Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-caed-1_08-cv-01225/USCOURTS-caed-1_08-cv-01225-7/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 550
Nature of Suit: Prisoner - Civil Rights (U.S. defendant)
Cause of Action: 42:1983 Prisoner Civil Rights

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08cv1125-JTM (BLM)

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

FRESNO DIVISION

TOM STEVE CORIC,

Plaintiff,

v.

MARGRET MIMS, COUNTY OF FRESNO,

Defendants. 

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Case No. 08cv1225-JTM (BLM)

ORDER REGULATING DISCOVERY AND

OTHER PRETRIAL PROCEEDINGS

(Fed. R. Civ. P. 16) 

(Fed. R. Civ. P. 26)

On December 9, 2009, due to Defendants’ pending motion to dismiss

Plaintiff’s amended complaint, the Court vacated the dates and deadlines

set forth in its April 30, 2009 scheduling order. Doc. No. 30. On

January 25, 2010, District Judge Jeffrey T. Miller denied Defendants’

motion to dismiss and ordered Defendants to file an answer within

fourteen days. Doc. No. 31. Defendants filed answer on February 5,

2010. Doc. No. 32. The Court therefore issues the following orders: 

IT IS HEREBY ORDERED:

1. Each party shall serve on all opposing parties a list of

experts, whom that party expects to call at trial, on or before May 5,

2010. Each party may supplement its designation in response to the

other party’s designation no later than May 19, 2010. Expert

Case 1:08-cv-01225-JTM -BLM Document 33 Filed 02/08/10 Page 1 of 8
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designations shall include the name, address, and telephone number of

each expert and a reasonable summary of the testimony the expert is

expected to provide. The list shall also include the normal rates the

expert charges for deposition and trial testimony.

The parties must identify any person who may be used at trial to

present evidence pursuant to Rules 702, 703 or 705 of the Federal Rules

of Evidence. This requirement is not limited to retained experts.

Please be advised that failure to comply with this section or any

other discovery order of the Court may result in the sanctions provided

for in Fed. R. Civ. P. 37, including a prohibition on the introduction

of experts or other designated matters in evidence.

2. All expert disclosures required by Fed. R. Civ. P. 26(a)(2)

shall be served on all parties on or before July 5, 2010. Any

contradictory or rebuttal information shall be disclosed on or before

July 19, 2010. In addition, Fed. R. Civ. P. 26(e)(2) imposes a duty on

the parties to supplement the expert disclosures made pursuant to Fed.

R. Civ. P. 26(a)(2)(B) by the time that pretrial disclosures are due

under Fed. R. Civ. P. 26(a)(3) (discussed below). 

The parties are advised to consult with Fed. R. Civ. P. 26(a)(2)

regarding expert disclosures. Such disclosures shall include an expert

report, all supporting materials, a complete statement of all opinions

to be expressed and the basis and reasons therefor, the data or other

information considered by the expert in forming the opinions, any

exhibits to be used as a summary of or support for the opinions, the

qualifications of the witness including a list of all publications

authored by the witness within the preceding ten years, the compensation

to be paid for the study and testimony, and a list of other cases in

which the witness has testified as an expert at trial or by deposition

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within the preceding four years. 

This disclosure requirement applies to all persons retained or

specially employed to provide expert testimony, or whose duties as an

employee of the party regularly involve the giving of expert testimony.

Please be advised that failure to comply with this section or any

other discovery order of the Court may result in the sanctions provided

for in Fed. R. Civ. P. 37, including a prohibition on the introduction

of experts or other designated matters in evidence.

3. All discovery shall be completed by all parties on or before

September 6, 2010. "Completed" means that all discovery under Rules 30-

36 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, and discovery subpoenas

under Rule 45, must be initiated a sufficient period of time in advance

of the cut-off date, so that it may be completed by the cut-off date,

taking into account the times for service, notice, and response as set

forth in the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure.

