Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-caed-1_16-cv-00188/USCOURTS-caed-1_16-cv-00188-1/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 440
Nature of Suit: Other Civil Rights
Cause of Action: 42:1981 Civil Rights

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STIPULATION FOR AN ORDER FOR DISCLOSURE OF AUTOPSY PHOTOGRAPHS

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THERESA A. GOLDNER, COUNTY COUNSEL

By: Andrew C. Thomson, Deputy (Bar # 149057)

 Marshall Scott Fontes, Deputy (Bar# 139567)

Kern County Administrative Center

1115 Truxtun Avenue, Fourth Floor

Bakersfield, CA 93301

Telephone 661-868-3800

Fax 661-868-3805

Attorneys for Defendants County of Kern, 

Kern County Sheriff's Office, Sheriff 

Youngblood, and Deputy Manriquez

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

THE ESTATE OF DONALD MALIIK 

LEVINGSTON, TRACI MORALES,

individually and as successor in interest to 

the ESTATE OF DONALD MALIIK 

LEVINGSTON, ELIJAH LEVINGTSON 

by and through his Guardian Ad Litem

TRACI MORALES and ELIZABETH 

LEVINGSTON, by and through her 

Guardian Ad Litem TRACI MORALES

Plaintiffs,

v.

COUNTY OF KERN, KERN COUNTY 

SHERIFF’S DEPT., DEPUTY DAVID 

MANRIQUEZ, KERN COUNTY 

SHERIFF DONNY YOUNGBLOOD, 

HALL AMBULANCE SERVICE, INC., 

BRENDA ROBINSON and DOES 1 

THROUGH 25, INCLUSIVE

Defendants.

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Case No.: 1:16-CV-00188 DAD JLT

STIPULATION FOR AN ORDER FOR 

DISCLOSURE OF AUTOPSY 

PHOTOGRAPHS OF DONALD MALIIK 

LEVINGSTON

(Doc. 12)

COME NOW the Parties in this matter, and present this Stipulation for an order for 

disclosure of autopsy photographs of the autopsy of Decedent of Donald Maliik Levingston.

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STIPULATION FOR AN ORDER FOR DISCLOSURE OF AUTOPSY PHOTOGRAPHS

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Plaintiffs Estate Of Donald Maliik Levingston, Traci Morales, individually and as 

successor in interest to the Estate Of Donald Maliik Levingston, Elijah Levingston by and 

through his Guardian Ad Litem Traci Morales and Elizabeth Levingston, by and through her 

Guardian Ad Litem Traci Morales (hereinafter collectively “Plaintiffs”) are represented by 

Michael J. Curls and Nichelle D. Jones of the Law Offices of Michael J. Curls.

Defendants, Hall Ambulance Service, Inc. and Brenda Robinson (hereinafter 

collectively “Hall Defendants”) are represented by Deborah Susan Tropp of McNeil, Tropp 

& Braun.

Defendants, County of Kern, Kern County Sheriff's Office, Sheriff Youngblood, and 

Deputy Manriquez, (hereinafter collectively “County Defendants”) are represented by Andrew 

C. Thomson, Office of Kern County Counsel.

Plaintiffs, Hall Defendants and County Defendants are hereinafter collectively 

referred to as the “Parties.”

IT IS HEREBY STIPULATED AND AGREED TO, by and between the Parties, through 

their respective counsel of record, that an Order should issue as follows: a) to direct the Kern 

County Coroner’s Office (hereinafter “Coroner”) to disclose to the Parties a full and complete 

color set of the autopsy photographs of the March 3, 2015 autopsy of the body of Donald 

Maliik Levingston (hereinafter “Decedent”); and b) that the disclosed autopsy photographs of 

the autopsy of Decedent be subject to the Protective Order which has been previously 

approved by this Court in this matter and subject to the limitations set forth below.

