Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-cand-4_01-cv-01688/USCOURTS-cand-4_01-cv-01688-3/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 850
Nature of Suit: Securities, Commodities, Exchange
Cause of Action: 15:78m(a) Securities Exchange Act

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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT 

NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA 

OAKLAND DIVISION 

In re U.S. AGGREGATES, INC. SECURITIES 

LITIGATION 

This Document Relates To: 

ALL ACTIONS. 

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Master File No. C-01-1688-CW 

CLASS ACTION

FINAL JUDGMENT AND ORDER OF 

DISMISSAL WITH PREJUDICE 

DATE: March 24, 2006 

TIME: 10:00 a.m. 

COURTROOM: The Honorable 

Claudia Wilken 

Case 4:01-cv-01688-CW Document 220 Filed 03/24/06 Page 1 of 6
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This matter came before the Court for hearing pursuant to an Order of this Court, dated 

December 20, 2005, on the application of the Settling Parties for approval of the settlement set forth 

in the Stipulation of Settlement dated as of November 10, 2005 (the “Stipulation”). Due and 

adequate notice having been given of the settlement as required in said Order, and the Court having 

considered all papers filed and proceedings held herein and otherwise being fully informed in the 

premises and good cause appearing therefore, IT IS HEREBY ORDERED, ADJUDGED AND 

DECREED that: 

1. This Judgment incorporates by reference the definitions in the Stipulation, and all 

terms used herein shall have the same meanings set forth in the Stipulation. 

2. This Court has jurisdiction over the subject matter of the Litigation and over all 

parties to the Litigation, including all Members of the Settlement Class. 

3. Except as to any individual claim of those Persons (identified in Exhibit 1 attached 

hereto) who have validly and timely requested exclusion from the Settlement Class, the Litigation 

and all claims contained therein, including all of the Released Claims, are dismissed with prejudice 

as to the Lead Plaintiff and the other Members of the Settlement Class, and as against each and all of 

the Released Persons. The parties are to bear their own costs, except as otherwise provided in the 

Stipulation. 

4. Pursuant to Rule 23 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, this Court hereby 

approves the settlement set forth in the Stipulation and finds that said settlement is, in all respects, 

fair, reasonable and adequate to, and is in the best interests of, the Lead Plaintiff, the Settlement 

Class and each of the Settlement Class Members. This Court further finds the settlement set forth in 

the Stipulation is the result of arm’s-length negotiations between experienced counsel representing 

the interests of the Lead Plaintiff, the Settlement Class Members and the Defendants. Accordingly, 

the settlement embodied in the Stipulation is hereby approved in all respects and shall be 

consummated in accordance with its terms and provisions. The Settling Parties are hereby directed 

to perform the terms of the Stipulation. 

5. Pursuant to Rule 23 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, the Court hereby 

certifies, for purposes of effectuating this settlement, a Settlement Class of all Persons who 

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purchased U.S. Aggregates common stock between April 25, 2000 and April 2, 2001, inclusive. 

Excluded from the Settlement Class are Defendants, members of the immediate families of 

Defendants, any entity in which any Defendant has or had a controlling interest, former directors and 

officers of U.S. Aggregates, and the legal representatives, heirs, successors, or assigns of any such 

excluded person or entity. Also excluded from the Settlement Class are those Persons who timely 

and validly requested exclusion from the Settlement Class pursuant to the Notice of Pendency and 

Proposed Settlement of Class Action. 

6. With respect to the Settlement Class, this Court finds for the purposes of effectuating 

this settlement that (a) the Members of the Settlement Class are so numerous that joinder of all 

Settlement Class Members in the Litigation is impracticable; (b) there are questions of law and fact 

common to the Settlement Class which predominate over any individual questions; (c) the claims of 

the Lead Plaintiff are typical of the claims of the Settlement Class; (d) the Lead Plaintiff and Lead 

Counsel have fairly and adequately represented and protected the interests of all of the Settlement 

Class Members; and (e) a class action is superior to other available methods for the fair and efficient 

adjudication of the controversy, considering: (i) the interests of the Members of the Settlement Class 

in individually controlling the prosecution of the separate actions; (ii) the extent and nature of any 

litigation concerning the controversy already commenced by Members of the Settlement Class; (iii) 

the desirability or undesirability of continuing the litigation of these claims in this particular forum; 

and (iv) the difficulties likely to be encountered in the management of the Litigation. 

