Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-cand-3_14-cv-00173/USCOURTS-cand-3_14-cv-00173-14/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 360
Nature of Suit: Other Personal Injury
Cause of Action: 28:1332 Diversity-(Citizenship)

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[PROP.] ORDER GRANTING DEFENDANT’S 

MOT. TO DISMISS 

CASE NO. 14-CV-00173-SC

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

SAN FRANCISCO DIVISION

FOSTER OGOLA, ELDER ENDURE 

HUMPHREY FISEI, FRESH TALENT, 

MATTHEW KINGDOM MIESEIGHA, 

CHRIS WILFRED ITONYO, AND NATTO 

IYELA GBARABE,

Plaintiffs,

v. 

CHEVRON CORPORATION,

Defendant.

Case No. 14-cv-00173-SC

[PROPOSED] ORDER GRANTING 

DEFENDANT’S MOTION FOR THE 

SANCTION OF DISMISSAL FOR 

FIVE PLAINTIFFS’ FAILURE TO 

COMPLY WITH DISCOVERY 

OBLIGATIONS 

Defendant Chevron Corporation’s Motion for the Sanction of Dismissal for Five 

Plaintiffs’ Failure to Comply with Discovery Obligations was regularly heard and duly 

considered by this Court. Based on the papers filed in support of and opposition to the motion, 

and oral argument thereon, the Court makes the following findings of fact and law: 

1. Plaintiffs Foster Ogola, Elder Endure Humphrey Fisei, Fresh Talent, Matthew 

Kingdom Mieseigha, and Chris Wilfred Itonyo (the “Five Plaintiffs”) were served with two sets 

of requests for production of documents and one set of interrogatories in the above-captioned 

case.

Case 3:14-cv-00173-SI Document 93 Filed 07/28/15 Page 1 of 2
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[PROP.] ORDER GRANTING DEFENDANT’S 

MOT. TO DISMISS 

CASE NO. 14-CV-00173-SC

2. The deadline for responding to this discovery was April 3, 2015. The Five Plaintiffs 

did not respond on that date or at any time thereafter. 

3. The Five Plaintiffs are not cooperating with their own counsel in the above-captioned 

case.

4. Defendant’s efforts to meet and confer have not yielded any commitment to respond to 

the discovery by the Five Plaintiffs and there is no prospect that they will respond. 

5. Applying the Ninth Circuit’s five-factor test to determine whether dismissal is the 

appropriate sanction favors dismissal based on the facts of this case. The first factor is the 

public’s interest in expeditious resolution of the litigation. This factor weighs in favor of 

dismissal. Wanderer v. Johnston, 910 F.2d 652, 656 (9th Cir. 1990). The second factor is the 

court’s need to manage its dockets. This also weighs in favor of dismiss. Id. The third factor is 

the risk of prejudice to the party seeking sanctions. If Chevron is forced to continue to litigate 

against plaintiffs who provide no information in response to discovery, it is prejudiced. Adriana 

Int’l Corp. v. Lewis, 913 F.2d 1406, 1412 (9th Cir. 1990). The fourth factor is the public policy 

favoring disposition of cases on their merits. This factor weighs against dismissal as a sanction. 

Wanderer, 910 F.2d at 656. The final factor is the availability of less drastic sanctions. It is 

unlikely under the present circumstances that other sanctions will be effective in extracting 

cooperation from the Five Plaintiffs. Because the Five Plaintiffs’ relationship with their counsel 

is broken and they are not cooperating, it is untenable to continue with them as representatives of 

a putative class. See Richardson v. City of Spokane Wash., 2013 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 180002, at *7 

(E.D. Wash. Dec. 23, 2013). Accordingly, I find that no less drastic sanction is feasible. 

IT IS HEREBY ORDERED THAT:

Defendant’s motion granted. The Second Amended Complaint is dismissed with 

prejudice as to Foster Ogola, Elder Endure Humphrey Fisei, Fresh Talent, Matthew Kingdom 

Mieseigha, and Chris Wilfred Itonyo.

 IT IS SO ORDERED. 

 Dated: July 28, 2015 United States District Court Judge

________________________

Case 3:14-cv-00173-SI Document 93 Filed 07/28/15 Page 2 of 2