Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-cand-3_15-cv-03226/USCOURTS-cand-3_15-cv-03226-8/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 440
Nature of Suit: Other Civil Rights
Cause of Action: 28:1331 Federal Question: Other Civil Rights

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Joint Stipulation to Modify Case Management Scheduling Order and Other Dates; [Proposed] Order 

Neuroth, et al. v. Mendocino County, et al., U.S.D.C. No. 3:15-cv-03226-RS 

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Anne L. Keck, SBN 136315 John W. Patton, Jr., Pro Hac Vice

KECK LAW OFFICES Stephen R. Niemeyer, SBN 203162 

418 B Street, Suite 206 Kathleen M. Kunkle, SBN 222800 

Santa Rosa, California 95401 Kathryn R. Vaughan, Pro Hac Vice

Telephone: (707) 595-4185 PATTON & RYAN LLC 

Facsimile: (707) 657-7715 330 North Wabash Ave., Suite 3800 

Email: akeck@public-law.org Chicago, Illinois 60611 

 Telephone: (312) 261-5160 

Attorneys for Defendants the Facsimile: (312) 261-5161 

County of Mendocino and Emails: jpatton@pattonryan.com 

Mendocino County Sheriff- sniemeyer@pattonryan.com 

Coroner Thomas Allman, kkunckle@pattonryan.com 

Capt. Timothy Pearce, Lorrie Knapp, kvaughan@pattonryan.com 

Frank Masterson, Craig Bernardi, 

Michael Grant, Jeanette Holum, 

Robert Page, & Christine De Los Santos 

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT 

NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA 

JAMES NEUROTH, et al.,

 Plaintiffs, 

 v.

MENDOCINO COUNTY, et al., 

 Defendants. 

Case No. 3:15-CV-03226-RS 

JOINT STIPULATION TO MODIFY 

CASE MANAGEMENT SCHEDULING 

ORDER AND OTHER DATES; 

[PROPOSED] ORDER

 This Joint Stipulation to Modify Case Management Scheduling Order and Other Dates is 

submitted by all parties in this action, through their respective counsel, including: Plaintiff James 

Neuroth (“Plaintiff”); Defendants the County of Mendocino, Mendocino County Sheriff Thomas 

Allman, Sheriff’s Captain Timothy Pearce, and current/former Sheriff’s Deputies Lorrie Knapp, 

Frank Masterson, Craig Bernardi, Michael Grant, Jeanette Holum, Robert Page, and Christine De 

Los Santos (collectively, “County Defendants”); California Forensic Medical Group, Inc., Dr. Taylor 

Fithian, and LVN Jennifer Caudillo (collectively, “CFMG Defendants”); Correctional Medical 

Group Companies, Inc., RN Elaine Hustedt, and RN Claire Teske (collectively, “CMGC 

Defendants”); and the City of Willits, former Willits Police Chief Gerardo Gonzalez, and 

current/former Willits Police Officers Kevin Leef and Jeff Andrade (collectively, the “Willits 

Defendants”). Pursuant to this Stipulation, the parties jointly request the Court to modify the pretrial 

Case 3:15-cv-03226-RS Document 232 Filed 12/13/17 Page 1 of 6
Joint Stipulation to Modify Case Management Scheduling Order and Other Dates; [Proposed] Order 

Neuroth, et al. v. Mendocino County, et al., U.S.D.C. No. 3:15-cv-03226-RS 

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and trial dates set out in its previous Case Management Scheduling Order entered on September 28, 

2017 (Dkt. No. 209, the “Scheduling Order”), as well as other dates, as set forth below. 

RECITALS 

 A. The course and schedule of events in this case have caused the parties to reevaluate 

the remaining dates set in the Court’s previous Scheduling Order (Dkt. No. 209), which are presently 

as follows: 

• December 29, 2017: disclosure of rebuttal/supplement expert witnesses 

(Expert Disclosures per Rule 26 completed on November 30, 2017); 

 • January 4, 2018: last day to file dispositive motions; 

 • January 31, 2018: close of expert witness discovery; 

 • February 8, 2018: last day for hearing on pre-trial motions; 

 • March 29, 2018, at 10:00 a.m.: final pre-trial conference; and 

 • April 30, 2018, at 9:00 a.m.: jury trial to commence. 

 B. The Courtroom Deputy has indicated the Court is available for a trial starting on 

January 7, 2019, and the parties have agreed to this new trial date. The parties estimate that the trial 

in this case will take approximately 5 weeks. 

