthy extension at this stage without additional information regarding why such 11 is needed. The Court is thus inclined to approve Plaintiff's request but not grant the 12 90 days he seeks. Plaintiff may move for an additional extension in the future if his || circumstances so require.

14 Accordingly, and good cause appearing, the Court GRANTS Plaintiff's Motion to ||Extend (ECF No. 29) and VACATES the February 15, 2024 hearing on Defendant’s || Motion to Dismiss (ECF No. 27). Plaintiff SHALL FILE an opposition to the Motion to || Dismiss, not to exceed 25 pages in accordance with Civil Local Rule 7.1(h), on or before || March 7, 2024. Defendant MAY FILE a reply in support of the Motion to Dismiss on or 19 before March 14, 2024. Thereafter, the Court will take the matter under submission || without oral argument pursuant to Civil Local Rule 7.1(d)(1).

21 IT IS SO ORDERED.

22 ||Dated: January 25, 2024 (een 3 on. Janis L. Sammartino United States District Judge