Blanca Mendoza v. County of Kings

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA 10 BLANCA MENDOZA, an individual; B.M., a ) Case No.: 1:21-cv-00721-JLT-BAM minor, ) ) ORDER GRANTING APPLICATION FOR Plaintiffs, ) APPOINTMENT OF JESSICA GARCIA AS ) GUARDIAN AD LITEM FOR B.M. v. ) 14 ) (Doc. No. 34) COUNTY OF KINGS, et al., ) ) Defendants. ) ) ) 18 On January 12, 2022, Petitioner Jessica Garcia, through counsel, submitted an application for a court order appointing Jessica Garcia as guardian ad litem for minor Plaintiff B.M. (Doc. No. 34.) “District courts have a special duty, derived from Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 17(c), to safeguard the interests of litigants who are minors.” Robidoux v. Rosengren, 638 F.3d 1177, 1181 (9th Cir. 2011). Rule 17 provides that “[t]he court must appoint a guardian ad litem—or issue another appropriate order—to protect a minor or incompetent person who is unrepresented in an action.”…