Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-cand-4_05-cv-03983/USCOURTS-cand-4_05-cv-03983-3/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 190
Nature of Suit: Other Contract Actions
Cause of Action: 28:1332 Diversity-Other Contract

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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

DAVID WEST and SALLY

McCLANAHAN,

 Plaintiff(s)

 v.

PFIZER, INC., et al.,

 Defendant(s).

_____________________________/

No. C 05-3983 (WDB)

PRE-TRIAL ORDER

(Jury Trial)

On August 8, 2006, the court held a case management conference in the

above-captioned case. For reasons set forth on the record, the court hereby

ORDERS the following:

1. The jury trial shall begin on Tuesday, January 23, 2007, at 8:30 a.m.,

in Courtroom 4, Third Floor, United States Courthouse, 1301 Clay Street,

Oakland, California. 

2. On Thursday December 7, 2006, at 3:00 p.m., the court will hold a

hearing on any dispositive motions.

3. On Wednesday, January 10, 2007, at 1:30 p.m., the court will hold the

final pretrial conference. Lead trial counsel for each party must participate in the

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conference. The conference may be held telephonically if the parties desire, in

which case plaintiff must notify the court by 4:00 p.m. the day before the

conference. Plaintiff must initiate a conference call at the time noticed and call the

court at (510) 637-3326 when all parties are on the line.

DISCOVERY

4. The discovery cut-off date for all discovery (including that with respect

to expert witnesses) is December 4, 2006. Discovery cut-off date is defined in

Civil Local Rule 26-2. No motions to compel discovery may be filed later than 10

days after the discovery cut-off date. 

MEET AND CONFER

5. Not less than 30 days prior to the date of the Final Pretrial Conference,

the parties must meet and take all steps necessary to fulfill the requirements of this

order.

WITNESSES AND DEPOSITION TESTIMONY

6. No less than 15 court days before the final pretrial conference, each

party must file, serve, and separately lodge with chambers a list of witnesses it

intends to call on direct examination, in the order that the party expects to call

them, with a brief description of the subject areas upon which each witness will

testify, a description of the significance (in terms of factual propositions and/or

legal theories) of the expected testimony, and an estimate of the time that direct

examination will consume. Each party also must file and serve, with its witness

list, excerpts from the deposition testimony of witnesses not testifying in person

that may be presented at trial, specifically reproducing the pages and marking the

lines of the relevant transcript excerpts. Two copies of the witness list and

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deposition excerpts must be lodged directly with chambers. (Full deposition

volumes should not be lodged with the court.)

7. The parties will be precluded from offering substantive evidence (i.e.,

evidence offered for any purpose other than impeachment) by live testimony

through any person not listed on the witness list or by deposition testimony not

included in the submitted excerpts, and will be precluded from supplementing the

witness list or the deposition excerpts after the deadline set herein for exchanging

this material, except upon the express permission of the court. The court will

permit the testimony of persons not designated in the witness list or the use of

deposition excerpts not timely disclosed only upon a substantial showing that: (a)

no party will be prejudiced or suffer undue hardship, (b) the failure to timely

designate the witness or testimony was clearly justified, and (c) the interests of

justice otherwise warrant permitting the testimony.

8. Counsel ordinarily will be permitted at trial to present foundational

matter and factual evidence describing the educational and employment

background of witnesses in summary, leading form. 

EXHIBITS

9. No less than 15 court days before the final pretrial conference, counsel

must exchange all exhibits (premarked), including demonstrative exhibits, that

they intend to use as part of their case-in-chief at trial.

10. Except for purposes of impeachment, the parties will be precluded from

offering in evidence, using as demonstrative evidence, or examining any of their

witnesses concerning any exhibit not exchanged by this deadline, except upon the

express permission of the court. The court will permit supplementation of exhibits

after the exchange date only upon a substantial showing that: (a) no party will be

prejudiced or suffer undue hardship, (b) the failure to timely designate the exhibit

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was clearly justified, and (c) the interests of justice otherwise warrant the

supplemental designation. 

11. The court has attached to this Order the form of exhibit labels to be

used by each side. Each side should label their exhibits prior to trial. Plaintiffs

must label their exhibits numerically as follows: “P-1, P-2, etc . . ..” Defendants

must label their exhibits numerically as follows: “D-1, D-2, etc. . .." Counsel

must not write in the space provided for “date entered” or “signature.” The court

has also attached to this Order an example of an “Exhibit List.” Each party must

create an Exhibit List that is substantially similar to the attached form and, prior to

trial, must list the number of each exhibit the party intends to offer at trial and

briefly describe each such exhibit. 

