Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-cand-5_04-cv-03946/USCOURTS-cand-5_04-cv-03946-25/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 440
Nature of Suit: Other Civil Rights
Cause of Action: 42:1983 Civil Rights Act

---

United States District Court

For the Northern District of California

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

United States District Court

For the Northern District of California

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

FOR THE NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

SAN JOSE DIVISION

Darla Padgett, et al.,

Plaintiffs,

 v.

Brian Loventhal, et al.,

Defendants. /

NO. C 04-03946 JW 

ORDER ADOPTING DISCOVERY

ORDER NUMBER SEVEN

On June 21, 2007, the Special Master issued Recommended Discovery Order Number Seven. 

(See Docket Item No. 344.) Defendants filed objections on July 2, 2007. (Docket Item No. 344.)

Pursuant to a prior order of the Court, various computers in the custody of former Defendant

City of Monte Sereno were imaged by Plaintiffs' computer expert, Scott Cooper, on May 4-6, 2007. 

Defendants' motion before the Special Master requested copies of all files imaged by Plaintiffs, and

a directory listing of the same. The Special Master ordered that Defendants could receive a

directory of the imaged files provided they bear the costs of its creation. The Master denied the

request for complete copies of "all the imaged file sets" on the following grounds: (1) the imaged

data is not currently in human readable form; (2) Defendants have had access to their own data

throughout the pendency of the case and have failed to preserve it; (3) Defendants declined to

receive copies at the time the imaging was conducted, when provision of those copies would have

been considerably less expensive; and (4) Defendants failed to establish that such copies were

necessary in order to respond to Plaintiffs' pending motion for terminating sanctions. 

Case 5:04-cv-03946-EJD Document 348 Filed 07/06/07 Page 1 of 3
United States District Court

For the Northern District of California

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28 2

Defendants object to the Special Master's Order on the grounds that: (1) the Special Master

erroneously accepted Plaintiffs' estimated cost for creating a file directory; and (2) copies of the

imaged files are necessary to effectively respond to Plaintiffs’ motion for terminating sanctions. The

Court finds that the Special Master's findings on both points were not clearly erroneous. 

Defendants make various additional objections that are not addressed to Discovery Order

Number Seven and are therefore not considered. 

Defendants' objections are OVERRULED. Recommended Discovery Order Number Seven

is ADOPTED as an Order of the Court without modification. 

Dated: July 6, 2007 

JAMES WARE

United States District Judge

Case 5:04-cv-03946-EJD Document 348 Filed 07/06/07 Page 2 of 3
United States District Court

For the Northern District of California

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

THIS IS TO CERTIFY THAT COPIES OF THIS ORDER HAVE BEEN DELIVERED TO:

Darla Kaye Padgett Actiontkr@aol.com

Joseph C. Howard jhoward@hrmrlaw.com

Dated: July 6, 2007 Richard W. Wieking, Clerk

By: /s/JW Chambers 

Elizabeth Garcia

Courtroom Deputy

Case 5:04-cv-03946-EJD Document 348 Filed 07/06/07 Page 3 of 3