Opinion
768-19
03-09-2023
MATTHEW A. BAKER, Petitioner v. COMMISSIONER OF INTERNAL REVENUE, Respondent
ORDER
Ronald L. Buch, Judge
This case is set for trial at the Court's April 3, 2023, Salt Lake City, Utah trial session. Mr. Baker is represented by two lawyers, S. Mark Barnes and Michelle Turpin. Mr. Barnes left his previous law firm and filed a motion to withdraw as counsel based on his understanding that his client was remaining with his previous firm. Ms. Turpin likewise filed a motion to withdraw, her grounds being that her client had become incommunicative and failed to pay her fees. These motions are further complicated by Mr. Baker currently being incarcerated and trial being scheduled for less than a month from now. We will resolve this by continuing the case to a later trial session and granting the pending motions to withdraw. Accordingly, it is
ORDERED that Ms. Turpin's motion to withdraw as counsel filed March 2, 2023, is granted. It is further
ORDERED that Mr. Barnes's motion to withdraw as counsel filed March 4, 2023, is granted. It is further
ORDERED that this case is stricken from the above-referenced trial session, and the parties are excused from appearing on April 3, 2023. It is further
ORDERED that this case is set for trial at the Court's June 20, 2023, Salt Lake City, Utah trial session scheduled for 10:00 am at the Orrin G. Hatch U.S. Courthouse, 351 S West Temple Street, Courtroom 8.100, Salt Lake City, Utah 84138. It is further
ORDERED that the Standing Pretrial Order served on December 8, 2022, remains in full force and effect. It is further
ORDERED that jurisdiction is retained by the undersigned.