12. No less than 2 court days before the start of trial, each party must

deliver to chambers, in looseleaf binders, a sufficient number of complete sets of

all documentary exhibits to ensure that the judge, his law clerk, and each juror will

have their own set of documentary exhibits during trial. These sets are in addition

to exhibits counsel will officially submit to the courtroom deputy at trial and any

copies of exhibits counsel will want to show witnesses on the stand. All exhibits

must be premarked for identification according to the system set forth herein.

EVIDENTIARY MOTIONS

13. No less than 12 court days before the final pretrial conference, counsel

must meet and confer to resolve any objections to the use of witnesses, deposition

excerpts, and/or exhibits. 

14. The court will entertain foundational objections as to any document

only if (1) the document is of real significance in adjudicating the merits of the

case and (2) objecting counsel articulates a principled basis for believing that the

document is not what it purports to be. 

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15. If, after meeting and conferring, a party continues to object to the

admission of evidence on either of the following foundational grounds: (1) the

authenticity of a document or exhibit, or (2) the qualifications of expert witnesses,

the objecting party may file a motion to exclude the evidence, along with any other

motions in limine.

16. All motions in limine, including those referred to in paragraph 15, must

be filed, served and lodged separately with chambers no less than 10 court days

before the final pretrial conference. Failure to file a timely objection may waive a

party's right to challenge the admissibility of evidence at trial. 

17. No less than 5 court days before the final pretrial conference,

oppositions to evidentiary motions must be filed, served, and separately lodged

with chambers. No replies are to be filed.

VOIR DIRE

18. Counsel must meet to prepare a joint set of voir dire questions. 

19. No less than 10 court days before the final pretrial conference, the

parties must file jointly a set of voir dire questions they would propose the court

to ask. (Note: The court has attached to this order a short list of basic questions

which the court will ask the potential jurors in open court.) The parties also must

deliver a copy of the proposed voir dire questions directly to chambers. The

parties also must describe any request to conduct limited voir dire by counsel,

setting forth each proposed question and justifying why the question should be

asked by counsel rather than the court.

20. Proposed voir dire questions about which the parties cannot agree also

must be set forth in the parties' joint submission. In the parties' joint submission,

(1) the proponent of the question must set forth succinctly the basis for his or her

request that the question be asked, with citation to authority, and immediately

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thereafter, (2) the party opposing use of the question must set forth succinctly the

basis for his or her opposition, with citation to authority. 

JURY INSTRUCTIONS

21. Counsel must meet to prepare a joint set of case-specific jury

instructions.

22. No later than 15 court days before the final pretrial conference, the

parties must file their joint set of proposed case-specific jury instructions. The

parties also must deliver two copies of the proposed jury instructions directly to

chambers. The parties must not submit generic instructions; the court uses the

instructions approved by the Ninth Circuit for these purposes.

23. Proposed jury instructions about which the parties cannot agree also

must be set forth in the parties' joint submission. In the parties' joint submission,

(1) the proponent of the instruction must set forth succinctly the basis for his or

her request that the instruction be given, with citation to authority, and

immediately thereafter, (2) the party opposing use of the instruction must set forth

succinctly the basis for his or her opposition, with citation to authority.

JOINT PRETRIAL STATEMENTS

24. Counsel must meet to prepare a joint pretrial statement. The parties

must file the joint pretrial statement no later than 15 court days before the final

pretrial conference. Counsel also must deliver two copies of the statement directly

to chambers. The joint pretrial statement must contain the following information:

a. a succinct chronological description of the alleged events and

circumstances out of which the parties' claims and defenses arise;

b. a brief description of the substance of claims and defenses that remain

to be decided, citing the primary sources of legal authority for each

such claim or defense;

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c. a statement of the relief requested, itemizing the elements of damages

claimed;

d. a statement of any stipulations proposed for pretrial and trial

purposes.

PRESENTATION TIME LIMITS

25. Counsel are advised that at the final pretrial conference the court will

impose time limitations on each side's presentation at trial. Usually, the court

imposes "over-all" limits on each side (e.g., 12 hours each), meaning that each

party may use the allotted time in whatever manner the party chooses, e.g., making

an opening statement, conducting direct and cross-examination, entering

documents, performing demonstrations, making closing argument, etc. 

Accordingly, counsel must attempt to generate a joint proposal with respect to

what amount of time will be necessary to present this case, and must be prepared

to justify their proposal(s) at the final pretrial conference.

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SETTLEMENT

26. The court REFERS this matter for assignment to a Magistrate Judge to

conduct a settlement conference during the first two weeks of October 2006.

27. The court strongly encourages the parties to continue discussing

settlement of the case, exploring in good faith all reasonable settlement options. 

IT IS SO ORDERED.

DATED: August 9, 2006 /s/ Wayne D. Brazil 

Wayne D. Brazil

United States Magistrate Judge

Copies to:

All parties

WDB, Stats,

Wings

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