Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-caed-1_14-cv-00060/USCOURTS-caed-1_14-cv-00060-35/pdf.json

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

---

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

1

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

COREY LAMAR SMITH, et al.,

Plaintiffs,

v.

ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER, et al.,

Defendants.

Case No. 1:14-cv-00060-LJO-SAB

ORDER STAYING MOTION TO AMEND THE 

CONSOLIDATED COMPLAINT AND 

VACATING OCTOBER 14, 2015 HEARING

(ECF Nos. 182, 183)

On May 20, 2015, this Court entered a findings and recommendations recommending this 

action be dismissed on the ground that Defendants are entitled to qualified immunity. On June 

24, 2015, Plaintiffs filed objections to the findings and recommendations. Defendants filed a 

response to the objections on July 20, 2015; and Plaintiff filed objections to the response on July 

24, 2015. The findings and recommendations, objections, and responses are pending before the 

assigned district judge. On September 9, 2015, Plaintiffs filed a motion to amend the 

consolidated complaint. On September 10, 2015, Plaintiffs filed a stipulation to amend the 

complaint. 

“The District Court has broad discretion to stay proceedings as an incident to its power to 

control its own docket.” Clinton v. Jones, 520 U.S. 681, 706 (1997). This “power to stay 

proceedings is incidental to the power inherent in every court to control the disposition of the 

causes on its docket with economy of time and effort for itself, for counsel, and for litigants.” 

Case 1:14-cv-00060-LJO-SAB Document 184 Filed 09/10/15 Page 1 of 2
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

Landis v. N. Am. Co., 299 U.S. 248, 254 (1936). Here, staying the motion to amend until the 

district court issues an order addressing the findings and recommendations will not dispose of any 

claims or defenses or deny Plaintiffs any relief sought. . S.E.C. v. CMKM Diamonds, Inc., 729 

F.3d 1248, 1260 (9th Cir. 2013) (A magistrate judge has the authority to issue a stay where the 

stay does not dispose of any claims or defenses or deny the party any ultimate relief sought). 

If the district court adopts the findings and recommendations any amendment of the 

consolidated complaint would be futile. For that reason, the Court finds that to avoid potentially 

unnecessary litigation expenses for the parties and in the interest of judicial economy the motion 

to amend shall be stayed until after the district court issues an order on the pending findings and 

recommendations. Accordingly, IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that:

1. The motion to amend filed September 9, 2015 is STAYED;

2. The stipulation to amend the complaint is STAYED; 

3. The hearing set for October 14, 2015 is VACATED; and

4. The Court shall set a new hearing date once the stay is lifted.

IT IS SO ORDERED.

Dated: September 10, 2015 

UNITED STATES MAGISTRATE JUDGE

Case 1:14-cv-00060-LJO-SAB Document 184 Filed 09/10/15 Page 2 of 2