Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-caed-1_13-cv-00119/USCOURTS-caed-1_13-cv-00119-16/pdf.json

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

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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

THOMAS GOOLSBY,

 Plaintiff,

 vs.

MATTHEW CATE, et al.,

 Defendants.

1:13-cv-00119-DAD-EPG-PC

SCHEDULING ORDER FOLLOWING 

STATUS CONFERENCE HELD ON 

DECEMBER 11, 2015

ORDER RESOLVING PLAINTIFF’S 

MOTION TO COMPEL AND FOR 

SANCTIONS

(ECF No. 58.)

ORDER DENYING DEFENDANTS’ 

MOTION FOR COURT TO DECLARE 

PLAINTIFF A VEXATIOUS LITIGANT, 

WITHOUT PREJUDICE TO FILING ALLINCLUSIVE MOTION ON OR BEFORE 

MARCH 8, 2016

(ECF No. 66.)

ORDER DENYING MOTION FOR STAY

(ECF No. 70.)

ORDER FOR PARTIES TO EXCHANGE 

DISCOVERY AS DISCUSSED BY THIS 

ORDER

Settlement Conference: 

 Monday, August 1, 2016

 10:00 a.m.

 Settlement Judge TBD

Confidential Settlement Conference

Statements Due: July 25, 2016

 

I. BACKGROUND

Plaintiff, Thomas Goolsby (“Plaintiff”), is a state prisoner proceeding pro se and in 

forma pauperis with this civil rights action pursuant to 42 U.S.C. ' 1983. This action was filed 

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on January 25, 2013. (ECF No. 1.) The case now proceeds with the Second Amended 

Complaint filed on June 6, 2014, on Plaintiff=s Eighth Amendment claims against defendants 

Warden Kimberly Holland, Warden Michael Stainer, and Captain J. Lundy, for denial of 

adequate outdoor exercise time; and defendants Captain J. Lundy, Sergeant S. Foster, Plumlee

(Maintenance Supervisor), Warden Kimberly Holland, Correctional Officer Jordon, and 

Correctional Officer Uribe, for deliberate indifference to unsanitary and unsafe conditions.1 

(ECF No. 34.) The events at issue allegedly occurred at the California Correctional Institution 

(CCI) in Tehachapi, California, during a thirteen-month period while Plaintiff was incarcerated 

there in segregated housing.

This case is now in the discovery phase, pursuant to the Court’s amended discovery and 

scheduling order filed on December 8, 2015. (ECF No. 64.) Pending are Plaintiff’s motion to 

compel filed on November 30, 2015 (ECF No. 58), Defendants’ motion to declare Plaintiff a 

vexatious litigant filed on December 10, 2015 (ECF No. 66), and Defendants’ motion to stay 

discovery pending the Court’s ruling on the motion to declare Plaintiff a vexatious litigant 

(ECF No. 70).

II. STATUS CONFERENCE

On December 11, 2015 at 10:00 a.m., a telephonic status conference was held before 

Magistrate Judge Erica P. Grosjean. Plaintiff appeared telephonically on his own behalf, and 

Deputy District Attorney R. Lawrence Bragg appeared telephonically on behalf of Defendants. 

Discovery

The parties discussed discovery for this case, including Plaintiff’s pending motion to 

compel, and narrowed the discovery to be exchanged between the parties. Defendants agreed 

to produce (1) copies of policies and procedures in effect at CCI governing inmates’ exercise 

and prison sanitation issues during the relevant thirteen-month period, including but not limited 

to copies from CDCR’s Department Operations Manual (DOM) and the CCI supplement to the 

DOM; (2) any other written documents concerning Plaintiff’s allegations of inadequate 

 

1 On March 24, 2015, the Court issued an order dismissing all other claims and defendants from 

this action, for Plaintiff’s failure to state a claim under § 1983. (ECF No. 36.)

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exercise during the relevant time period, including but not limited to exercise logs, yard 

records, Administrative Segregation logs and regulations, housing ledger log books, and inmate 

location/movement logs; (3) any other written documents concerning the overflowing toilets, 

leaking roof, and presence of mold at issue in this case, including but not limited to memos, 

requests for repair or assistance, work orders, and documentation of repairs or clean-up. 