Counsel shall promptly and in good faith meet and confer with

regard to all discovery disputes in compliance with Fed. R. Civ. P.

37(a)(1). All discovery motions shall be filed within thirty (30) days

after counsel have met and conferred and reached an impasse with regard

to any particular discovery issue, but in no event shall discovery

motions be filed more than sixty (60) days after the date upon which the

event giving rise to the discovery dispute occurred. For oral

discovery, the event giving rise to the discovery dispute is the

completion of the transcript of the affected portion of the deposition.

For written discovery, the event giving rise to the discovery dispute is

either the service of the response, or, if no response was served, the

initial date the response was due. In addition, all discovery motions

must be filed within thirty (30) days after the close of discovery.

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4. All other pretrial motions must be filed on or before October

6, 2010. Motions will not be heard or calendared unless counsel for the

moving party has obtained a motion hearing date from the law clerk of

the judge who will hear the motion. Failure to timely request a motion

date may result in the motion not being heard.

Briefs or memoranda in support of or in opposition to any pending

motion shall not exceed twenty-five (25) pages in length without leave

of the judge who will hear the motion. No reply memorandum shall exceed

ten (10) pages without leave of the judge who will hear the motion.

5. A Mandatory Settlement Conference shall be conducted on

October 18, 2010 at 9:30 a.m. in the chambers of Magistrate Judge

Barbara L. Major located at 940 Front Street, Suite 5140, San Diego, CA

92101. All discussions at the Mandatory Settlement Conference will be

informal, off the record, privileged, and confidential. Counsel for any

non-English speaking party is responsible for arranging for the

appearance of an interpreter at the conference.

a. Personal Appearance of Parties Required: All parties,

adjusters for insured defendants, and other representatives of a party

having full and complete authority to enter into a binding settlement,

as well as the principal attorneys responsible for the litigation, must

be present in person and legally and factually prepared to discuss

settlement of the case. Counsel appearing without their clients

(whether or not counsel has been given settlement authority) will be

cause for immediate imposition of sanctions and may also result in the

immediate termination of the conference.

Unless there are extraordinary circumstances, persons required to

attend the conference pursuant to this Order shall not be excused from

personal attendance. Requests for excuse from attendance for

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1

 "Full settlement authority" means that the individuals at the settlement

conference must be authorized to explore settlement options fully and to agree at that

time to any settlement terms acceptable to the parties. Heileman Brewing Co. v. Joseph

Oat Corp., 871 F.2d 648, 653 (7th Cir. 1989). The person needs to have "unfettered

discretion and authority" to change the settlement position of a party. Pitman v.

Brinker Int'l, Inc., 216 F.R.D. 481, 485-86 (D. Ariz. 2003). The purpose of requiring

a person with unlimited settlement authority to attend the conference contemplates that

the person's view of the case may be altered during the face to face conference. Id.

at 486. A limited or a sum certain of authority is not adequate. See Nick v. Morgan's

Foods, Inc., 270 F.3d 590, 595-97 (8th Cir. 2001).

5 08cv1125-JTM (BLM)

extraordinary circumstances shall be made in writing at least three (3)

court days prior to the conference. Failure to appear in person at the

Mandatory Settlement Conference will be grounds for sanctions.

b. Full Settlement Authority Required: In addition to

counsel who will try the case, a party or party representative with full

settlement authority1 must be present for the conference. In the case

of a corporate entity, an authorized representative of the corporation

who is not retained outside counsel must be present and must have

discretionary authority to commit the company to pay an amount up to the

amount of Plaintiff's prayer (excluding punitive damages prayers). The

purpose of this requirement is to have representatives present who can

settle the case during the course of the conference without consulting

a superior. Counsel for a government entity may be excused from this

requirement so long as the government attorney who attends the Mandatory

Settlement Conference (1) has primary responsibility for handling the

case, and (2) may negotiate settlement offers which the attorney is

willing to recommend to the government official having ultimate

settlement authority.

