Every document filed in federal court has a number at the top identifying the case. In this case, the number (which you can see on Orly's motion and also on the judge's order striking that motion) is "SACV09-00082-DOC (Anx)". That means it was a civil case ("CV"-- a criminal case would say "CR"), filed in the Santa Ana division of the Southern District of California ("SA"), that it was the 82nd case filed in that division in 2009, and that it is assigned to Judge David O. Carter ("DOC") and to Magistrate Arthur Nakazato ("Anx"-- "x" being the code for "magistrate").
He has another judge assisting him on this case ?
Every federal case is assigned to a District Judge (a "real" judge, appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate, and serving for life), and also to a Magistrate Judge (a "junior judge," not appointed by the President but elected by the district judges in that district for a 10-year term). Magistrate Judges do not handle trials or rule on motions which decide cases (unless all parties consent), but they assist the judge in ruling on discovery issues and the like ("nondispositive motions").
Good to know .. thanks.. Is it common for
the Magistrate Judge to issue the order and
sign it rather than the Dist. Ct. Judge or
is this an anomoly?