Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-cand-4_14-cv-02639/USCOURTS-cand-4_14-cv-02639-25/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 710
Nature of Suit: Fair Labor Standards Act
Cause of Action: 15:2(a) Fair Labor Standards Act

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United States District Court

Northern District of California

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

KUANG XUAN LIU, et al.,

Plaintiffs,

v.

WIN WOO TRADING, LLC, et al.,

Defendants.

Case No. 14-cv-02639-KAW 

ORDER REGARDING PLAINTIFFS' 

MOTION FOR SANCTIONS AGAINST 

SAFETY TRUCKING DEFENDANTS

On May 5, 2016, the Court held a hearing on Plaintiffs’ motion for sanctions against 

Defendants Safety Trucking, Jia Tun Zheng, and attorney Leon Jew. At the hearing, Mr. Jew 

informed the Court that his clients were terminating his legal representation effective the end of 

the business day.

On April 28, 2016, the Court ordered Defendants to produce the original time reports and 

original corrected time reports for all truck drivers, dated prior to November 16, 2011, for 

inspection and copying at a mutually agreeable location within 14 days of this order, which is May 

12, 2016. (Dkt. No. 173.) At the hearing, the parties informed the Court that the date agreed upon 

for the production and inspection was May 10, 2016, but that the parties were not sure whether the 

inspection would go forward in light of Mr. Jew’s termination as counsel. Corporate entities 

cannot appear in court without an attorney, so the undersigned is concerned that Defendants may 

have terminated their counsel in an effort to further obstruct Plaintiffs’ discovery efforts.

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Furthermore, Safety Trucking’s failure to retain counsel may result in entry of default against it.

Accordingly, the Court will not rule on the pending motion for sanctions until Defendants’

 

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The Court’s concern arises out of Defendants’ repeated failure to comply with their discovery 

obligations to be addressed in a separate order.

Case 4:14-cv-02639-KAW Document 178 Filed 05/09/16 Page 1 of 2
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United States District Court

Northern District of California

time for compliance with the prior court order—May 12, 2016—has passed. Failure to comply 

with the prior court order for inspection may result in the imposition of monetary and terminating 

sanctions. Fed. R. Civ. P. 37(b)(2).

Accordingly, the parties shall file a joint status report, on or before May 16, 2016, to 

inform the court (1) whether the inspection took place, and (2) whether the production was 

complete. If Defendants are truly no longer represented by counsel, Plaintiffs may file their own 

status report.

Defense counsel shall serve a copy of this order on his clients.

IT IS SO ORDERED.

Dated: May 9, 2016

__________________________________

KANDIS A. WESTMORE

United States Magistrate Judge

Case 4:14-cv-02639-KAW Document 178 Filed 05/09/16 Page 2 of 2