Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-caed-1_05-cv-01624/USCOURTS-caed-1_05-cv-01624-15/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 550
Nature of Suit: Prisoner - Civil Rights (U.S. defendant)
Cause of Action: 28:1983 Civil Rights

---

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

1

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

ROBERT DANIEL PERRY,

Plaintiff,

v.

AGUIRRE, et al.,

Defendants.

 /

CASE NO. 1:05-cv-01624-LJO-DLB-PC

ORDER RE: FINDING AND

RECOMMENDATIONS

ORDER SETTING 

EVIDENTIARY HEARING:

November 28, 2007 at 8:30 am in Courtroom 4

TELEPHONIC HEARING

CONFIRMATION: 

November 8, 2007 at 8:30 in Courtroom 4

ORDER DIRECTING CLERK’S OFFICE

TO SEND LOCAL RULE 16-281 TO

PLAINTIFF 

PLAINTIFF’S DEADLINE TO IDENTIFY

UNINCARCERATED WITNESSES IS

SEPTEMBER 21, 2007

OTHER PLAINTIFF WITNESS

INFORMATION DUE BY 

OCTOBER 15, 2007

PLAINTIFF’S PREHEARING STATEMENT

DUE BY OCTOBER 15, 2007

DEFENDANT’S PREHEARING

STATEMENT DUE NOVEMBER 2, 2007

[Docs. # 33, 83]

Plaintiff Robert Daniel Perry (“plaintiff”) is a state prisoner proceeding pro se and in forma

pauperis in this civil rights action pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 1983. On December 29, 2007, defendants

filed a motion to dismiss based on plaintiff’s failure to exhaust administrative remedies. On August

Case 1:05-cv-01624-LJO -DLB Document 84 Filed 08/30/07 Page 1 of 6
1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

2

20, 2007, the magistrate judge issued Findings and Recommendations which recommended that the

motion be denied because a factual dispute existed concerning whether plaintiff attempted to file

appeal forms and whether the forms were intercepted by prison officials. On August 22, 2007,

defendants filed objections requesting that the motion be granted, or in the alternative, that an

evidentiary hearing be held to resolve the factual dispute. Upon review of defendants’ objections,

the court vacates the Findings and Recommendations and will hold an evidentiary hearing. The

hearing will be held on November 28, 2007, at 8:30 am.

 Pursuant to the Prison Litigation Reform Act of 1995, “[n]o action shall be brought with

respect to prison conditions under [42 U.S.C. § 1983], or any other Federal law, by a prisoner

confined in any jail, prison, or other correctional facility until such administrative remedies as are

available are exhausted.” 42 U.S.C. § 1997e(a). Prisoners are required to exhaust the available

administrative remedies prior to filing suit. Jones v. Bock, 127 S.Ct. 910, 918-19 (2007); McKinney

v. Carey, 311 F.3d 1198, 1199-1201 (9th Cir. 2002). Exhaustion is required regardless of the relief

sought by the prisoner and regardless of the relief offered by the process, Booth v.Churner, 532 U.S.

731, 741 (2001), and the exhaustion requirement applies to all prisoner suits relating to prison life,

Porter v. Nussle, 435 U.S. 516, 532 (2002). 

Although the evidentiary hearing is not a trial, the parties shall submit a prehearing statement

pursuant to Local Rule 16-281 in accordance with the schedule set forth herein. The prehearing

statement shall address the parties’ positions regarding whether or not the plaintiff exhausted his

administrative remedies including their positions regarding the standard of proof.

The court notes that section 1997e(a) does not impose a pleading requirement, but rather, is

an affirmative defense under which defendants have the burden of raising and proving the absence

of exhaustion. Jones, 127 S.Ct. at 921; Wyatt v. Terhune, 315 F.3d 1108, 1119 (9th Cir. 2003). At

the hearing, defendants must be prepared to introduce evidence to meet their burden of proof. 

