In the United States District Court Southern District of Ohio Eastern Division
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Case: 2:17-cv-00720-EAS-EPD Doc #: 23 Filed: 12/22/17 Page: 1 of 20 PAGEID #: 205 IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF OHIO EASTERN DIVISION DEAN OBEIDALLAH, CASE NO. 2:17-CV-00720-EAS-EPD Plaintiff, Chief Judge Edmund Sargus v. Magistrate Judge Elizabeth Preston Deavers ANDREW B. ANGLIN, DBA Daily Stormer, and MOONBASE HOLDINGS, LLC, DBA Andrew Anglin, and JOHN DOES NUMBERS 1–10, Individuals who also assisted in the publication or representation of false statements regarding Mr. Obeidallah, Defendants. PLAINTIFF’S RENEWED MOTION FOR LEAVE TO CONDUCT LIMITED DISCOVERY IN AID OF SERVICE Case: 2:17-cv-00720-EAS-EPD Doc #: 23 Filed: 12/22/17 Page: 2 of 20 PAGEID #: 206 PLAINTIFF’S RENEWED MOTION FOR LEAVE TO CONDUCT LIMITED DISCOVERY IN AID OF SERVICE Plaintiff Dean Obeidallah respectfully moves this Court under Rule 26(d) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure for leave to take limited discovery in aid of service before the Rule 26(f) conference. Respectfully submitted, /s/ Subodh Chandra (Trial Counsel) Abid R. Qureshi (D.C. Bar No. 459227) Subodh Chandra (OH Bar No. 0069233) LATHAM & WATKINS LLP Donald Screen (OH Bar No. 0044070) 555 Eleventh St., NW, Suite 1000 THE CHANDRA LAW FIRM LLC Washington, D.C. 20004-1304 1265 W. 6th St., Suite 400 Phone: 202.637.2200 Fx: 202.637.2201 Cleveland, OH 44113-1326 [email protected] Phone: 216.578.1700 Fx: 216.578.1800 [email protected] Johnathan Smith (D.C. Bar No. 1029373) [email protected] Juvaria Khan (N.Y. Bar No. 5027461) MUSLIM ADVOCATES Attorneys for Plaintiff Dean Obeidallah P.O. Box 66408 Washington, D.C. 20035 Phone: 202.897.1894 [email protected] [email protected] Admitted pro hac vice 1 of 1 Case: 2:17-cv-00720-EAS-EPD Doc #: 23 Filed: 12/22/17 Page: 3 of 20 PAGEID #: 207 TABLE OF CONTENTS Page I. INTRODUCTION AND SUMMARY OF ARGUMENT ..................................................... 1 II. PRE-SERVICE DISCOVERY IS AUTHORIZED WHEN GOOD CAUSE EXISTS .......... 3 III. THE REQUESTED DISCOVERY WILL AID SERVICE EFFORTS, ENSURE PRESERVATION OF EVIDENCE, AND EXPEDITE THE LITIGATION ........................ 4 A. Greg Anglin ............................................................................................................................. 8 B. Zappitelli CPAs ..................................................................................................................... 11 C. GoDaddy ............................................................................................................................... 13 D. Bandwidth .............................................................................................................................. 14 E. U.S. Postal Service ................................................................................................................ 15 IV. CONCLUSION ..................................................................................................................... 15 i Case: 2:17-cv-00720-EAS-EPD Doc #: 23 Filed: 12/22/17 Page: 4 of 20 PAGEID #: 208 TABLE OF AUTHORITIES Page(s) CASES Arista Records, LLC v. Does 1-15, No. 2:07-CV-450, 2007 WL 5254326 (S.D. Ohio May 17, 2007) ................................................... 3, 4 Barrette Outdoor Living, Inc. v. Does, No. 1:16-CV-914, 2016 WL 1588672 (N.D. Ohio Apr. 20, 2016) .................................................. 3, 4 Lemkin v. Bell’s Precision Grinding, No. 2:08-CV-789, 2009 WL 1542731 (S.D. Ohio June 2, 2009) .......................................................... 3 Luxottica Retail N. Am., Inc. v. Vision Serv. Plan, No. 1:14-CV-581, 2014 WL 4626015 (S.D. Ohio Sept. 12, 2014) ....................................................... 3 N. Atl. Operating Co., Inc. v. JingJing Huang, 194 F. Supp. 3d 634 (E.D. Mich. 2016) .................................................................................................... 3 RULES Fed. R. Civ. P. 4(m) ....................................................................................................................................... 3, 4 Fed. R. Civ. P. 26(d) ........................................................................................................................................... 3 TREATISES 8A Fed. Prac. & Proc. Civ. § 2046.1 (3d ed.) .................................................................................................. 3 ORDERS Ord., Obeidallah v. Anglin, 2:17-CV-00720-EAS-EPD (S.D. Ohio), ECF No. 19 ............................ 1, 3, 4 OTHER AUTHORITIES Katie Mettler & Avi Selk, Godaddy—Then Google—Ban Neo-Nazi Site Daily Stormer For Disparaging Charlottesville Victim, WASH. POST (Aug. 14, 2017) .............................................................13 Marc Fisher, Lone Wolf Extremists Like Dylann Roof Are Easy To Develop But Hard To Track, WASH. POST (June 25, 2015) ........................................................................................................... 