Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-arwd-5_08-cv-05074/USCOURTS-arwd-5_08-cv-05074-15/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 385
Nature of Suit: Property Damage - Product Liability
Cause of Action: 28:1332 Diversity-Property Damage

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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

MIDDLE DISTRICT OF FLORIDA

FORT MYERS DIVISION

FRANCIS X. KITCHENER, JR.; BRYAN

ALDERSON; JANETTE ALDERSON; DAVID

CARMICHAEL; PATRICIA CARMICHAEL,

Plaintiffs,

-vs- Case No. 2:06-cv-553-FtM-29SPC

GENERAL ELECTRIC CO.,

Defendant.

______________________________________

ORDER

This matter comes before the Court on the Plaintiff Bryan and Janette Alderson, et. al.’s

Motion to Modify Case Management and Scheduling Order, Or in the Alternative, to Extend

Deadline for Disclosure of Expert Reports(Doc. #109) filed on January4, 2008. The Defendant filed

its Response (Doc.# 110) on January 22, 2008, stating it did not oppose the extensions of time, but

objected to certain allegations of delay made by the Plaintiffsin their Motion. The Motion is now ripe

for review.

District courts have broad discretion in managing their cases. Chrysler Int’l Corp. v. Chenaly,

280 F.3d 1358, 1360 (11th Cir. 2002). The broad discretion given to the court includes the

management of pretrial activities such as discovery and scheduling. Id. (citing Johnson v. Bd. of

Regents of Univ. Georgia, 263 F.3d 1234, 1269 (11th Cir. 2001). 

Under the current Case Management and Scheduling Order, the Plaintiff’s Expert Report was

due on January 4, 2008, with the Defendant’s Expert Report due on February 4, 2008. As grounds

for the extension of time, both parties have represented to the Court that merit discovery has not yet

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begun and therefore, expert reports are not completed The Plaintiffs state that due to outstanding

class certification issues, a Motion to Dismiss, and a Motion to Transfer the case to Arkansas that

it has been impractical to begin merit discovery. Based upon the arguments of the Parties, the Court

finds good cause to grant a ninety (90) day extension to all pending dates in the Case Management

and Scheduling Order. 

Accordingly, it is now 

ORDERED:

The Plaintiff Bryan and Janette Alderson, et. al.’s Motion to Modify Case Management and

Scheduling Order, Or in the Alternative, to Extend Deadline for Disclosure of Expert Reports (Doc.

#109) is GRANTED. The Case Management and Scheduling Order will be modified as follows:

Disclosure of Experts Plaintiff:

 Defendant: 

April 4, 2008

May 5, 2008

Discovery Deadline June 4, 2008

Mediation Deadline:

 Mediator:

 Address:

 Telephone:

If no Mediator is selected herein the Parties

shall file a stipulation selecting a mediator

within eleven days of the date of this Order 

September 4, 2008

Dispositive Motions, Daubert, and Markman

Motions 

July 11, 2008

Meeting In Person to Prepare Joint Final

Pretrial Statement

September 5, 2008

Joint Final Pretrial Statement (Including a

Single Set of Jointly Proposed Jury Instructions

and Verdict Forms (With diskette), Voir Dire

Questions, Witnesses Lists, Exhibit Lists on

Approved Form)

September 15, 2008

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All Other Motions Including Motions In

Limine, Trial Briefs 

October 6, 2008

Final Pretrial Conference Date:

 Time:

 Judge:

October 27, 2008

9:00am.

Hon. John E. Steele

Trial Term Begins 

(Trials Before Magistrate Judges Begin on Date

Certain) 

November 3, 2008

Estimated Length of Trial 15 Days

Jury/Non Jury Jury

 

DONE AND ORDERED at Fort Myers, Florida, this 30th day of January, 2008.

Copies: All Parties of Record 

 DCCD: Brenda Alexander

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