If plaintiff intends to present evidence to rebut the defendant’s case, it is plaintiff’s

responsibility to produce that evidence. There are two kinds of evidence: (1) exhibits and (2) the

testimony of witnesses. If plaintiff wants to call witnesses to testify, he must follow certain

procedures to ensure that the witnesses will be at the trial and available to testify. In addition, if

Case 1:05-cv-01624-LJO -DLB Document 84 Filed 08/30/07 Page 2 of 6
1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

3

plaintiff intends to call witnesses, he will be required to make a particularized showing in order to

obtain the attendance of witnesses. The procedures and requirements for making such a showing

are outlined in detail below. Plaintiff is advised that failure to comply with the procedures set forth

below may result in the preclusion of any and all witnesses named. 

1. Procedures for Obtaining Attendance of Incarcerated Witnesses Who Agree to Testify

Voluntarily - An incarcerated witness who agrees voluntarily to attend a hearing to give testimony

cannot come to court unless this court orders the warden or other custodian to permit the witness to

be transported to court. This court will not issue such an order unless it is satisfied that: (a) the

prospective witness is willing to attend; and (b) the prospective witness has actual knowledge of

relevant facts.

A party intending to introduce the testimony of incarcerated witnesses who have agreed

voluntarily to attend the hearing must serve and file concurrent with the prehearing statement a

written motion for a court order requiring that such witnesses be brought to court at the time of

hearing. The motion must: (1) state the name, address, and prison identification number of each such

witness; and (2) be accompanied by declarations showing that each witness is willing to testify and

that each witness has actual knowledge of relevant facts. The motion should be entitled “Motion for

Attendance of Incarcerated Witnesses.”

The willingness of the prospective witness can be shown in one of two ways: (1) the party

himself can swear by declaration under penalty of perjury that the prospective witness has informed

the party that he or she is willing to testify voluntarily without being subpoenaed, in which

declaration the party must state when and where the prospective witness informed the party of this

willingness; or (2) the party can serve and file a declaration, signed under penalty of perjury by the

prospective witness, in which the witness states that he or she is willing to testify without being

subpoenaed.

The prospective witness’s actual knowledge of relevant facts can be shown in one of two

ways: (1) if the party has actual firsthand knowledge that the prospective witness was an eyewitness

or an ear-witness to the relevant facts (i.e., if an incident occurred in plaintiff’s cell and, at the time,

plaintiff saw that a cellmate was present and observed the incident, plaintiff may swear to the

Case 1:05-cv-01624-LJO -DLB Document 84 Filed 08/30/07 Page 3 of 6
1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

4

cellmate’s ability to testify), the party himself can swear by declaration under penalty of perjury that

the prospective witness has actual knowledge; or (2) the party can serve and file a declaration signed

under penalty of perjury by the prospective witness in which the witness describes the relevant facts

to which the prospective witness was an eye- or ear-witness. Whether the declaration is made by the

party or by the prospective witness, it must be specific about the incident, when and where it

occurred, who was present, and how the prospective witness happened to be in a position to see or

to hear what occurred at the time it occurred.

The court will review and rule on the motion for attendance of incarcerated witnesses,

specifying which prospective witnesses must be brought to court. Subsequently, the court will issue

the order necessary to cause the witness’s custodian to bring the witness to court. 

Motions for the attendance of incarcerated witnesses, if any, must be filed on or before

October 15, 2007. Oppositions, if any, must be filed on or before November 2, 2007. 

2. Procedures for Obtaining Attendance of Incarcerated Witnesses Who Refuse to

Testify Voluntarily - If a party seeks to obtain the attendance of incarcerated witnesses who refuse

to testify voluntarily, the party should submit with his prehearing statement a motion for the

attendance of such witnesses. Such motion should be in the form described above. In addition, the

party must indicate in the motion that the incarcerated witnesses are not willing to testify voluntarily.

