Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-caed-2_12-cv-02196/USCOURTS-caed-2_12-cv-02196-12/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 440
Nature of Suit: Other Civil Rights
Cause of Action: 42:1983 Civil Rights Act

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Stipulation and Order Modifying Pretrial Scheduling Order 

(2:12-CV-2196 MCE DAD)

KAMALA D. HARRIS, State Bar No. 146672

Attorney General of California

ALBERTO L. GONZÁLEZ, State Bar No. 117605

Supervising Deputy Attorney General

1300 I Street, Suite 125

P.O. Box 944255

Sacramento, CA 94244-2550

Telephone: (916) 324-5369

Fax: (916) 322-8288

E-mail: Alberto.Gonzalez@doj.ca.gov

Attorneys for Defendants California Highway Patrol Officer Andrew Murrill and California 

Highway Patrol Officer J. Sherman California Highway Patrol Sergeant Kevin Pierce; 

California Highway Patrol Lieutenant John Arrabit; California Patrol Assistant Chief 

Kenneth Hill; and California Highway Patrol Commander Chief Stephen Lerwill

GALLO LLP

RAY E. GALLO, State Bar #158903

rgallo@gallo-law.com

DOMINIC R. VALERIAN, State Bar #240001

dvalerian@gallo-law.com

1299 Fourth Street

Suite 505

San Rafael, CA 94901

Telephone: (415) 257-8800

Fax: (415) 257-8844

Attorney for Plaintiffs

LAW OFFICE OF DAVID W. 

WIECHERT

DAVID W. WIECHERT, State Bar #94607

dwiechert@aol.com

JESSICA C. MUNK, State Bar #238832 

jessica@davidwiechertlaw.com

115 Avenida Miramar

San Clemente, CA 92672

Telephone: (949) 361-2822

Fax: (949) 496-6753

Attorney for Plaintiffs

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

FOR THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

OLEGS KOZACENKO,

Plaintiff,

v.

California Highway Patrol Officer 

ANDREW P. MURRILL (Badge #19671); 

California Highway Patrol Officer J. 

SHERMAN (Badge #11614); California 

Highway Patrol Sergeant KEVIN PIERCE; 

California Highway Patrol Lieutenant 

JOHN ARRABIT; California Patrol 

Assistant Chief KENNETH HILL; and 

California Highway Patrol Commander 

Chief STEPHEN LERWILL,

Defendants.

2:12-CV-2196 MCE DAD

STIPULATION AND ORDER 

MODIFYING PRETRIAL SCHEDULING 

ORDER AND REQUEST FOR STAY 

PENDING MEDIATION

Hon. Morrison C. England, Jr.

Case 2:12-cv-02196-MCE-DAD Document 84 Filed 03/26/15 Page 1 of 4
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Stipulation and Order Modifying Pretrial Scheduling Order 

(2:12-CV-2196 MCE DAD)

THE PARTIES, by and through their respective attorneys of record, and having agreed to 

and scheduled a mediation in this matter, hereby stipulate to and respectfully ask that the Court 

modify its Amended Pretrial Scheduling Order of November 18, 2014, and stay the case pending 

mediation, as follows:

• That the Court set a status conference for approximately two weeks after the mediation,

set for July 13, 2015, as suits the Court’s calendar.

• That formal discovery, except for the previously ordered physical and mental 

examinations of plaintiff by Drs. McNiel, Keram, and Atkin, be stayed and the relevant 

cut-off vacated, to be reset at the post-mediation status conference, if necessary, but 

without prohibiting to such voluntary discovery as the parties may wish to conduct and 

provide. 

• That pursuant to Local Rule 303(b), the parties respectfully request that any requests for 

reconsideration and/or objections to the rulings on the motions to compel issued by the 

Hon. Drozd on March 16, 2015 (Doc. No. 81) be extended for filing to July 31, 2015.