6 S. Kovach, Google Cancels Domain Registration for Daily Stormer, BUSINESS INSIDER (Aug. 14, 2017) ..........................................................................................................13 ii Case: 2:17-cv-00720-EAS-EPD Doc #: 23 Filed: 12/22/17 Page: 5 of 20 PAGEID #: 209 MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF PLAINTIFF’S RENEWED MOTION FOR LEAVE TO CONDUCT LIMITED DISCOVERY IN AID OF SERVICE Plaintiff Dean Obeidallah respectfully renews his request for leave to take immediate, limited pre-service discovery regarding Defendant Andrew B. Anglin’s Ohio residence (the “Renewed Motion”). I. INTRODUCTION AND SUMMARY OF ARGUMENT On October 23, 2017, Mr. Obeidallah filed his initial motion for leave to take immediate, limited pre-service discovery (the “Initial Motion”). ECF No. 17.1 The Court issued an order on November 9, 2017 denying the Initial Motion. Ord., ECF No. 19. The Court explained that currently-available evidence suggests Defendant Anglin is “conceal[ing] his whereabouts and evad[ing] service,” but nonetheless denied the Initial Motion without prejudice, stating that it would take the matter under further advisement “[s]hould Plaintiff narrow the scope of his requests, and provide the requisite specificity to demonstrate his need.” Ord. 7-8, ECF No. 19. Plaintiff’s Renewed Motion seeks leave to serve particular narrowly-tailored subpoenas duces tecum (collectively, the “Subpoenas”) on the following individuals and entities: (1) Greg Anglin; (2) Zappitelli CPAs; (3) GoDaddy; (4) Bandwidth; and (5) the U.S. Postal Service (collectively, the “Subpoenaed Parties”). Each of the Subpoenaed Parties appears to have had a long-standing relationship with Defendant Anglin and, at least indirectly, the Daily Stormer. These relationships apparently overlap with Defendant Anglin’s publication on the Daily Stormer of the defamatory article at issue in this case, which falsely claims that Mr. Obeidallah planned and executed the horrific terrorist attack that took place at an Ariana Grande concert in Manchester, United Kingdom on May 22, 2017. See, e.g., Compl. ¶ 1, ECF No. 1. 1 For sake of brevity, Mr. Obeidallah respectfully requests that the Court incorporate the arguments and facts set forth in Plaintiff’s Initial Motion and the exhibits thereto as if fully set forth herein. See generally Pl.’s Initial Mot., ECF No. 17. 1 of 16 Case: 2:17-cv-00720-EAS-EPD Doc #: 23 Filed: 12/22/17 Page: 6 of 20 PAGEID #: 210 Good cause exists for such discovery, and its importance is highlighted by Defendant Anglin’s recent effort to dismiss another federal action—Gersh v. Anglin (the “Gersh Action”)—by challenging sufficiency of service of process. See Gersh v. Anglin, 9:17-CV-00060-DLC-JCL (D. Mont.), ECF No. 32 (Nov. 30, 2017). Publicly available evidence overwhelmingly shows that Defendant Anglin is, in fact, an Ohio resident and U.S. citizen (and certainly was when the relevant conduct underlying this litigation occurred). In fact, a process server retained in the Gersh Action to serve Defendant Anglin recently swore under penalty of perjury that on December 10, 2017, while off duty, he witnessed Defendant Anglin shopping at a grocery store in Reynoldsburg, Ohio (approximately 20 miles from Worthington, Ohio) and taking measures to conceal his identity. See generally J. Cremeans Decl., Gersh v. Anglin, 9:17-CV-00060-DLC-JCL (D. Mont.), ECF No. 50-22 (Dec. 20, 2017). As a result, service by publication is and remains a viable option for Mr. Obeidallah and similarly-situated plaintiffs to effect service on Defendant Anglin. Nonetheless, Defendant Anglin argues in the Gersh Action (albeit unconvincingly and in conclusory fashion) that service by publication, consistent with Fed. R. Civ. P. 4(e)(1) and Ohio law, is both ineffective and insufficient because “[h]e is not [a resident of Ohio] and Plaintiff cannot prove as much.” Id. at 12-15.2 Defendant Anglin is likely to assert a similar challenge to service by publication in this matter, effectively leveraging his deceptive and evasive practices in order to frustrate the Court’s exercise of jurisdiction. While Mr. Obeidallah will continue to diligently pursue other avenues for service (e.g., publication), the requested discovery will ensure Mr. Obeidallah is able to satisfy Rule 4’s service obligations, minimize the risk that relevant data is destroyed, and substantially contribute to moving the case forward by narrowing the scope of jurisdictional challenges available to Defendant Anglin. 2 Defendant Anglin also seeks to dismiss the Gersh Action for lack of personal and subject-matter