3. Procedures for Obtaining Attendance of Unincarcerated Witnesses Who Agree to

Testify Voluntarily - It is the responsibility of the party who has secured an unincarcerated 

witness’s voluntary attendance to notify the witness of the time and date of trial. No action need be

sought or obtained from the court.

4. Procedures for Obtaining Attendance of Unincarcerated Witnesses Who Refuse to

Testify Voluntarily - If a prospective witness is not incarcerated, and he or she refuses to testify

voluntarily, the witness must be served with a subpoena. Fed. R. Civ. P. 45. In addition, the party

seeking the witness’s presence must tender an appropriate sum of money for the witness. Id. In the

case of an unincarcerated witness, the appropriate sum of money is the daily witness fee of $40.00

plus the witness’s travel expenses. 28 U.S.C. § 1821. 

If plaintiff wishes to obtain the attendance of one or more unincarcerated witnesses who

Case 1:05-cv-01624-LJO -DLB Document 84 Filed 08/30/07 Page 4 of 6
1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

5

refuse to testify voluntarily, plaintiff must first notify the court in writing of the name and location

of each unincarcerated witness by September 21, 2007. The court will calculate the travel expense

for each unincarcerated witness and notify plaintiff of the amount(s). Plaintiff must then, for each

witness, submit a money order made payable to the witness for the full amount of the witness’s travel

expenses plus the daily witness fee of $40.00. The subpoena will not be served upon the

unincarcerated witness by the United States Marshal unless the money order is tendered to the court.

Because no statute authorizes the use of public funds for these expenses in civil cases, the tendering

of witness fees and travel expenses is required even if the party was granted leave to proceed in

forma pauperis.

If plaintiff wishes to have the Marshal serve any unincarcerated witnesses who refuse

to testify voluntarily, plaintiff must submit the money orders to the court no later than October

15, 2007. In order to ensure timely submission of the money orders, plaintiff should notify the court

of the names and locations of his witnesses, in compliance with step one, as soon as possible. 

Accordingly, the court HEREBY ORDERS as follows:

1. The magistrate judge’s Findings and Recommendations issued on August 20, 2007

are vacated;

2. This matter is set for telephonic evidentiary confirmation hearing before the

Honorable Lawrence J. O’Neill on November 8, 2007, at 8:30 a.m. in Courtroom

4;

3. This matter is set for an evidentiary hearing before the Honorable Lawrence J.

O’Neill on November 30, 2007, at 8:30 a.m. in Courtroom 4;

4. Counsel for defendants are required to arrange for the participation of plaintiff in the

telephonic confirmation hearing and to initiate the telephonic hearing at

(559) 499-5680;

5. Plaintiff shall serve and file a prehearing statement and brief as described in this

order on or before October 15, 2007;

6. Defendants shall serve and file a prehearing statement as described in this order on

or before November 2, 2007; 

Case 1:05-cv-01624-LJO -DLB Document 84 Filed 08/30/07 Page 5 of 6
1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

6

7. In addition to electronically filing their pretrial statement, defendants shall e-mail the

prehearing statement to: ljoorders@caed.uscourts.gov;

8. If plaintiff intends to call incarcerated witnesses at time of trial, plaintiff shall serve

and file a motion for attendance of incarcerated witnesses as described in this order

on or before October 15, 2007;

9. The opposition to the motion for the attendance of incarcerated witnesses, if any,

shall be filed on or before November 2, 2007;

10. If plaintiff wishes to obtain the attendance of unincarcerated witnesses who refuse

to testify voluntarily, plaintiff must submit the money orders, as described in

subsection 4 of this order, to the court on or before September 21, 2007;

11. The Clerk’s Office shall send plaintiff a copy of Local Rule 16-281.

IT IS SO ORDERED.

Dated: August 29, 2007 /s/ Lawrence J. O'Neill 

b9ed48 UNITED STATES DISTRICT JUDGE

Case 1:05-cv-01624-LJO -DLB Document 84 Filed 08/30/07 Page 6 of 6