Asman

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA 10 THOMAS SCHMITZ, et al., No. 2:20-cv-00195-JAM-CKD PS Plaintiffs, v. ORDER A. ASMAN, et al., (ECF No. 196) Defendants. 16 On April 15, 2022, defendants Kevin Kuich and Joe Lizarraga filed what is effectively an ex parte application1 for the court to order plaintiffs, who are proceeding pro se in this action, to disclose whether any attorney has assisted them in this case. (ECF No. 196.) Defendants argue that some of plaintiffs’ filings—particularly their recent motion to strike defendants’ answer and affirmative defenses—contain “telltale signs that manifest the participation of a legal professional” which lead defense counsel to suspect that an attorney drafted some or all of the filings on plaintiffs’ behalf. (Id. at 2.) Defense counsel wrote to plaintiffs to inquire whether an attorney was assisting plaintiffs without disclosing such assistance to the court, and plaintiffs’ response did not answer the…