A recent court filing in the Eastern District of New York against United States District Judge Natasha C. Merle raises constitutional questions about judicial authority and procedural rights.
Plaintiff Frederick Pina filed a complaint, alleging that Merle acted beyond her jurisdiction by transferring a case despite a defendant’s procedural default. The complaint stems from an earlier lawsuit Pina filed against State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company. He claims the company defaulted by failing to respond to his complaint within the required timeframe. According to Pina, this default should have resulted in a judgment in his favor under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 55(a), which requires entry of default when a party fails to plead or defend.
Pina argues that Judge Merle ignored this rule by transferring the case to another venue without addressing State Farm’s failure to respond. He asserts that this deprived him of a right to a default judgment and violated his Fifth Amendment rights. The complaint also alleges that Judge Merle’s actions were retaliatory, following an email Pina sent on September 8, 2025, in which he accused court personnel of obstructing his ability to file documents electronically.
Pina is seeking declaratory relief affirming that Judge Merle acted unconstitutionally and outside her jurisdictional authority. He also seeks compensatory damages of $31.86 billion, citing claims under federal and state law, including unlawful taking of property, intentional infliction of emotional distress, and abuse of process.
The plaintiff is representing himself in this matter. The case was filed in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York under Case ID: 1:25-cv-05231-OEM-LKE.