• That the non-expert discovery cut-off currently set for May 8, 2015, be vacated pending 

the post-mediation status conference, to be reset at the post-mediation status conference, if 

necessary.

• That the expert witness disclosure cutoff currently set for June 8, 2015, be vacated 

pending the post-mediation status conference, to be reset at the post-mediation status 

conference, if necessary.

The remainder of the current schedule is consistent with the requested amendments. Trial 

is set for February 8, 2016. 

ARGUMENT

A. LEGAL STANDARD.

“A schedule may be modified only for good cause and with the judge's consent.” Fed. R. 

Civ. P. 16(b). A formal motion is not necessary. Adv. Comm. Notes to 1983 Amendment to Fed. 

R. Civ. P. 16(b). Good cause requires a showing of due diligence. Johnson v. Mammoth 

Recreations, Inc., 975 F.2d 604, 609 (9th Cir. 1992). A lesser showing of good cause is sufficient 

Case 2:12-cv-02196-MCE-DAD Document 84 Filed 03/26/15 Page 2 of 4
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Stipulation and Order Modifying Pretrial Scheduling Order 

(2:12-CV-2196 MCE DAD)

to modify the initial scheduling order entered early in the action than the showing required for a 

final pretrial conference order. Notes of Advisory Committee on Rule 16, 97 F.R.D. 165, 208. 

B. GOOD CAUSE EXISTS TO MODIFY THE SCHEDULING ORDER TO ALLOW FOR 

MEDIATION AND POTENTIAL RESOLUTION 

The parties seek these modifications because, with the participation of plaintiff’s new 

counsel, they have determined that there is an opportunity to settle the case. There have been no 

meaningful settlement discussions to date. Significant discovery has been conducted, including 

the depositions of the officers directly involved in the incident, of the plaintiff, and of the 

supervising officers at CHP. Absent resolution additional discovery will be necessary, including 

requesting leave to lift the ten deposition cap so that plaintiff can depose the numerous additional 

percipient witnesses to the incident and its aftermath. The parties have agreed to mediate, upon a 

mediator, and upon a mediation date. The mediation is set for July 13, 2015, because the parties 

and mediator are available and because a date after July 1, 2015, begins the California Highway 

Patrol’s fiscal year and provides the best opportunity for a settlement of this case.

Moreover, the parties are about to incur substantial additional costs of concluding discovery 

in this case, and of engaging and preparing experts for deposition and trial. The parties believe 

that avoiding those costs until after mediation increases the chances of a settlement.

Notably, the proposed changes to the schedule leave the trial date and non-discovery pretrial dates intact. 

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Case 2:12-cv-02196-MCE-DAD Document 84 Filed 03/26/15 Page 3 of 4
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Stipulation and Order Modifying Pretrial Scheduling Order 

(2:12-CV-2196 MCE DAD)

IT IS SO STIPULATED.

Dated: March 24, 2015 KAMALA D. HARRIS

Attorney General of California

/s/ Alberto L. González 

ALBERTO L. GONZÁLEZ 

Supervising Deputy Attorney General

Attorneys for Defendants California Highway Patrol 

Officer Andrew Murrill; California Highway Patrol 

Officer J. Sherman; California Highway Patrol 

Sergeant Kevin Pierce; California Highway Patrol 

Lieutenant John Arrabit; California Patrol Assistant 

Chief Kenneth Hill; and California Highway Patrol 

Commander Chief Stephen Lerwill

Dated: March 24, 2015

GALLO LLP

By: /s/ Ray E. Gallo

 RAY E. GALLO

 Attorney for Plaintiffs

Dated: March 24, 2015

LAW OFFICES OF DAVID W. WIECHERT

By: /s/ David W. Wiechert

 DAVID W. WIECHERT

 Attorney for Plaintiffs

ORDER

IT IS SO ORDERED.

Dated: March 25, 2015

Case 2:12-cv-02196-MCE-DAD Document 84 Filed 03/26/15 Page 4 of 4