c. Confidential Settlement Statements Required: No later

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than October 11, 2010, the parties shall submit directly to Magistrate

Judge Major's chambers confidential settlement statements no more than

five (5) pages in length. These confidential statements shall not be

filed or served on opposing counsel. Each party's confidential

statement must include the following:

(i) A brief description of the case, the claims and/or

counterclaims asserted, and the applicable defenses or position

regarding the asserted claims;

(ii) A specific and current demand or offer for

settlement addressing all relief or remedies sought. If a specific

demand or offer for settlement cannot be made at the time the brief is

submitted, then the reasons therefore must be stated along with a

statement as to when the party will be in a position to state a demand

or make an offer; and

(iii) A brief description of any previous settlement

negotiations, mediation sessions, or mediation efforts.

General statements that a party will "negotiate in good faith" is

not a specific demand or offer contemplated by this Order. It is

assumed that all parties will negotiate in good faith.

d. Requests to Continue a Mandatory Settlement Conference:

Any request to continue the Mandatory Settlement Conference or request

for relief from any of the provisions or requirements of this Order must

be sought by a written ex parte application. The application must (1)

be supported by a declaration of counsel setting forth the reasons and

justifications for the relief requested, and (2) report the position of

opposing counsel or any unrepresented parties subject to the Order.

Absent extraordinary circumstances, requests for continuances will not

be considered unless submitted in writing no fewer than seven (7) days

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prior to the scheduled conference.

If the case is settled in its entirety before the scheduled date of

the conference, counsel and any unrepresented parties must still appear

in person, unless a written joint notice confirming the complete

settlement of the case is filed no fewer than twenty-four (24) hours

before the scheduled conference.

6. If Plaintiff is incarcerated in a penal institution or other

facility, Plaintiff's presence is not required at conferences before

Judge Major, and Plaintiff may appear by telephone. In that case,

defense counsel is to coordinate Plaintiff's appearance by telephone.

7. The parties must comply with the pretrial disclosure

requirements of Fed. R. Civ. P. 26(a)(3) no later than January 7, 2011.

The parties should consult Fed. R. Civ. P. 26(a)(3) for the substance of

the required disclosures.

Please be advised that failure to comply with this section or any

other discovery order of the Court may result in the sanctions provided

for in Fed. R. Civ. P. 37, including a prohibition on the introduction

of designated matters in evidence.

8. No Memoranda of Contentions of Fact and Law are to be filed

unless so ordered by the Court.

9. Counsel shall meet and confer on or before January 14, 2011.

At this meeting, counsel shall discuss and attempt to enter into

stipulations and agreements resulting in simplification of the triable

issues. Counsel shall exchange copies and/or display all exhibits other

than those to be used for impeachment, lists of witnesses and their

addresses including experts who will be called to testify, and written

contentions of applicable facts and law. Counsel shall cooperate in the

preparation of the proposed final pretrial conference order.

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10. The proposed final pretrial conference order, including

written objections, if any, to any party's Fed. R. Civ. P. 26(a)(3)

pretrial disclosures, shall be prepared, served, and submitted to the

Clerk's Office on or before January 28, 2011. Any objections shall

comply with the requirements of Fed. R. Civ. P. 26(a)(3). Please be

advised that the failure to file written objections to a party's

pretrial disclosures may result in the waiver of such objections, with

the exception of those made pursuant to Rules 402 (relevance) and 403

(prejudice, confusion or waste of time) of the Federal Rules of

Evidence.

11. The final pretrial conference is scheduled on the calendar of

the Honorable Jeffrey T. Miller on February 4, 2011 at 8:30 a.m. The

trial is scheduled to commence on March 7, 2011 at 10:00 a.m.

12. The dates and times set forth herein will not be modified

except for good cause shown.

13. Plaintiff's counsel shall serve a copy of this order on all

parties that enter this case hereafter.

IT IS SO ORDERED. 

DATED: February 5, 2010

BARBARA L. MAJOR

United States Magistrate Judge

 

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