Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-caed-2_01-cv-01575/USCOURTS-caed-2_01-cv-01575-1/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 442
Nature of Suit: Civil Rights Employment
Cause of Action: 28:1332 Diversity-Breach of Contract

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The caption has been amended to reflect the dismissals of 1

Defendants Unum Life Insurance Company on January 24, 2003, and

Unitrin, Inc. on February 23, 2006.

1

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

FOR THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

MOHAMMED ABDELSALAM, )

) 2:01-cv-1575-GEB-JFM

Plaintiff, )

)

v. ) FINAL PRETRIAL ORDER

)

UNITED INSURANCE COMPANY OF ) 

AMERICA, )

)

Defendant. ) 1

)

The final pretrial conference scheduled for August 21,

2006, is vacated since the parties’ Joint Pretrial Statement

(“JPS”) indicates this Final Pretrial Order should issue.

I. JURISDICTION AND VENUE

Jurisdiction is based on 28 U.S.C. § 1332. Venue is

undisputed. 

II. JURY/NON-JURY

All issues shall be tried to a jury.

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III. DISPUTED FACTUAL ISSUES

1. Whether plaintiff’s employment with United

terminated prior to his alleged onset of disability of April 23,

2000. 

2. Whether United intentionally communicated an

incorrect date of plaintiff’s termination of employment to Unum

Life Insurance Company of America.

3. Whether any communication by United to Unum

Insurance Company of America relating to the termination date of

plaintiff’s employment was for the purpose of disrupting a

contractual relationship between plaintiff and Unum.

4. Whether Unum relied on information provided by

United regarding the termination date of plaintiff’s employment in

making any decision with regard to provision of benefits under a

long-term disability insurance policy.

5. Whether United’s communication of any information to

Unum in relation to the termination date of plaintiff’s employment

was with knowledge of the existence of plaintiff’s long-term

disability insurance policy with Unum.

6. Whether plaintiff and a third party (long term

disability insurance carrier, “Unum”) were in an economic

relationship that probably would have resulted in an economic

benefit to plaintiff.

7. Whether defendant United knew of the relationship

between plaintiff and the long term disability insurance carrier.

8. Whether United intended to disrupt the relationship

between plaintiff and his long term disability insurance carrier. 

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9. Whether United engaged in wrongful conduct through

misrepresentation or fraud.

10. Whether plaintiff Mohammed Abdelsalam was harmed,

and

11. Whether defendants’ wrongful conduct was a

substantial factor in causing plaintiff’s harm.

12. The nature and extent of harm to plaintiff as a

result of United’s alleged wrongful conduct.

13. Whether any wrongful communication by United was

made by an officer, director or managing agent for purposes of

plaintiff’s punitive damages claim.

14. Whether United authorized or ratified the wrongful

conduct of its employees for which the damages are awarded.

IV. RELIEF SOUGHT

Plaintiff seeks general, special and punitive damages in

connection with defendant’s interference with prospective economic

relations.

Defendant seeks dismissal of plaintiff’s claims and

judgment entered thereon.

V. POINTS OF LAW

A. The parties have identified the following points of

law:

1. The elements of a cognizable claim for

intentional interference with prospective economic relations (CACI

2202.)

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28 If an evidentiary issue is brief, an in limine motion 2

need not be included in the trial brief.

4

2. The applicable legal standard(s) regarding the

cause of any damages and the nature and extent of any damages

available to Plaintiff.

B. Trial briefs shall be filed no later than twenty

(20) court days prior to the trial commencement date. A joint or

partial joint trial brief is permitted. All legal positions

briefed in the trial brief shall be supported with case and

applicable statutory authority. See Local Rule 16-285. If

separate or partial separate trial briefs are submitted, responding

briefs, if any, shall be filed with the Court no later than five

(5) court days prior to trial. The trial brief(s) must include “a

summary of points of law, including reasonably anticipated disputes

concerning admissibility of evidence, legal arguments, and

citations of authority in support thereof.” Local Rule 16- 2

285(a)(3).

