Filed: Jan. 30, 2012
Latest Update: Jan. 30, 2012
Summary: ORDER KATHLEEN M. TAFOYA, Magistrate Judge. This matter is before the court on a review of several documents filed on behalf of Defendant Connecticut DCF Watch and signed by a former pro se defendant, Thomas Dutkiewicz. It is a "long-standing rule that a corporation must be represented by an attorney to appear in federal court." Tal v. Hogan, 453 F.3d 1244 , 1254 (10th Cir. 2006) (footnote and citations omitted). Moreover, courts "have uniformly held that 28 U.S.C. 1654, providing that
Summary: ORDER KATHLEEN M. TAFOYA, Magistrate Judge. This matter is before the court on a review of several documents filed on behalf of Defendant Connecticut DCF Watch and signed by a former pro se defendant, Thomas Dutkiewicz. It is a "long-standing rule that a corporation must be represented by an attorney to appear in federal court." Tal v. Hogan, 453 F.3d 1244 , 1254 (10th Cir. 2006) (footnote and citations omitted). Moreover, courts "have uniformly held that 28 U.S.C. 1654, providing that ..
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ORDER
KATHLEEN M. TAFOYA, Magistrate Judge.
This matter is before the court on a review of several documents filed on behalf of Defendant Connecticut DCF Watch and signed by a former pro se defendant, Thomas Dutkiewicz.
It is a "long-standing rule that a corporation must be represented by an attorney to appear in federal court." Tal v. Hogan, 453 F.3d 1244, 1254 (10th Cir. 2006) (footnote and citations omitted). Moreover, courts "have uniformly held that 28 U.S.C. § 1654, providing that `parties may plead and conduct their own cases personally or by counsel,' does not allow corporations, partnerships, or associations to appear in federal court otherwise than through a licensed attorney." Rowland v. California Men's Colony, 506 U.S. 194, 202 (1993).
Thus, the pleadings filed by Thomas Dutkiewicz, a non-attorney, are not properly before the court and must be stricken. Accordingly, it is
ORDERED that Document Numbers 523, 524, 525, 526, and 537, filed by Thomas Dutkiewicz on behalf of Defendant Connecticut DCF Watch, are STRICKEN.