1. Whereas, California Code of Civil Procedure § 129, provides as follows:

Notwithstanding any other provision of law, no copy, reproduction, or facsimile 

of any kind shall be made of any photograph, negative, or print, including 

instant photographs and video recordings, of the body, or any portion of the 

body, of a deceased person, taken by or for the coroner at the scene of death or 

in the course of a post mortem examination or autopsy made by or caused to be 

made by the coroner, except for use in a criminal action or proceeding in this 

state that relates to the death of that person, or except as a court of this state 

permits, by order after good cause has been shown and after written notification 

of the request for the court order has been served, at least five days before the 

order is made, upon the district attorney of the county in which the post mortem 

examination or autopsy has been made or caused to be made.

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STIPULATION FOR AN ORDER FOR DISCLOSURE OF AUTOPSY PHOTOGRAPHS

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This section shall not apply to the making of such a copy, reproduction, or 

facsimile for use in the field of forensic pathology, for use in medical or 

scientific education or research, or for use by any law enforcement agency in 

this or any other state or the United States.

This section shall apply to any such copy, reproduction, or facsimile, and to any 

such photograph, negative, or print, heretofore or hereafter made.

2. Whereas, in other cases the Coroner’s Office has refused to produce/release

the autopsy photographs in the absence of a court order for disclosure under Code of Civil 

Procedure § 129; 

3. Whereas, the Parties are informed and believe that copies of the autopsy 

photographs are necessary for their full and complete preparation of this matter for trial;

4. Whereas, the Parties believe that this stipulation and any resulting Court Order 

would be consistent with the requirements set forth in Code of Civil Procedure §129;

5. Whereas, in addition to the protective order in place, the Parties agree to the 

following additional restrictions in order to comply with Code of Civil Procedure §129:

a) The photographs shall not be copied or disseminated outside of the 

Parties’ attorney’s offices except for review by retained experts or a party to the 

action.

b) The only people who shall be authorized to view the photographs will be 

the attorneys, the attorneys’ office staff, retained experts and parties to the 

action.

c) The photographs shall not be provided to the news media directly or 

indirectly without a specific order from the Court.

d) The photographs shall only be utilized in connection with this litigation 

and for no other purpose;

e) At the conclusion of the litigation, all autopsy photographs of decedent 

Donald Maliik Levingston that are produced, and any copies thereof, including 

exhibits to depositions, shall be destroyed or returned to the Office of Kern 

County Counsel.

f) No counsel shall file with this court any autopsy photographs of 

decedent Donald Maliik Levingston either as an exhibit to a motion or otherwise 

unless the court has issued an order sealing such record.

g) Any person or persons violating this order shall be subject to sanctions.

6. The Parties respectfully request the Court’s consideration of this request.

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STIPULATION FOR AN ORDER FOR DISCLOSURE OF AUTOPSY PHOTOGRAPHS

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THEREFORE, IT IS HEREBY STIPULATED THAT:

The Court issue an Order directing the Coroner to issue to the Parties copies of the 

autopsy photographs of the autopsy of Donald Maliik Levingston;

The produced photographs are subject to the Court’s prior protective order issued in this 

matter and are subject to the addition restrictions set forth above in 5a through 5g above.

DATED: June 22, 2016 Law Offices of Michael J. Curls

By: /s/ Nichelle D. Jones _ 

Michael J. Curls, Esq.

Nichelle D. Jones, Esq.

Attorneys for Plaintiffs Estate of Donald Maliik 

Levingston, Traci Morales, Elijah Levingston

and Elizabeth Levingston

DATED: June 22, 2016 McNeil Tropp & Braun LLP

By: /s/ Deborah Susan Tropp _ 

Deborah Susan Tropp, Esq.

Attorneys for Defendants Hall Ambulance 

Service, Inc. and Brenda Robinson

DATED: June 22, 2016 Theresa A. Goldner, County Counsel

By: /s/ Andrew C. Thomson _ 

Andrew C. Thomson, Deputy

County Of Kern, Kern County Sheriff’s Dept., 

Deputy David Manriquez, and Kern County 

Sheriff Donny Youngblood

IT IS SO ORDERED.

Dated: June 22, 2016 /s/ Jennifer L. Thurston 

UNITED STATES MAGISTRATE JUDGE

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