VI. WITNESSES

A. Plaintiff expects to call as witnesses, either in

person or by deposition, some or all of the persons listed in

Exhibit A, attached hereto.

B. Defendant expects to call as witnesses, either in

person or by deposition, some or all of the persons listed in

Exhibit B, attached hereto.

C. Each party may call a witness designated by the

other.

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D. No person, other than those named on these witness

lists, will be permitted to testify unless:

(1) The party offering the witness demonstrates that

the witness is for the purpose of rebutting evidence which could

not reasonably be anticipated at the pretrial conference; or

(2) The witness was discovered after the pretrial

conference and the proffering party makes the showing required in

"E", below.

E. If a witness is discovered after the pretrial

conference, counsel for the party offering the witness shall

promptly inform the Court and opposing parties of the existence of

the unlisted witness so that the Court may consider at trial

whether the witness shall be permitted to testify. The witness

will be not be permitted to testify unless:

(1) The witness could not reasonably have been

discovered prior to pretrial;

(2) The Court and opposing counsel were promptly

notified upon discovery of the witness;

(3) If time permitted, counsel offered the witness

for deposition; and

(4) If time did not permit, a reasonable summary of

the witness' testimony was provided to opposing counsel.

VII. EXHIBITS

A. Plaintiff intends to offer in evidence the exhibits

described in Exhibit C, attached hereto.

B. Defendant intends to offer in evidence the exhibits

described in Exhibit D, attached hereto.

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C. No other exhibits will be permitted to be introduced

unless:

(1) The party seeking to use the unlisted exhibit

demonstrates that the exhibit is being used to rebut evidence which

could not reasonably have been anticipated at the pretrial

conference; or

(2) The unlisted exhibit was discovered after the

pretrial conference and the offering party makes the showing

required in paragraph "D", below.

D. Any party proposing to introduce an exhibit which was

discovered after the pretrial conference shall promptly notify the

Court and opposing counsel of the existence of such exhibit. The

Court will not permit any such exhibit to be introduced unless it

finds:

(1) That the exhibit could not reasonably have been

discovered prior to the pretrial conference;

(2) The Court and counsel were promptly informed of

the exhibit's existence; and

(3) That the offering party has delivered a copy of

the exhibit to opposing counsel, or, if the exhibit may not be

copied, that the offering counsel has made the exhibit reasonably

available for inspection by opposing counsel. 

E. Plaintiff's exhibits shall be numbered and marked

with colored stickers provided by the Court while Defendant's

exhibits shall be designated by alphabetical letter also marked

with colored stickers provided by the Court. To obtain stickers,

parties should contact the Clerk of Court at (916) 930-4000.

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28 The parties have leave to file joint exhibits. The above 3

procedure is designed for separate exhibits.

7

The parties are directed to exchange with each other, at

least twenty (20) court days prior to trial, copies of all of their

respective exhibits, marked with exhibit stickers provided by the

Court. Within five (5) court days after receipt and examination of

the exhibits, each party shall file with the Court and serve upon

opposing counsel objections, if any, to the exhibits, referencing

the exhibits as marked by exhibit sticker and specifying the basis

for each objection. Failure to exchange exhibits as ordered could 3

result in the exhibit not being used at trial and/or the imposition

of sanctions. The failure to make objections in the manner

prescribed by this section shall constitute a waiver of objections. 

A party seeking to admit into evidence an exhibit to which no

objection was made must identify said exhibit for the record and

then move it into evidence. 

Counsel shall produce all exhibits to the Clerk's Office

on the Friday before the before trial date, no later than 4:00 p.m. 

At that time, the parties shall also furnish the Court with a copy

of each exhibit, unless the exhibit is physically incapable of

being reproduced. Failure to produce exhibits as ordered could

result in waiver of the right to offer those exhibits. Each party

submitting exhibits shall furnish a list to the Court, the

courtroom deputy and opposing counsel itemizing the exhibits. 