 C. The parties request the Court to revise the pretrial and trial dates set out in the 

previous Scheduling Order for several reasons, including but not limited to the following: 

 1. Lead counsel for County Defendants, Anne Keck, has informed the parties 

that she requires substantial additional time to provide rebuttal/supplemental expert disclosures and 

prepare her clients’ motion for summary judgment due in part to the effects of the Tubbs Fire on her 

family and work schedule. 

 2. On December 13, 2017, County Defendants learned that their primary retained 

medical expert, Dr. Joseph Hartmann, has suffered medical problems requiring him to withdraw 

from this case, so they will need additional time to locate and present the report of a replacement 

expert; Plaintiff also requires 30 days to disclose a rebuttal expert thereafter. 

 3. The parties have identified 21 expert witnesses whose depositions will be 

taken, and additional depositions will be required for rebuttal/supplement experts. 

Case 3:15-cv-03226-RS Document 232 Filed 12/13/17 Page 2 of 6
Joint Stipulation to Modify Case Management Scheduling Order and Other Dates; [Proposed] Order 

Neuroth, et al. v. Mendocino County, et al., U.S.D.C. No. 3:15-cv-03226-RS 

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 4. Due to limitations in all counsel’s schedules, the first available date for expert 

witness depositions is January 15, 2018, with only 8 days thereafter available in January. 

 5. Defendants have requested completion of expert witness depositions in 

sufficient time to obtain/review transcripts and prepare motions for summary judgment. 

 6. Plaintiff’s counsel has requested an extension of the briefing schedules for 

Defendants’ proposed four separate summary judgment motions and for motions in limine, to which 

Defendants do not object in concept. 

 7. Plaintiff needs time to complete the punitive damages discovery that Judge 

Vadas ordered to take place after the Court issues its order addressing Defendants’ four separate 

motions for summary judgment (docs. 149, 198). 

 8. The parties are mindful of the Court’s busy docket, and that it may take 

considerable time for the Court to issue a summary judgment order after the hearing on those 

motions. 

 9. One or more of the parties may re-evaluate their settlement positions in light 

of the summary judgment order and may seek a further settlement conference with Judge Beeler at 

that time as well. 

 D. Plaintiff’s counsel also believes that setting an early pretrial conference would be 

beneficial to allow sufficient time for the court to decide motions in limine and for the possibility of 

a further settlement conference with Judge Beeler after motions in limine are decided. Having gone 

into trial in what Plaintiff believes is a very similar case jail wrongful death case with very similar 

parties and issues [M.H. v. County of Alameda, No. 11-cv-02868-JST, 62 F. Supp. 3d 1049 (N.D. 

Cal. 2014) – a case that settled a week into trial], Plaintiff’s counsel has learned that a case like this

can be very burdensome on the Court and the parties, and that summary judgment and motions in 

limine are likely to require substantial time and attention, and may not be fully resolved until 

sometime after the pretrial conference. Thus, Plaintiff’s counsel believes that moving up the pretrial 

conference would allow time for the parties and the Court to address these issues without 

unnecessarily pressing up on the new trial date, and leaving time for settlement conferences before 

Case 3:15-cv-03226-RS Document 232 Filed 12/13/17 Page 3 of 6
Joint Stipulation to Modify Case Management Scheduling Order and Other Dates; [Proposed] Order 

Neuroth, et al. v. Mendocino County, et al., U.S.D.C. No. 3:15-cv-03226-RS 

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trial. 

 WHEREFORE, the parties hereby agree and request entry of an order as follows: 

AGREEMENT 

 1. The parties request the Court to modify the current Scheduling Order and set a 

dispositive motion briefing schedule as follows: 

a. January 15, 2018: Last day to designate supplemental/rebuttal expert 

witnesses. 

b. January 22, 2018: Last day for County Defendants to designate 

replacement medical expert witness for Dr. Joseph Hartmann. 

c. February 19, 2108: Last day for Plaintiff to designate rebuttal expert to 

County Defendants’ replacement expert. 

d. March 15, 2018: Last day to complete discovery of expert witnesses. 

 e. April 19, 2018: Last day to file dispositive motions; briefing schedule for 

dispositive motions to include 28 days for oppositions, 14 days for replies. 

 f. June 14, 2018: Last day to hear dispositive motions. 

 g. January 7, 2019, 9:00 a.m.: Commencement of Jury Trial 

 2. Subject to a later request to revise the following dates based on intervening 

events, the parties request the Court to consider modifying the scheduling guidelines set out 

in its Jury Trial Standing Order in this case as follows: 

 

a. August 30, 2018: Last day to conduct meet and confer session (per the 

Court’s Jury Trial Standing Order, Section A). 

