Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-cand-5_05-cv-05208/USCOURTS-cand-5_05-cv-05208-0/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 110
Nature of Suit: Insurance
Cause of Action: 28:1332 Diversity-Insurance Contract

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For the Northern District of California

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28 1 The holding of this court is limited to the facts and the particular circumstances

underlying the present motion.

ORDER, page 1

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

SAN JOSE DIVISION

ALBERT RICHARD PAN,

Plaintiff,

v.

STATE FARM MUTUAL AUTOMOBILE

INSURANCE CO., et al.,

Defendants.

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Case No.: C 05-5208 RMW (PVT)

INTERIM ORDER RE PLAINTIFF’S

MOTION TO COMPEL

On January 23, 2006, Plaintiff filed a motion to compel discovery.1 Defendants opposed the

motion. Having reviewed the moving, opposition and reply papers submitted by the parties, the

court finds it appropriate to issue this interim order. Based on the briefs and arguments presented,

IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that no later than February 22, 2006, counsel shall meet and

confer in person regarding the remaining discovery items in dispute. In the event the parties cannot

resolve the remaining disputes regarding the discovery, then no later than February 24, 2006, the

parties shall file a joint supplemental brief, setting forth: 1) each discovery item that remains in

dispute; 2) Plaintiff’s position regarding each such item; and 3) Defendants’ position regarding each

such item. The prior meet and confer efforts were minimal and from the reply brief it appears further

Case 5:05-cv-05208-RMW Document 47 Filed 02/15/06 Page 1 of 2
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ORDER, page 2

meet and confer at this time would be useful. The hearing remains scheduled for 10:00 a.m. on

February 28, 2006.

The court finds that the arbitration discovery requests–and Plaintiff’s potential remedies for

noncompliance with those requests–survived removal of this action to federal court. Although the

case law is not entirely clear regarding the effect of removal on discovery propounded in a civil

action, the discovery at issue in this motion was not propounded as part of a civil action. California

Insurance Code section 11580.2, which governs the arbitration discovery at issue here, is

independent of any civil action. Thus the removal of this action had no effect on Plaintiff’s right to

move to compel the arbitration discovery. Section 11580.2 provides that either the insured or the

insurer may apply to “any proper court” for relief in connection with discovery propounded in

preparation for arbitration. The only impact of the removal was to change the venue of the “proper

court” from state court to this court.

Dated: 1/15/06

 

PATRICIA V. TRUMBULL

United States Magistrate Judge

Case 5:05-cv-05208-RMW Document 47 Filed 02/15/06 Page 2 of 2