Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-caed-1_21-cv-01134/USCOURTS-caed-1_21-cv-01134-15/pdf.json

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

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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

DORIS ANDERSON, et al.,

Plaintiffs,

v.

COUNTY OF FRESNO, et al.,

Defendants.

Case No. 1:21-cv-01134-KES-SAB

ORDER STAYING PROCEEDINGS IN 

THIS MATTER AGAINST DEFENDANT 

CALIFORNIA FORENSIC MEDICAL 

GROUP AKA WELLPATH, LLC 

PURSUANT TO 11 U.S.C. § 362

ORDER REQUIRING PLAINTIFFS TO 

FILE STATUS REPORT 

(ECF No. 111)

FIFTEEN DAY DEADLINE

Plaintiffs filed this action on July 23, 2021. (ECF No. 1) The operative third amended 

complaint asserts claims against Defendants: (1) County of Fresno; (2) Margaret Mims; (3) 

California Forensic Medical Group, also known as Wellpath, LLC (“Wellpath”); (4) Jami Carter; 

(5) Chris Garcia; (6) Frank Ponce; (7) Moises Franco; (8) Meng Cha; (9) Linda Thao; (10) Ka 

Her; (11) Jose Alanis; (12) Anthony Sanchez; (13) Rachel LeBoeuf; (14) David Ventura; (15) 

Dillon Owens; (16) Jonathan Sanchez; (17) Genevieve Garcia; and (18) Maria Guerrero. (ECF 

No. 97.) A scheduling conference was held on December 11, 2023. (ECF No. 104.) Neither the

pretrial conference nor trial have been set in this matter. 

On November 15, 2024, Defendant Wellpath filed a suggestion of bankruptcy and notice 

of stay indicating that on November 11, 2024, Wellpath filed for bankruptcy in the United States 

Case 1:21-cv-01134-KES-SAB Document 112 Filed 11/19/24 Page 1 of 3
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Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas (Houston Division) for relief under chapter 

11 of the United States Bankruptcy Code (the “Bankruptcy Code”). (ECF No. 46.) The 

bankruptcy case is pending under case number 24-90563-(ARP). 

Pursuant to Section 362 of the Bankruptcy Code, all actions against a defendant who has 

filed a bankruptcy petition are automatically stayed once the petition is filed. 11 U.S.C. § 362(a) 

(staying “the commencement or continuation, including the issuance or employment of process, 

of a judicial, administrative, or other action or proceeding against the debtor that was or could 

have been commenced before the commencement of the case under this title, or to recover a 

claim against the debtor that arose before the commencement of the case under this title.”); see 

also Sternberg v. Johnston, 595 F.3d 937, 943 (9th Cir. 2010). Accordingly, all proceedings in 

this matter against Defendant Wellpath shall be stayed pursuant to Section 362(a) of Title 11, 

United States Code.

As noted above, no pretrial conference or trial has been set in this action. The Court 

tentatively orders a stay of this action against Wellpath only and that the action proceed against 

the other seventeen defendants. The Court shall order the parties not subject to the automatic stay

to file a status report within fifteen (15) days indicating whether this action should proceed in 

some manner against any of the named Defendants or if this matter should be stayed in its 

entirety. See Parker v. Bain, 68 F.3d 1131, 1137 (9th Cir. 1995) (“All proceedings in a single 

case are not lumped together for purposes of automatic stay analysis. Even if the first claim filed 

in a case was originally brought against the debtor, section 362 does not necessarily stay all other 

claims in the case. Within a single case, some actions may be stayed, others not. Multiple claim 

and multiple party litigation must be disaggregated so that particular claims, counterclaims, cross 

claims and third-party claims are treated independently when determining which of their 

respective proceedings are subject to the bankruptcy stay.” (quoting Maritime Elec. Co. v. 

United Jersey Bank, 959 F.2d 1194, 1204–06 (3d Cir. 1992))). Alternatively, the Court is 

available to conduct a status conference with the parties not subject to the automatic stay. 

Accordingly, IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that:

1. All proceedings in this matter against Defendant California Forensic Medical 

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Group, also known as Wellpath, LLC are STAYED pursuant to Section 362(a) of 

Title 11, United States Code; 

2. Plaintiffs shall provide notice to the Court within thirty (30) days of the 

conclusion of the bankruptcy action; and

3. Within fifteen (15) days of service of this order, the parties shall request a status 

conference or file a status report indicating whether this matter should be stayed 

in its entirety and all matters vacated or whether a settlement conference should 

be set. 

IT IS SO ORDERED.

Dated: November 18, 2024 

STANLEY A. BOONE

United States Magistrate Judge

Case 1:21-cv-01134-KES-SAB Document 112 Filed 11/19/24 Page 3 of 3