 

b. September 13, 2018: Last day to file Motions in Limine, and last day to 

file Joint Pretrial Statement and Proposed Order (per the Court’s Jury 

Trial Standing Order, Section B). 

c. October 4, 2018: Oppositions to Motions in Limine due 

 

d. October 18, 2018, at 10:00 a.m.: Final Pretrial Conference 

 3. Nothing in this Stipulation and request for order is intended to modify the other 

matters addressed in any Court order unless expressly identified herein, nor does it preclude the 

parties from seeking additional relief from this Court, to amend this stipulation and order or 

otherwise. 

Case 3:15-cv-03226-RS Document 232 Filed 12/13/17 Page 4 of 6
Joint Stipulation to Modify Case Management Scheduling Order and Other Dates; [Proposed] Order 

Neuroth, et al. v. Mendocino County, et al., U.S.D.C. No. 3:15-cv-03226-RS 

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IT IS SO STIPULATED. 

 Keck Law Offices 

Dated: December 13, 2017 By: /s/ Anne L. Keck

 Anne L. Keck 

 Attorneys for County Defendants 

 Law Offices of Jerome M. Varanini 

Dated: December 13, 2017 By: /s/ Jerome M. Varanini

 Jerome M. Varanini 

 Attorneys for CFMG Defendants 

 Bertling & Clausen LLP 

Dated: December 13, 2017 By: /s/ Peter G. Bertling 

 Peter G. Bertling 

 Attorneys for CMGC Defendants 

 Perry, Johnson, Anders, Miller & 

 Moskowitz LLP 

 

Dated: December 13, 2017 By: /s/ Scott A. Lewis

 Scott A. Lewis 

 Attorneys for Willits Defendants 

 Haddad & Sherwin LLP 

Dated: December 13, 2017 By: /s/ Michael J. Haddad Michael J. Haddad 

 Attorneys for Plaintiff 

* Approval in the filing of this document has been obtained from all signatories. 

Case 3:15-cv-03226-RS Document 232 Filed 12/13/17 Page 5 of 6
Joint Stipulation to Modify Case Management Scheduling Order and Other Dates; [Proposed] Order 

Neuroth, et al. v. Mendocino County, et al., U.S.D.C. No. 3:15-cv-03226-RS 

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ORDER 

Based on the parties’ stipulation, and with good cause appearing therefor, 

 IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that the previous Case Management Scheduling Order entered 

on September 28, 2017 (Dkt. No. 209) is hereby modified, and that the following dates are set in the 

instant case: 

a. January 15, 2018: Last day to designate supplemental/rebuttal expert 

witnesses. 

b. January 22, 2018: Last day for County Defendants to designate 

replacement medical expert witness for Dr. Joseph Hartmann. 

c. February 19, 2108: Last day for Plaintiff to designate rebuttal expert to 

County Defendants’ replacement expert. 

d. March 15, 2018: Last day to complete discovery of expert witnesses. 

 e. April 19, 2018: Last day to file dispositive motions; briefing schedule for 

dispositive motions to include 28 days for oppositions, 14 days for replies. 

 f. June 14, 2018: Last day to hear dispositive motions. 

g. August 30, 2018: Last day to conduct meet and confer session (per the 

Court’s Jury Trial Standing Order, Section A). 

h. September 13, 2018: Last day to file Motions in Limine, and last day to 

file Joint Pretrial Statement and Proposed Order (per the Court’s Jury 

Trial Standing Order, Section B). 

i. October 4, 2018: Oppositions to Motions in Limine due 

 

j. October 18, 2018, at 10:00 a.m.: Final Pretrial Conference 

k. January 7, 2019, 9:00 a.m.: Commencement of Jury Trial 

IT IS SO ORDERED. 

Date: _____________ ____________________________________ 

 HONORABLE RICHARD SEEBORG 

 United States District Court Judge 

 

12/14/17

Case 3:15-cv-03226-RS Document 232 Filed 12/13/17 Page 6 of 6