Defendants are not required to produce copies of Title 15 regulations, as Plaintiff indicated that 

he has access to them. Plaintiff is required to produce any relevant documents that Defendants 

do not have. Defendants may serve up to five interrogatories to determine what days Plaintiff 

was not allowed adequate exercise, and what days Plaintiff experienced roof leaks, toilet 

overflow, and mold. Plaintiff is required to respond to these interrogatories without objections 

and to provide Defendants with any relevant personal diaries or logs kept by Plaintiff. 

Defendants agreed to conduct a search of emails sent and received by prison officials 

concerning roof, toilet, and mold issues at CCI during the relevant time period. Defendants are 

not required to search back-up records of emails. After the email search, Defendants shall send 

a letter to Plaintiff informing him of the search made, what was found, and what could not be 

recovered. The parties should refer to the Court’s December 8, 2015 Scheduling Order for 

rules and deadlines for conducting discovery.

Defendants are not required to respond to any discovery served by Plaintiff before 

December 11, 2015. However, Plaintiff may serve narrowed requests if reasonable, and 

Defendants shall use good faith in responding. The Court ordered the parties to alert the Court 

to any discovery disputes that may arise, before they file a motion to compel. 

Motion to Declare Plaintiff a Vexatious Litigant, Motion for Stay

The parties discussed Defendants’ pending motion to declare Plaintiff a vexatious 

litigant, filed on December 10, 2015. In light of multiple threshold issues to be decided in this 

case, Defendants are required to file a new, all-inclusive motion by March 8, 2016, addressing 

all pending issues not concerning the merits of this case, such as the vexatious litigant issue, 

exhaustion of remedies, statutes of limitations, and the requirements for Plaintiff to bring tort 

claims. Defendants’ pending motion to declare Plaintiff a vexatious litigant shall be denied 

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without prejudice to filing the all-inclusive motion. The Court found no good cause to stay 

discovery in this action.

Settlement Conference

In anticipation of settlement proceedings at a later stage of the case, a Settlement 

Conference was scheduled for August 1, 2016, to be held before Magistrate Judge Grosjean or 

another Magistrate Judge. Defense counsel agreed to consult with Defendants to determine if 

they are agreeable to Magistrate Judge Erica P. Grosjean presiding over the Settlement 

Conference, and to report back to the Court within three weeks by contacting Courtroom 

Deputy Amanda Martinez. If Plaintiff wishes to request a settlement judge other than 

Magistrate Judge Grosjean, Plaintiff shall notify the Court within three weeks by sending a 

letter to the Court. The parties’ confidential settlement conference statements shall be due one 

week before the settlement conference, no later than July 25, 2016.

III. CONCLUSION

Based on the foregoing, IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that:

1. Plaintiff’s motion to compel and for sanctions, filed on November 30, 2015, is 

RESOLVED;

2. Defendants’ motion to declare Plaintiff a vexatious litigant, filed on December 

10, 2015, is DENIED, without prejudice to filing an all-inclusive motion by 

March 8, 2015, as discussed in this order;

3. Defendants’ motion to stay discovery in this action, filed on December 10, 2015, 

is DENIED;

4. The parties are ordered to exchange reasonable discovery as instructed by this 

order;

5. A Settlement Conference is scheduled for August 1, 2016, at 10:00 a.m., before 

a United States Magistrate Judge;

6. The parties shall submit settlement conference statements one week before the 

Settlement Conference, no later than July 25, 2016;

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7. Within three weeks of the date of this order, Defense Counsel shall report back 

to Courtroom Deputy Amanda Martinez after consulting with Defendants to 

determine if they are agreeable to Magistrate Judge Erica P. Grosjean presiding 

over the Settlement Conference; and

8. If Plaintiff wishes to request a settlement judge other than Magistrate Judge 

Erica P. Grosjean, Plaintiff shall notify the Court within three weeks of the date 

of this order by sending a letter to the Court.

IT IS SO ORDERED.

Dated: December 15, 2015 /s/

UNITED STATES MAGISTRATE JUDGE

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