Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-caed-1_18-cv-01058/USCOURTS-caed-1_18-cv-01058-2/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 820
Nature of Suit: Copyright
Cause of Action: 17:501 Copyright Infringement

---

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

1

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

FOR THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

PAUL REIFFER,

Plaintiff,

v.

HGM HOLDINGS LLC,

Defendant.

Case No. 1:18-cv-01058-NONE-BAM

ORDER GRANTING IN PART AND 

DENYING IN PART STIPULATION TO 

EXTEND DISCOVERY AND CONTINUE 

ASSOCIATED DATES

(Doc. No. 40)

Currently before the Court is the parties’ stipulation to modify the scheduling order in 

this case. (Doc. No. 40.) According to the stipulation, on February 12, 2020, Plaintiff Paul 

Reiffer (“Plaintiff”) served a notice of deposition on Defendant HGM Holdings LLC 

(“Defendant”) for a deposition to occur on March 5, 2020. (Id.) On March 2, 2020, 

Defendant’s counsel notified Plaintiff’s counsel that he was unavailable for the deposition and 

out of town from March 4, 2020, to March 9, 2020. (Id.) The parties seek to extend discovery 

for sixty (60) days in order to complete Defendant’s deposition as well as other unidentified 

“outstanding discovery.” (Id.) The parties further request that the Court “continue all other 

dates in the scheduling order accordingly[.]” (Id.)

Plaintiff previously filed a motion to modify the Scheduling Order and extend the time to 

complete non-expert discovery to March 13, 2020, which Defendant did not oppose. (See Doc. 

No. 31.) In its order granting the requested modification, the Court noted that Plaintiff’s

motion was filed on the last day of the applicable deadline for completion of non-expert 

discovery. (Doc. No. 38.) The Court reminded counsel that, pursuant to Local Rule 144(d), he 

was obligated to seek to obtain any necessary extensions from the Court as soon as the need for 

an extension became apparent and requests for Court-approved extensions brought on the 

Case 1:18-cv-01058-DAD-BAM Document 41 Filed 03/16/20 Page 1 of 2
1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

2

required deadline are looked upon with disfavor. (Id.) The parties were further cautioned that 

requests for further modifications of the Scheduling Order would not be granted absent a 

demonstrated showing of good cause. (Id.)

Here, the parties filed their stipulation on March 12, 2020, the day before the current 

deadline for completion of non-expert discovery. (Doc. No. 40.) Moreover, the stipulation 

does not explain why a continuance of sixty (60) days is necessary in light of counsel for 

Defendant’s unavailability for five (5) days, nor does it identify the basis for the parties’ 

request to continue “all other dates” set forth in the Scheduling Order. See Fed. R. Civ. P. 

16(b)(4); Johnson v. Mammoth Recreations, Inc., 975 F.2d 604, 609 (9th Cir. 1992). The Court 

therefore finds good cause to partially grant and partially deny the parties’ request to modify 

the Scheduling Order in this action. 

To accommodate the Court’s calendar as well as the availability of judges to decide this 

case, and in light of the Standing Order issued by District Judge Dale A. Drozd (Doc. No. 39-

1), IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that the Scheduling Order (Doc. No. 30) is modified as follows:

Non-Expert

Discovery Cutoff: April 13, 2020

Pretrial Motion

Filing Deadline: May 15, 2020

Pretrial Conf: July 3, 2020

1:30 p.m.

Dept 4 (NONE)

The remainder of the parties’ request is denied without prejudice and all other deadlines 

set forth in the Scheduling Order remain unchanged. The parties are advised that no further 

extensions or modifications of the deadlines in this case will be granted absent a demonstrated 

showing of good cause, which will be narrowly construed. 

IT IS SO ORDERED.

Dated: March 16, 2020 /s/ Barbara A. McAuliffe _

UNITED STATES MAGISTRATE JUDGE

Case 1:18-cv-01058-DAD-BAM Document 41 Filed 03/16/20 Page 2 of 2