VIII. FURTHER PREPARATION FOR USE OF DISCOVERY DOCUMENTS

A. It is the duty of counsel to ensure that any

depositions which are to be used at trial for any purpose shall

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have been filed with the clerk, and counsel are cautioned that a

failure to discharge this duty may result in preclusion of the use

of the unfiled depositions or in the imposition of such other

sanctions as the Court deems appropriate.

B. No later than twenty (20) court days before the trial

commencement date, counsel for each party shall serve on the other

parties a statement designating all answers to interrogatories and

all portions of depositions (except for passages to be used solely

for refreshing recollection, impeachment or rebuttal). No later

than ten (10) court days before the trial commencement date,

counter-designations of other portions of these discovery documents

may be served. No later than five (5) court days before trial, the

parties shall file and serve any preserved evidentiary objections

to any designated discovery, or said objections are waived.

IX. FURTHER DISCOVERY OR MOTIONS

Pursuant to the Court's Pretrial Scheduling Order, all

discovery and law and motion was to have been completed prior to

the date of the final pretrial conference. That order is

confirmed. The parties are, of course, free to conduct any

additional discovery they desire pursuant to informal agreement. 

However, any such agreement will not be enforceable in this Court.

X. AGREED STATEMENT

The parties shall submit a short, jointly-prepared

statement concerning the nature of this case that can be read to

the jury at the commencement of trial. The statement shall be

provided to the Court no later than ten (10) court days before the

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commencement of trial. If the parties fail to do this, they may be

required to give their respective opening statements before voir

dire. Separate statements shall be submitted if agreement is not

reached.

XI. SEPARATE TRIAL OF ISSUES

The trial will be conducted in two phases: liability and

punitive damages. If the jury finds punitive damages are

recoverable in the liability phase, trial on the amount of punitive

damages will immediately occur. During the first phase of the

trial, the jury will be given a liability instruction on punitive

damages along with the other closing instructions and a verdict

form which will include the liability question on punitive damages. 

If the answer is yes, then evidence pertinent to the amount of

punitive damages would be presented in the second phase of the

trial, following which the parties would present closing argument

on that issue and a jury instruction would be given. The jury

would then deliberate on the issue and fill in a punitive damages

verdict form.

XII. JURY INSTRUCTIONS, VOIR DIRE, AND VERDICT FORMS

A. The parties are to prepare jury instructions, in the

manner specified in paragraph B below. Counsel shall tailor all

general instructions to the facts and issues in suit.

B. Counsel are directed to confer and to attempt to

agree upon a joint set of jury instructions and verdict forms. 

C. All instructions, both general and specific, shall

be submitted in the exact numerical order counsel desires them

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given to the jury and shall be tailored to the facts and issues in

suit.

The joint set of instructions and verdict forms shall be

filed with the court clerk fifteen (15) court days prior to the

date of the trial. As to instructions on which there is dispute,

the parties shall adhere to the following procedure: 1) the party

offering the disputed instruction(s) shall submit the

instruction(s) as its proposed jury instruction(s), shall submit

authority in support of the proposed instruction(s) and shall

number the disputed instruction(s) in a manner that shows where

each disputed instruction should be placed in the tendered agreed

upon instructions. The contested instruction(s) and supporting

authority shall be filed with the joint set of instructions fifteen

(15) court days prior to the date of the trial; 2) the party

opposed to the contested instruction(s) shall file opposing

authority ten (10) court days prior to the date of the trial.

D. All instructions shall be, to the extent possible,

concise, understandable, and neutral statements of law. They shall

be prepared in accordance with Local Rule 51-163. Ninth Circuit

Pattern Instructions are preferred.

