Opinion
1:07-CV-0888 AWI-SMS
02-14-2012
STANLEY BRADFORD CLARKE, Plaintiff, v. SANDRA UPTON, AMPARO WILLIAMS; DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES; and COUNTY OF MADERA Defendants.
DISCLOSURE
A judge has an affirmative duty to recuse himself/herself in any proceeding in which his/her impartiality might reasonably be questioned. 28 U.S.C. § 455; Liteky v. United States, 510 U.S. 540, 555 (1994). In some cases, it is unclear whether a judge has an implied conflict until the parties' review both the specific facts of their case and the judge's personal circumstances. For this reason, the undersigned makes the following disclosure: It has come to the attention of the undersigned that Dr. Devona Kaji is a potential witness in this case. Dr. Kaji is the undersigned's sister-in-law. Because from the face of the moving papers it does not appear that the undersigned has an implied conflict, the undersigned declines to sua sponte recuse himself from this case. However, leave to file a motion for recusal is given to any party who believes that after reviewing the facts of this particular case such a motion is appropriate. Any motion for recusal shall be filed no later than 4 p.m. on Friday, February 24, 2012. IT IS SO ORDERED.
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CHIEF UNITED STATES DISTRICT JUDGE