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GEORGE S. CARDONAActing United States AttorneyLEON W. WEIDMANAssistant United States AttorneyChief, Civil DivisionROGER E. WEST (State Bar No. 58609)Assistant United States AttorneyFirst Assistant Chief, Civil DivisionDAVID A. DeJUTE (State Bar No. 153527)Assistant United States AttorneyRoom 7516, Federal Building300 North Los Angeles StreetLos Angeles, California 90012Telephone: (213) 894-2461/2574Facsimile: (213) 894-7819Email: roger.west4@usdoj.govdavid.dejute@usdoj.govAttorneys for DefendantsUNITED STATES DISTRICT COURTFOR THE CENTRAL DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIASOUTHERN DIVISIONCAPTAIN PAMELA BARNETT,

et al.

,))Plaintiffs,))v.))BARACK H. OBAMA,

et al.

))Defendants.)))))) ________________________________)No. SACV 09-00082 DOC (ANx)

EX PARTE APPLICATION FOR LIMITEDSTAY OF DISCOVERY; MEMORANDUM OFPOINTS AND AUTHORITIES IN SUPPORTTHEREOF

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EX PARTE APPLICATION

Defendants, by and through their undersigned counsel, herebyapply to this Court, on an

ex parte

basis, for an Order staying alldiscovery in this matter pending the Court’s ruling uponDefendants’ Motion to Dismiss, currently set for hearing on October5, 2009, with the exception of discovery which Plaintiffs candemonstrate, to the satisfaction of the Court, that they need inorder to counter said Motion.This

Ex Parte

application will be based upon these movingpapers, the Memorandum of Points and authorities filed herewith,and upon such other and further arguments, documents and grounds asmay be advanced to the Court in the future. All requirements ofthe Local Rules for

ex parte

applications have been met, includingthe notice requirements of Local Rule 7-19 as more particularlycontained within the accompanying Memorandum of Points andAuthorities.Respectfully submitted,DATED: September 10, 2009GEORGE S. CARDONAActing United States AttorneyLEON WEIDMANAssistant United States AttorneyChief, Civil Division

/s/ Roger E. West

ROGER E. WESTAssistant United States AttorneyFirst Assistant Chief, Civil Division

/s/ David A. DeJute

DAVID A. DeJUTEAssistant United States AttorneyAttorneys for Defendants

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MEMORANDUM OF POINTS AND AUTHORITIESI.STATEMENT OF PERTINENT FACTS

On January 20, 2009, Plaintiffs’ filed their Complaint in thismatter challenging the fitness for office of President Obama. Overseven months later, on August 25, 2009, Plaintiffs finally effectedservice of process. Soon thereafter, on September 4, 2009,Defendants filed their Motion to Dismiss with a hearing set forOctober 5, 2009.In their Motion to Dismiss, Defendants maintain that thisCourt is without subject matter jurisdiction. As more fullyexplained in that Motion, and among other reasons, the operativecomplaint fails to confer subject matter jurisdiction for severalreasons: (1) The Plaintiffs lack standing because they cannot showthe required injury-in-fact or the required redressability toconfer jurisdiction; (2) The case presents non-justiciablepolitical questions which are committed, by the very text of theConstitution, to a different branch of Government; (3) Plaintiffsare not authorized to pursue a Quo Warranto action against thePresident of the United States; (4) Neither 42 U.S.C. § 1983 nor 42U.S.C. § 1988 confers jurisdiction; and, (5) Plaintiffs’ Freedom ofInformation Act claims as a matter of law do confer jurisdiction.Any one of these grounds is sufficient to stay discovery pending aresolution of the Motion.On September 8, 2009, the Court convened a hearing upon issueswhich are unrelated to the Motion to Dismiss. At that hearing, theCourt granted Defendants leave to file this

Ex Parte

application.///