Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-caed-1_20-cv-00622/USCOURTS-caed-1_20-cv-00622-9/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 550
Nature of Suit: Prisoner - Civil Rights (U.S. defendant)
Cause of Action: 42:1983 Prisoner Civil Rights

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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

Plaintiff Melvin Ray Brummett Jr. is a state prisoner proceeding pro se and in forma pauperis 

in this civil rights action pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 1983. Upon further review, the Court has

determined that this case will benefit from an in-person settlement conference.

1

 Therefore, this

case will be referred to a Magistrate Judge to conduct an in-person settlement conference at the 

California State Prison, Corcoran (CSP-COR), 4001 King Avenue, Corcoran, CA 93212 on 

February 3, 2025 at 8:30 a.m. The Court will issue any necessary transportation order in due course. 

The parties shall each submit a confidential settlement conference statement, as described below, to 

arrive at least seven days prior (one week) to the conference.

1 The Court previously declined to set this case for a settlement conference. (See Doc. No. 55).

MELVIN RAY BRUMMETT JR.,

Plaintiff,

v.

E. AGUIRRE, G. BEARD, P. GARCIA, D. 

LOPEZ, NKIRUKA NDU, and STUART 

SHERMAN,

Defendants.

Case No. 1:20-cv-00622-HBK (PC)

ORDER SETTING SETTLEMENT 

CONFERENCE

Hearing: Settlement Conference

Date: February 3, 2025

Time: 8:30 a.m.

Location: CSP-COR

Case 1:20-cv-00622-HBK Document 56 Filed 01/03/25 Page 1 of 4
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The court puts the parties on notice that if Plaintiff has any outstanding criminal restitution 

obligation, fines and/or penalties, these settlement negotiations shall not be geared towards what the 

restitution obligation is, but what the value of the case itself is to each side, irrespective of any 

outstanding restitution obligation.

Defendants shall be prepared to negotiate the merits of the case and offer more than a waiver 

of costs as a reasonable compromise to settle the case. The parties are also informed that an offer of 

dismissal in exchange for a waiver of costs is not considered good faith settlement negotiations. 

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In accordance with the above, IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that:

1. This case is set for an in-person settlement conference before a federal Magistrate Judge on 

February 3, 2025 at 8:30 a.m. at CSP-COR.

2. A representative with full and unlimited authority to negotiate and enter into a binding 

settlement shall attend in person.

3. Those in attendance must be prepared to discuss the claims, defenses and damages. The 

failure of any counsel, party or authorized person subject to this order to appear in person 

may result in the cancellation of the conference and the imposition of sanctions. The 

manner and timing of Plaintiff’s transportation to and from the conference is within the 

discretion of CDCR. 

4. Defendants shall provide a confidential settlement statement to the following email 

address: settleconf@caed.uscourts.gov. Plaintiff shall mail his confidential settlement 

statement to U.S. District Court, 2500 Tulare Street, Fresno, California, 93721, 

“Attention: Institution Settlement Judge for February 3, 2025.” The envelope shall be 

marked “Confidential Settlement Statement”. Settlement statements shall arrive no later 

than January 27, 2025. Parties shall also file a Notice of Submission of Confidential 

Settlement Statement (See Local Rule 270(d)). Settlement statements should not be filed 

with the Clerk of the Court nor served on any other party. Settlement statements shall be 

Case 1:20-cv-00622-HBK Document 56 Filed 01/03/25 Page 2 of 4
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clearly marked “confidential” with the date and time of the settlement conference indicated 

prominently thereon.

5. The confidential settlement statement shall be no longer than five pages in length, typed 

or neatly printed, and include the following:

a. A brief statement of the facts of the case.

b. A brief statement of the claims and defenses, i.e., statutory or other grounds upon 

which the claims are founded; a forthright evaluation of the parties’ likelihood of 

prevailing on the claims and defenses; and a description of the major issues in 

dispute.

c. An estimate of the cost and time to be expended for further discovery, pretrial, and 

trial.

d. The party’s position on settlement, including present demands and offers and a 

history of past settlement discussions, offers, and demands.

e. A brief statement of each party’s expectations and goals for the settlement 

conference, including how much a party is willing to accept and/or willing to pay.

f. If the parties intend to discuss the joint settlement of any other actions or claims not 

in this suit, give a brief description of each action or claim as set forth above, 

including case number(s) if applicable.

6. If a settlement is reached at any time prior to the settlement conference, defense counsel is 

directed to file a Notice of Settlement in accordance with Local Rule 160.

7. The parties remain obligated to keep the court informed of their current address at all times 

while the action is pending. Any change of address must be reported promptly to the court 

in a separate document captioned for this case and entitled “Notice of Change of Address.” 

See Local Rule 182(f).

8. A failure to follow these procedures may result in the imposition of sanctions by the 

court. 

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9. The Clerk of the Court is directed to serve a courtesy copy of this order on the Litigation 

Office at California State Prison, Corcoran, via facsimile at (559) 992-7372 or via email. 

Dated: January 3, 2025 

HELENA M. BARCH-KUCHTA

UNITED STATES MAGISTRATE JUDGE

Case 1:20-cv-00622-HBK Document 56 Filed 01/03/25 Page 4 of 4