Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-cand-3_14-cv-00340/USCOURTS-cand-3_14-cv-00340-2/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 555
Nature of Suit: Prisoner - Prison Condition
Cause of Action: 42:1983 Prisoner Civil Rights

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United States District Court

For the Northern District of California

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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

DEWEY STEVEN TERRY, 

Plaintiff,

v.

BRAD SMITH; et al., 

Defendants.

___________________________________/

AND RELATED CASES.

___________________________________/

No. C-13-1227 EMC (pr)

No. C-13-4102 EMC (pr)

No. C-13-4373 EMC (pr)

No. C-13-4456 EMC (pr)

No. C-14-0340 EMC (pr)

No. C-14-3153 EMC (pr) 

ORDER APPOINTING COUNSEL 

FOR A LIMITED SCOPE

REPRESENTATION OF PLAINTIFFS;

AND REFERRING CASES TO

MAGISTRATE JUDGES

FOR SETTLEMENT

The Court has decided to refer these related actions to two Magistrate Judges for settlement

proceedings, and believes that the parties would be best served by having unified settlement

proceedings so that perhaps a global settlement of all the claims of all Plaintiffs against all the

defendants can be reached. Recognizing that this might be a complicated undertaking, the Court

determined that Plaintiffs likely could benefit from the guiding hand of counsel in the settlement

proceedings and referred these matters to the Federal Pro Bono Project for counsel to be located for

the limited purpose of representing Plaintiffs in connection with the settlement proceedings. The

Federal Pro Bono Project has indicated to the Court that attorneys Dylan Ballard, James McGinnis,

and Nadezhda Nikonova of the law firm of Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton LLP, 17th Floor,

Four Embarcadero Center, San Francisco, CA 94111 are willing to be appointed to undertake this

representation.

Case 3:14-cv-00340-EMC Document 43 Filed 08/04/15 Page 1 of 3
United States District Court

For the Northern District of California

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Accordingly, attorneys Dylan Ballard, James McGinnis, and Nadezhda Nikonova of the law

firm of Sheppard Mullin are hereby appointed as counsel for Plaintiffs for the limited purpose of

representing them in connection with settlement proceedings (and preparation therefor) in these six

related cases. The appointment will terminate with the conclusion of the settlement proceedings

unless (a) counsel is permitted to withdraw or substitute out before the conclusion of those

proceedings or (b) counsel requests appointment for further proceedings. Counsel shall be familiar

with General Order No. 25 and the Federal Pro Bono Project Guidelines posted on the Court's

website.

Within twenty days of the date of this order, lead counsel from the California Attorney

General’s office shall contact the attorneys appointed in this order to discuss with them the

procedures for attorneys to communicate with prisoners at San Quentin State Prison. The parties are

welcome to discuss settlement at any time, but the specific purpose of the communication required

in this paragraph is so that the appointed attorneys will be provided the information they may need

to be able to meet and communicate by phone and in writing with the Plaintiffs. In the meanwhile,

the cases are otherwise STAYED pending settlement proceedings unless otherwise stipulated or

ordered (e.g., for limited exchange of information/discovery in preparation for settlement

conference). 

The Clerk shall refer this matter to Magistrate Judge Joseph C. Spero and Magistrate Judge

Jacqueline Scott Corley for settlement proceedings. The settlement proceedings will take place

within one hundred twenty days of the date of this order. The Magistrate Judges will coordinate a

time and date for a settlement conference with all interested parties and/or their representatives and,

within seven days of the conclusion of the settlement conference, file with the Court a short report

indicating whether the case has settled and it not, whether any further settlement discussions are

contemplated. This case is not to be referred to Magistrate Judge Vadas for inclusion in the Pro Se

 Prisoner Mediation Program because Plaintiffs will be represented by counsel during settlement

proceedings.

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Case 3:14-cv-00340-EMC Document 43 Filed 08/04/15 Page 2 of 3
United States District Court

For the Northern District of California

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The Clerk shall send (via ECF or by US Mail) a copy of this order to all counsel listed on the

docket sheets for these cases, counsel being appointed in this order, and each Plaintiff in these

related cases. 

IT IS SO ORDERED.

Dated: August 4, 2015

_________________________

EDWARD M. CHEN

United States District Judge

Case 3:14-cv-00340-EMC Document 43 Filed 08/04/15 Page 3 of 3