Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-casd-3_18-cv-00338/USCOURTS-casd-3_18-cv-00338-0/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 442
Nature of Suit: Civil Rights Employment
Cause of Action: 42:2000e-2e Job Discrimination (Unlawful Employment Practices)

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18cv338-MMA(BLM) 

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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT 

SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA 

U.S. EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY 

COMMISSION, 

Plaintiff, 

v. 

MAURIZIO'S TRATTORIA ITALIANA, LLC 

AND DOES 1-10, 

Defendant. 

Case No.: 18cv338-MMA(BLM) 

ORDER STAYING CASE FOR SIXTY 

DAYS, CONTINUING PRETRIAL 

DEADLINES, AND SETTING DEADLINE 

FOR DEFENSE COUNSEL TO FILE A 

NOTICE OF APPEARANCE 

[ECF No. 26] 

 

On April 26, 2019, the parties filed a Second Joint Motion to Extend Discovery and Pretrial 

Motion Deadlines. ECF No. 20-1. The parties sought to continue the remaining deadlines by 

approximately five months due to the health of defense counsel, who was hospitalized for a 

serious heart condition and was ordered to “avoid intense work activities such as trials, 

depositions, and travel for another two to three months.” Id. at 2-3; see also ECF No. 20-3, 

Declaration of Gregory A. Lutz Supporting Joint Motion to Extend Discovery and Pretrial Motion 

Deadlines. On May 1, 2019, the Court issued an Order Granting Second Joint Motion to Extend 

Discovery and Pretrial Motion Deadlines. ECF No. 21. 

On August 5, 2019, Plaintiff filed a Status Report Regarding Defense Counsel and 

Discovery. ECF No. 23. In the report, Plaintiff stated that the parties “noticed the depositions 

of Defendant’s witnesses for September 6, 13, and 27. The deponents include, Maurizio 

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18cv338-MMA(BLM) 

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Carbone, Defendant’s owner and manager, and five other employees.” Id. at 2. Plaintiff also 

stated that on July 8, 2019, it was informed by Mr. Russell De Phillips, an attorney and Executor 

of the Will of Mr. Lutz, that Mr. Lutz, defense counsel, passed away and that Defendant is still 

seeking new counsel. Id. 

On August 7, 2019, Mr. De Phillips filed a Notice of Death of Counsel stating that Mr. 

Lutz passed away on July 2, 2019 and requesting a stay of the action to permit Defendant to 

find new counsel. ECF No. 24. That same day, Judge Anello ordered Plaintiff to file any response 

to Defendant’s notice and request by August 12, 2019. ECF No. 25. On August 7, 2019, Plaintiff 

filed its response. ECF No. 26. Plaintiff states that while it is not in favor of an indefinite stay, 

it will not oppose a stay of up to sixty days to permit Defendant to retain new counsel and get 

up to speed on the case “provided that the current discovery and motion deadlines set forth in 

Magistrate Judge Major’s May 1, 2019 Order are also extended for the same amount of time as 

the length of the stay.” Id. at 1-3. Plaintiff does not feel that an indefinite stay is appropriate 

given that (1) the case has been pending since early 2018, (2) the pretrial deadlines have already 

been continued twice, and (3) Defendant has already had more than a month to begin looking 

for new counsel. Id. If the case is stayed, Plaintiff requests that Judge Major hold a telephonic 

status conference in approximately thirty days for an update on Defendant’s search for new 

counsel. Id. at 4. 

Good cause appearing, Defendant’s request for a stay is GRANTED. The instant matter 

will be stayed until October 7, 2019. The remaining case deadlines are CONTINUED as 

follows: 

 Current Deadline New Deadline 

Fact Discovery Completion October 18, 2019 December 20, 2019 

Expert Designations October 18, 2019 December 20, 2019 

Rebuttal Expert Designations November 18, 2019 January 17, 2019 

Expert Disclosures October 18, 2019 December 20, 2019 

Supplemental Expert Disclosures November 18, 2019 January 17, 2020 

Expert Discovery Completion December 18, 2019 February 17, 2020 

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18cv338-MMA(BLM) 

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Pretrial Motions1 January 27, 2020 March 27, 2020 

 All other guidelines and requirements remain as previously set. See ECF Nos. 11, 19 and 

21. 

The Court declines to set a telephonic Case Management Conference at this time. 

Defendant is ORDERED to retain new counsel and the new attorney must file a Notice of 

Appearance on or before September 5, 2019. 

IT IS SO ORDERED. 

Dated: 8/9/2019 

                                                       

1 If appropriate, following the filing of an order ruling on a motion for summary judgment or 

other dispositive pretrial motion, or in the event no such motion is filed, after the expiration of 

the pretrial motion filing deadline, Judge Anello will issue a pretrial scheduling order setting a 

pretrial conference, trial date, and all related pretrial deadlines. The parties must review and be 

familiar with Judge Anello’s Civil Chambers Rules, which provide additional information regarding 

pretrial scheduling. 

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