E. It is the parties' responsibility to ensure that

jury instructions are submitted on all issues preserved for trial

in accordance with the schedule set forth above. Pursuant to Local

Rule 51-163, instructions not presented in accordance with this

Order will be refused unless it is shown either (1) that the

necessity for the request arose in the course of trial; the

instructions could not reasonably have been anticipated prior to

trial from the Final Pretrial Order; and the request for such

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additional instructions is presented to the Court as promptly as

possible; or (2) that the refusal to give such instructions would

constitute manifest injustice under Rule 16(e). 

F. Most of the examination of prospective jurors is

conducted by the Court. The parties are directed to meet and

confer and attempt to agree upon a joint set of proposed voir dire

questions. The joint set of voir dire questions shall be filed

with the Court fifteen (15) court days prior to the date of the

trial. Parties may also submit proposed voir dire questions which

are disputed. Disputed voir dire questions shall be filed with the

Court fifteen (15) court days prior to the date of the trial and

shall be accompanied by an explanation as to the need for the

question and supporting case authority when available. The

opposing party shall respond with reasons for the opposition and

any supporting case authority no later than ten (10) court days

prior to the date of trial. Each side is granted twenty (20)

minutes to conduct voir dire following the Court's examination of

prospective jurors.

At the time of electronically filing the jury

instructions and verdict forms, counsel shall also submit a copy of

the sanitized joint jury instructions, the sanitized disputed jury

instructions, and the joint verdict forms to the Court by email to

geborders@caed.uscourts.gov in accordance with L.R. 51-163(b)(1).

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As explained in United States v. Blouin, 666 F.2d 796, 4

798 (2d Cir. 1981), "the goal of the 'struck jury' system is to

whittle down an initially selected group . . . [to the amount of

jurors] who will serve as the petit jury." The selected group

consists of the jurors who will hear the case, plus the number of

jurors required to enable the parties to use the combined number of

peremptory challenges allotted to both sides for striking jurors

from the group. Typically extra jurors are included in the select

group in the event the minimum amount of jurors required for the

"struck system" is reduced "for cause" or some other reason.

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XIII. USE OF STRUCK JURY SELECTION SYSTEM

Eight jurors will be impaneled. The "struck jury" system

will be used to select the jury. At the beginning of the voir 4

dire process, approximately eighteen prospective jurors, randomly

selected by the Jury Administrator, will be seated for voir dire. 

The order of the jurors’ random selection is reflected by the order

in which they will be seated. The first randomly selected juror

will be in jury seat number one, which is at the extreme right-hand

side of the jury box in the top row as the jury box is viewed from

the well of the courtroom. The eighth juror will be in the eighth

seat. The ninth selected juror will occupy the seat located at the

extreme right-hand side of the jury box in the bottom row. The

fifteenth seat will be in the left-hand side of that row. Three

chairs will be placed in front of the jury box. The sixteenth

juror will occupy the seat on the right and the eighteenth juror

will occupy the seat on the left. The first eight jurors on a

list, which shall be given to counsel, will constitute the petit

jury unless one or more of those eight is excused for some reason. 

Assuming that the first and fifth jurors on the list are excused,

the second listed juror becomes the first, and the other jurors’

numbers are changed accordingly, with the ninth juror on the list

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During the questioning, the attached Query Re Excuse 5

Potential Jurors form could be given to the parties to determine if

a particular juror should be excused. The attached for cause form

will also be used. 

For example, assuming Plaintiff elects to strike the 6

juror in seat number 6, that strike will be exercised and then the

strike sheet is give to defense counsel. Assuming defense counsel

then strikes the juror in seat 4, the first line of the strike

sheet will appear as follows:

Plaintiff 1 6 Defendant 1 4 

Defense counsel would then give the strike sheet back to Plaintiff

so she could exercise her second strike.

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becoming seventh on the list; however, the jurors continue to be

identified by their original numbers.

Following the voir dire questioning, each side will

exercise its three allowed peremptory strikes. A copy of the 5

“strike sheet” which will be used is attached to this Order. 