7. Upon the Effective Date, the Lead Plaintiff shall have expressly, and each of the 

Settlement Class Members shall be deemed to have, and by operation of the Judgment shall have, 

fully, finally, and forever released, relinquished and discharged all Released Claims against the 

Released Persons, whether or not such Settlement Class Member executes and delivers a Proof of 

Claim and Release form. 

8. All Settlement Class Members are hereby forever barred and enjoined from 

prosecuting the Released Claims against the Released Persons. 

9. Upon the Effective Date hereof, each of the Defendants shall be deemed to have, and 

by operation of this Judgment shall have, fully, finally, and forever released, relinquished and 

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discharged the Lead Plaintiff, each and all of the Settlement Class Members, and Lead Counsel from 

all claims (including Unknown Claims), arising out of, relating to, or in connection with the 

institution, prosecution, assertion, settlement or resolution of the Litigation or the Released Claims. 

10. The distribution of the Notice of Pendency and Proposed Settlement of Class Action 

and the publication of the Summary Notice as provided for in the Stipulation and Order Re Mailing 

and Publishing of Notice of Settlement and Setting New Final Approval Hearing Date constituted 

the best notice practicable under the circumstances, including individual notice to all Members of the 

Settlement Class who could be identified through reasonable effort. Said Notice provided the best 

notice practicable under the circumstances of those proceedings and of the matters set forth therein, 

including the proposed settlement set forth in the Stipulation, to all Persons entitled to such notice, 

and said Notice fully satisfied the requirements of Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 23, the 

requirements of due process, and any other applicable law. 

11. Any plan of allocation submitted by Lead Counsel or any order entered regarding the 

attorneys’ fee and expense application shall in no way disturb or affect this Final Judgment and shall 

be considered separate from this Final Judgment. 

12. Neither the Stipulation nor the settlement contained therein, nor any act performed or 

document executed pursuant to or in furtherance of the Stipulation or the settlement: (a) is or may be 

deemed to be or may be used as an admission of, or evidence of, the validity of any Released Claim, 

or of any wrongdoing or liability of the Defendants or their Related Parties; or (b) is or may be 

deemed to be or may be used as an admission of, or evidence of, any fault or omission of any of the 

Defendants or their Related Parties in any civil, criminal or administrative proceeding in any court, 

administrative agency or other tribunal. Defendants have denied and continue to deny each and all 

of the claims alleged in the Litigation. Defendants may file the Stipulation and/or the Judgment in 

any other action that may be brought against them in order to support a defense or counterclaim 

based on principles of res judicata, collateral estoppel, release, good faith settlement, judgment bar 

or reduction or any other theory of claim preclusion or issue preclusion or similar defense or 

counterclaim. 

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13. Without affecting the finality of this Judgment in any way, this Court hereby retains 

continuing jurisdiction over: (a) implementation of this settlement and any award or distribution of 

the Settlement Fund, including interest earned thereon; (b) disposition of the Settlement Fund; 

(c) hearing and determining applications for attorneys’ fees and expenses in the Litigation; and (d) 

all parties hereto for the purpose of construing, enforcing and administering the Stipulation. 

14. The Court finds that during the course of the Litigation, the Settling Parties and their 

respective counsel at all times complied with the requirements of Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 

11. 

15. In the event that the settlement does not become effective in accordance with the 

terms of the Stipulation or the Effective Date does not occur, or in the event that the Settlement 

Fund, or any portion thereof, is returned to the Defendants, or the Insurers, then this Judgment shall 

be rendered null and void to the extent provided by and in accordance with the Stipulation and shall 

be vacated and, in such event, all orders entered and releases delivered in connection herewith shall 

be null and void to the extent provided by and in accordance with the Stipulation. 

 3/24/06 

DATED: _____________________ 

/s/ CLAUDIA WILKEN 

 THE HONORABLE CLAUDIA WILKEN 

UNITED STATES DISTRICT JUDGE 

 Submitted by: 

LERACH COUGHLIN STOIA GELLER 

 RUDMAN & ROBBINS LLP 

JEFFREY W. LAWRENCE 

CHRISTOPHER P. SEEFER 

SHIRLEY H. HUANG 

100 Pine Street, Suite 2600 

San Francisco, CA 94111 

Telephone: 415/288-4545 

415/288-4534 (fax) 

LERACH COUGHLIN STOIA GELLER 

 RUDMAN & ROBBINS LLP 

WILLIAM S. LERACH 

JOY ANN BULL 

s/ JOY ANN BULL 

JOY ANN BULL 

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655 West Broadway, Suite 1900 

San Diego, CA 92101 

Telephone: 619/231-1058 

619/231-7423 (fax) 

Lead Counsel for Plaintiff 

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