Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-caed-1_03-cv-06374/USCOURTS-caed-1_03-cv-06374-9/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 891
Nature of Suit: Agricultural Acts
Cause of Action: 07:499 Agricultural Commodities Act

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JON WALLACE UPTON 46089

CHRISTOPHER E. SEYMOUR 126330

KIMBLE, MacMICHAEL & UPTON

A Professional Corporation 

5260 North Palm, Suite 221

Post Office Box 9489

Fresno, California 93792-9489

Telephone: (559) 435-5500

Attorneys for Defendant/Cross-Defendant,

NEW LEAF TREE FRUIT, LLC

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA – FRESNO DIVISION

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FOUR SEASONS PRODUCE, INC.

Plaintiff,

vs.

CONTINENTAL FOOD GROUP, LLC, 

limited liability company; KI THOMPSON,

an individual; LIONEL R. GUZMAN, an

individual; NEW LEAF TREE FRUIT,

LLC, a limited liability company,

Defendants.

AND RELATED CROSS-ACTIONS.

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Case No.: CIV-F-03-6374 LJO

STIPULATION AND ORDER FOR

EXTENSION OF TIME TO RESPOND

TO COMPLAINTS IN INTERVENTION 

WHEREAS, Plaintiff FOUR SEASONS PRODUCE, INC. initiated this action

on October 6, 2003, by filing a Complaint against various Defendants, including NEW

LEAF TREE FRUIT, LLC (“NEW LEAF”) alleging violations of PACA trust provisions

for perishable agricultural commodities purchased from Plaintiff by Defendant

CONTINENTAL FOOD GROUP, LLC, and concurrently seeking injunctive relief for

preservation of PACA trust assets.

WHEREAS, the scheduling order in this action required that pleadings be filed

by defendants in response to the intervenors’ complaints no later than July 15, 2005.

Case 1:03-cv-06374-NEW Document 128 Filed 12/19/05 Page 1 of 5
WHEREAS, pursuant to the parties’ agreement that convenience of the parties

and judicial economy would be furthered by postponing the filing and service of

responsive pleadings, the Court entered an Order pursuant to Stipulation on July 15,

2005, extending the time for any response to the Complaints in Intervention up to and

including August 15, 2005.

WHEREAS, the defendants circulated a settlement proposal for consideration by

the claimants which would provide for a global settlement based on funds expected to be

received by the CFG PACA Trust from litigation in a separate PACA action in New

York, in which CFG is a claimant, by December, 2005, which proposal has been

accepted by the claimants.

WHEREAS, the defendants most recently obtained an extension of time,

pursuant to stipulation, to December 15, 2005, to respond to the PACA claimants’

complaints in intervention in the hopes that all documents would be signed and

defendants’ settlement monies transferred by that time.

WHEREAS, on November 3, 2005, the Court entered an order approving the

parties’ stipulation to transfer certain funds owed to the Continental Food Group PACA

trust awarded in the PJ’s Produce litigation in New York, which funds represent the bulk

of the settlement fund in this matter;

WHEREAS, individual defendants Lonnie Guzman and New Leaf have

forwarded their share of the individual defendants’ contribution to the PACA trustee,

Brad Cornell of Choate & Choate, but remaining contributing defendant Ki Thompson

has failed to deposit his share; 

WHEREAS, due to defendant Thompson’s failure to contribute his share, New

Leaf desires to negotiate its own settlement with the creditors to be dismissed from this

action;

Case 1:03-cv-06374-NEW Document 128 Filed 12/19/05 Page 2 of 5
WHEREAS, the parties agree that convenience of the parties and judicial

economy will be served by further extending the time for defendant New Leaf to respond

to the complaints in intervention to January 31, 2005.

IT IS HEREBY STIPULATED by, between and among the parties hereto, that

the time for NEW LEAF to respond to the Complaints in Intervention listed in Exhibit

“A” attached hereto shall be extended to and including January 31, 2005.

Dated: December ___, 2005. Kimble, MacMichael & Upton

 By: /s/ Christopher E. Seymour

Christopher E. Seymour

///

Dated: December ___, 2005. Choate & Choate

 By: /s/ Bradley Cornell

Bradley L. Cornell

Dated: December ___, 2005. Rynn & Janowsky

 By: /s/ Bart Botta

Bart M. Botta

Dated: December ___, 2005. Ledford Law Corporation

 By:___________________________

Merl Ledford, III

Dated: December ___, 2005. Rojas Santos Stokes & Garcia LLP

 By: /s/ Craig Stokes 

Craig A. Stokes

Dated: December ___, 2005. Meuers Law Firm, P.L.

 By: /s/ Lawrence Meuers

Lawrence H. Meuers

Dated: December ___, 2005. Tyre Kamins Katz Granof & Menes

 By: /s/ Alan Cohen

Alan J. Cohen 

ORDER

Case 1:03-cv-06374-NEW Document 128 Filed 12/19/05 Page 3 of 5
Having read and considered the above stipulation and good cause appearing

therefore,

IT IS ORDERED that Defendant NEW LEAF shall have to and including

January 31, 2005 to file and serve responsive pleadings to the Complaints in Intervention

listed on Exhibit “A” hereto.

Case 1:03-cv-06374-NEW Document 128 Filed 12/19/05 Page 4 of 5
EXHIBIT “A”

Complaint in Intervention filed by DNE World Fruit Sales dba of Bernard Egan

& Company;

Complaint in Intervention of Stevco, Inc. for Violations of the Perishable

Agricultural Commodities Act;

Complaint in Intervention by PACA Trust Claimant Euro-Pacific Fruit Export,

Inc.;

First Amended Complaint in Intervention for Violations of the Perishable

Agricultural Commodities Act, filed by Unimark Foods, Inc.;

Complaint in Intervention filed on behalf of A-W Produce Company; 

Complaint in Intervention filed on behalf of Citricos Cortes SPR de RI; 

Complaint in Intervention filed on behalf of James Abbate dba Pacific Sales

Company; and

Complaint filed by Four Seasons Produce in the above-captioned matter.

<End of Exhibit>

IT IS SO ORDERED.

Dated: December 16, 2005 /s/ Lawrence J. O'Neill 

66h44d UNITED STATES MAGISTRATE JUDGE

Case 1:03-cv-06374-NEW Document 128 Filed 12/19/05 Page 5 of 5