Generally, the potential jurors are given a break for the amount of

time the parties estimate it will take them to exercise peremptory

strikes. Therefore, before the striking process begins, the

parties are requested to provide an estimate of how long it will

take to exercise their peremptory strikes so the potential jurors

can be allowed to take a break for that amount of time. Peremptory

strikes will be exercised silently, by passing the strike sheet

between the parties. To use a strike, write the seat number of the

juror above the line where the strike is required to be

designated. A party who does not use a strike waives any further 6

right to exercise that strike and is required to reflect this

waiver by writing the word “pass” on the strike sheet where the

strike was supposed to have been exercised.

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The parties are required to meet and confer about the 7

length of the trial and to file a document no later than 20 court

days before trial in which the length of trial is estimated.

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XIV. TRIAL DATE

Trial to a jury will commence on November 14, 2006. A 7

trial day will commence at 9:00 a.m. and will adjourn at

approximately 4:30 p.m. At the first phase of the trial, each side

has fifteen (15) minutes within which to make an opening statement

to the jury and sixty (60) minutes within which to make a closing

argument. If trial proceeds to the second phase, each side has

fifteen (15) minutes within which to make a closing argument on the

punitive damage issue. Counsel are to call Shani Furstenau,

Courtroom Deputy, at (916) 930-4114, one week prior to trial to

ascertain the status of the trial date.

XV. OBJECTIONS TO PRETRIAL ORDER

Each party is granted ten (10) days from the date of this

Order to file an objection to same. If no objection is filed, this

Order will become final without further order of this Court.

IT IS SO ORDERED.

Dated: August 17, 2006

/s/ Garland E. Burrell, Jr.

GARLAND E. BURRELL, JR.

United States District Judge

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STRIKE SHEET

Plaintiff 1 Defendant 1 

 2 2 

 3 3 

 

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Query re Excuse Potential Juror

Do you Agree that Juror No. ____ should be excused for the reason stated by the juror or

for any other reason? (Check applicable box below)

Plaintiff's Attorney Defendant’s

Attorney 

RESPONSE: 9 9 9 9

 Yes No Yes No 

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Whether Jurors Present During Exercise of Peremptory Challenges

Can the jury be excused for the amount of time it will take to exercise peremptory

challenges? (Set forth response in box below)

Plaintiff's Attorney Defendant’s Attorney 

RESPONSE: 9

 Yes No

9 9

 Yes No

9 

How long do you estimate it will take you to exercise peremptory challenges? (Set forth

minutes in box below)

Plaintiff's Attorney Defendant’s Attorney 

MINUTES: 9 9 

Case 2:01-cv-01575-GEB -JFM Document 87 Filed 08/17/06 Page 17 of 19
FOR CAUSE DOCUMENT

Plaintiff's Counsel

If you have challenges for cause, state the seat number of the juror

involved and a brief explanation of the reason for the challenge.

Seat ______

Explanation: ___________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

Seat ______

Explanation: ___________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

Seat ______

Explanation: ___________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

Seat ______

Explanation: ___________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

List seat numbers of other for cause challenges: ____, ____,

____, ____, ____, ____, ____, ____, ____, ____, ____, ____, ____.

CHECK THIS BOX IF YOU HAVE NO CHALLENGES FOR CAUSE: 9

Signed:_____________________

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FOR CAUSE DOCUMENT

Defendant’s Counsel

If you have challenges for cause, state the seat number of the juror

involved and a brief explanation of the reason for the challenge.

Seat ______

Explanation: ___________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

Seat ______

Explanation: ___________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

Seat ______

Explanation: ___________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

Seat ______

Explanation: ___________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

List seat numbers of other for cause challenges: ____, ____,

____, ____, ____, ____, ____, ____, ____, ____, ____, ____, ____.

CHECK THIS BOX IF YOU HAVE NO CHALLENGES FOR CAUSE: 9

Signed:_____________________

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