Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-cand-3_03-cv-05031/USCOURTS-cand-3_03-cv-05031-8/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

For the Northern District of California

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 Plaintiff did not file a formal opposition to the motion, but instead argued in a letter brief in

response to the Court’s September 4, 2007 Order to Show Cause that sanctions were not appropriate.

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 The Court incorporates these orders by reference.

United States District Court

For the Northern District of California

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

FOR THE NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

VLADIMIR JEFFERSON,

Plaintiff,

 v.

COUNTY OF NAPA, et al,

Defendants. /

No. C 03-5031 SI

ORDER GRANTING DEFENDANTS’

MOTION FOR DISCOVERY

SANCTIONS

Defendants’ motion for discovery sanctions is scheduled for a hearing on November 9, 2007.

Pursuant to Civil Local Rule 7-1(b), the Court determines that the matter is appropriate for resolution

without oral argument, and VACATES the hearing. 

DISCUSSION

Defendants seek $3,056 in fees and expenses related to plaintiff’s repeated last-minute

cancellations of his deposition. Plaintiff does not challenge the time expended by defense counsel, nor

does plaintiff contest the rate ($160) charged. Instead, plaintiff only generally asserts1

 that sanctions

are not warranted because Vladimir’s deposition could not go forward as scheduled due to his father’s

illness. 

As set forth in the previous orders regarding Vladimir’s deposition (Docket Nos. 49 and 58)2,

plaintiff repeatedly cancelled Vladimir’s deposition at the last minute and without explanation, and

Case 3:03-cv-05031-SI Document 70 Filed 11/05/07 Page 1 of 2
United States District Court

For the Northern District of California

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caused defendants to incur needless expenses. After defendants sought relief from this Court, plaintiff

continued to oppose Vladimir’s deposition on numerous grounds that this Court had previously rejected.

The Court also found plaintiff’s response to the September 4, 2007 Order to Show Cause deficient

because none of the information provided by plaintiff established that Mr. Jefferson was unable to attend

a deposition of his son, and plaintiff’s counsel asserted, without any explanation, that there were no

other adults who could attend Vladimir’s deposition in Mr. Jefferson’s stead. 

Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 37(d) provides,

If a party . . . fails to . . . appear before the officer who is to take the deposition, after

being served with a proper notice . . . the court shall require the party failing to act or the

attorney advising the party or both to pay the reasonable expenses, including attorney’s

fees, caused by the failure unless the court finds that the failure was substantially

justified or that other circumstances make an award of expenses unjust.

Fed. R. Civ. P. 37(d). “[T]he failure to appear need not be willful,” and the court has discretion in

deciding whether sanctions should be imposed. Lew v. Kona Hosp., 754 F.2d 1420, 1426 (9th Cir.

1985) (citing Advisory Committee Notes to Rule 37(d)). Here, the Court finds that it is appropriate to

award sanctions because plaintiff has not demonstrated that the repeated last minute cancellations were

“substantially justified.” Defendants should be compensated for the unnecessary expenses that they

incurred as a result of plaintiff’s conduct. The Court further finds that defendants’ expenses are

reasonable and sufficiently documented.

Accordingly, the Court GRANTS defendants’ motion for sanctions. (Docket No. 53). Plaintiff

shall pay defendants $3,056 no later than December 15, 2007, unless the parties agree on a later

deadline for payment. 

IT IS SO ORDERED.

Dated: November 5, 2007 

SUSAN ILLSTON

United States District Judge

Case 3:03-cv-05031-SI Document 70 Filed 11/05/07 Page 2 of 2