Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-caed-2_90-cv-00520/USCOURTS-caed-2_90-cv-00520-910/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 550
Nature of Suit: Prisoner - Civil Rights (U.S. defendant)
Cause of Action: 42:1983 Prisoner Civil Rights

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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT 

FOR THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA 

RALPH COLEMAN, et al., 

Plaintiff, 

v. 

EDMUND G. BROWN, JR., et al., 

Defendants. 

No. 2:90-cv-0520 KJM KJN P 

ORDER 

 On September 4, 2018, the Special Master filed a request for appointment of 

additional staff. ECF No. 5903. On September 5, 2018, the court granted any party the 

opportunity to respond to the request by September 6, 2018. ECF No. 5904. Defendants have 

timely filed a response. ECF No. 5908. 

 The Special Master seeks appointment of Dwight Steward, Ph.D. and the research 

firm of EmployStats, including but not limited to, Jeffrey Peterson, Ph.D., Valentyna Katsalap, 

Ph.D., Matt Rigling, and Susan Wirtanen.1

 The court has reviewed the curriculum vitae of these 

persons, which have been filed on the court’s docket. As an expert, Dr. Steward is to be 

compensated at the rate of five hundred dollars ($500.00) per hour for his work and two hundred 

twenty-five dollars ($225.00) per hour for travel time, plus reasonable expenses. As an expert 

 

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 Dr. Peterson has his own firm but will serve as a subcontractor of EmployStats for this 

assignment. 

Case 2:90-cv-00520-KJM-SCR Document 5919 Filed 09/11/18 Page 1 of 3
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economist, Dr. Petersen is to be compensated at the rate of four hundred twenty-five dollars 

($425.00) per hour for his work. As an expert economist, Dr. Katsalap is to be compensated at 

the rate of three hundred dollars ($300.00) per hour for her work. As an expert, Mr. Rigling is to 

be compensated at the rate of two hundred twenty-five dollars ($225.00) per hour for his work. 

As an expert, Ms. Wirtanen is to be compensated at the rate of two hundred fifteen dollars 

($215.00) per hour for her work. 

 Defendants request that (1) these appointments be for a limited duration, not to 

exceed six months; and (2) these experts be required to prepare a stand-alone report that conforms 

to the requirements of, inter alia, Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 26(2)(B)(i)-(v). 

 The Special Master seeks the appointment of this team of labor economists to 

conduct labor market and salary analyses in an effort “to determine the potential efficacy of . . . 

collective bargaining salary and compensation increases” as part of an overall effort to bring 

defendants into compliance with required mental health staffing levels. That compliance is to be 

achieved by one year from October 10, 2017, or approximately one month from now. ECF No. 

5711. The Special Master is aware of the time constraints that attend the task for which he seeks 

the current appointments and the court assumes those constraints will inform his work with these 

experts. That task, to evaluate current salary rates and the efficacy, if any, of compensation 

increases on defendants’ ability to recruit and retain necessary mental health staff to comply with 

the October 10, 2017 order and the prior court orders described therein, is a discreet task. The 

court will limit the appointments to completion of the discrete task for which the appointments 

are made, as set forth in the request, but will not impose a specific time frame for completion of 

that task. 

 Defendants also request the experts be required to produce an expert report that 

meets the requirements of Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 26(2)(B)(i)-(v). Rule 26 governs 

disclosure by parties of expert testimony by witnesses who may be called at a trial. See Fed. R. 

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Civ. P. 26(A). The Special Master is not a party to this action and Rule 26 does not apply to the 

work of his experts. Moreover, consistent with the history of these remedial proceedings, the 

work of these experts is for use as directed by the Special Master and not as an “independent 

source of evidence” in proceedings before this court. Federal Trade Com’n v. Enforma Natural 

Products, Inc., 362 F.3d 1204, 1213 (9th Cir. 2004) (discussing circumstances under which courtappointed expert may be a witness subject to Federal Rule of Evidence 706). 

 As provided by paragraph B(7) of this court’s December 11, 1995 order and good 

cause appearing therefore, IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that: 

 1. The Special Master’s September 4, 2018 request for appointment of 

additional staff, ECF No. 5903, is GRANTED; and 

 2. The Special Master is authorized to appoint Dwight Steward, Ph.D. and the 

research firm of EmployStats, including but not limited to, Jeffrey Peterson, Ph.D., Valentyna 

Katsalap, Ph.D., Matt Rigling, and Susan Wirtanen, as experts to perform the discreet duties set 

forth in the Special Master’s Request for the Appointment of Additional Staff, filed September 4, 

2018, and to be compensated at the rates set forth therein. 

DATED: September 11, 2018. 

Case 2:90-cv-00520-KJM-SCR Document 5919 Filed 09/11/18 Page 3 of 3