Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-caed-1_23-cv-00500/USCOURTS-caed-1_23-cv-00500-5/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 440
Nature of Suit: Other Civil Rights
Cause of Action: 28:1331 Federal Question: Other Civil Rights

---

STIP. & ORDER TO CONSOLIDATE CASES & MODIFY SCHEDULING ORDER

A.G., et al. v. County of Tulare, et al.

Case No. 1:23-cv-00500-JLT-SKO

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

T. Kennedy Helm, IV (SBN 282319)

HELM LAW OFFICE, PC

644 40th Street, Suite 305

Oakland, California 94609

Telephone: (510) 350-7517

Facsimile: (510) 350-7359

E-mail: kennedy@helmlawoffice.com

Attorney for Plaintiffs A.G. and F.G., by and through 

their guardian ad litem, Johana Yolanda Corral Galvan

Kevin G. Little (SBN 149818) 

Michelle L. Tostenrude (SBN 290121) 

LAW OFFICE OF KEVIN G. LITTLE 

Post Office Box 8656 

Fresno, California 93747 

Telephone: (559) 342-5800 

Facsimile: (559) 242-2400 

E-Mail: kevin@kevinglittle.com 

Attorneys for Plaintiff Rosa Madrid

Gary L. Logan (SBN 90558) 

Alan J. Mish (SBN 105771 

LAW OFFICES OF 

LEBEAU • THELEN, LLP 

5001 East Commercenter Drive, Suite 300 

Post Office Box 12092 

Bakersfield, California 93389-2092 

Telephone:(661) 325-8962

Facsimile: (661) 325-1127 

E-mail: glogan@lebeauthelen.com 

E-mail: amish@lebeauthelen.com 

Attorneys for Defendants County of Tulare, Jose 

Sanchez Perez, James Dillon, and Rodrigo DeOchoa

Lindsey M. Romano (SBN 337600)

GORDON REES SCULLY MANSUKHANI, LLP

275 Battery Street, Suite 2000

San Francisco, CA 94111

Telephone: (415) 875-4126

Facsimile: (415) 986-8054

E-mail: lromano@grsm.com

Attorneys for Defendants Wellpath, LLC; Alla 

Liberstein, M.D.; and Andrew P. Ho, M.D.

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

FRESNO DIVISION

A.G., a minor, by and through her guardian ad litem 

Johana Yolanda Corral Galvan, individually and as cosuccessor in interest to Decedent Francisco Ponce, Jr.; 

F.G., a minor, by and through her guardian ad litem 

Johana Yolanda Corral Galvan, individually and as cosuccessor in interest to Decedent Francisco Ponce, Jr.;

individually,

Plaintiffs,

vs.

COUNTY OF TULARE, a public entity; Correctional 

Deputy Trainee JOSE SANCHEZ PEREZ; 

Correctional Deputy JAMES DILLON; Correctional 

Deputy RODRIGO DEOCHOA; WELLPATH, LLC, a 

Delaware Corporation; ANDREW P. HO, MD; ALLA 

LIBERSTEIN, MD; and DOES 7–50, jointly and 

severally,

Defendants.

)

)

)

)

)

)

)

)

)

)

)

)

)

)

)

)

)

)

)

)

)

)

)

Case No. 1:23-cv-00500-JLT-SKO

Case No. 1:24-cv-00150-JLT-SKO

STIPULATION AND ORDER TO: (1) 

CONSOLIDATE CASES PURSUANT TO 

FEDERAL RULE OF CIVIL PROCEDURE 

42(a); AND (2) MODIFY EXISTING 

SCHEDULING ORDER (Doc. 19)

Case 1:23-cv-00500-JLT-SKO Document 37 Filed 03/05/24 Page 1 of 8
STIP. & ORDER TO CONSOLIDATE CASES & MODIFY SCHEDULING ORDER

A.G., et al. v. County of Tulare, et al.

Case No. 1:23-cv-00500-JLT-SKO 1

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

Plaintiffs A.G. and F.G., by and through their counsel, T. Kennedy Helm, IV, of Helm 

Law Office, PC; Plaintiff Rosa Madrid, by and through her counsel, Kevin G. Little of the Law 

Office of Kevin G. Little; Defendants County of Tulare, Jose Sanchez Perez, James Dillon, and 

Rodrigo DeOchoa, by and through their counsel, Gary L. Logan, of Lebeau Thelen, LLP; and 

Defendants Wellpath, LLC; Andrew P. Ho, M.D.; and Alla Liberstein, M.D., by and through 

their counsel Lindsey M. Romano of Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani, LLP, having met and 

conferred, hereby respectfully stipulate and request as follows:

RECITALS

A. On December 6, 2023, this Court issued an order granting the Parties’ stipulation for 

Plaintiffs to file a First Amended Complaint in A.G., et al. v. County of Tulare, et al., No. 

1:23-cv-00500-JLT-SKO. See ECF No. 23.

B. The First Amended Complaint, filed December 6, 2023, added Tulare County defendants 

Jose Sanchez Perez, James Dillon, and Rodrigo DeOchoa, and it also added defendants 

Wellpath, LLC, and its employees Andrew P. Ho, M.D., and Alla Liberstein, M.D. See 

ECF No. 24. 

C. On December 27, 2023, Defendants Tulare County, Perez, Dillon, and DeOchoa 

answered the First Amended Complaint. See ECF No. 27.

D. On February 2, 2024, Plaintiff Rosa Madrid filed a Complaint against Defendants Jose 

Sanchez Perez, James Dillon, and Rodrigo DeOchoa arising out of the same incident as in 

A.G., the in-custody death of Francisco Ponce, Jr., See Rosa Madrid v. Sanchez-Perez, et 

al., No. 1:24-cv-00150-HBK, at ECF No. 1. Counsel for Plaintiff Madrid also filed a 

Notice of Related Cases regarding this case. See ECF No. 3 in Madrid.

E. On February 5, 2024, the A.G. Plaintiffs served the First Amended Complaint on 

defendants Wellpath, LLC and Alla Liberstein, M.D. See ECF Nos. 28, 29. The 

responsive pleading date was February 26, 2024.

F. On February 20, 2024, the same counsel for Defendants Sanchez Perez, Dillon, and 

DeOchoa as in A.G. filed an answer to Plaintiff’s complaint in Madrid. See ECF No. 7.

Case 1:23-cv-00500-JLT-SKO Document 37 Filed 03/05/24 Page 2 of 8
STIP. & ORDER TO CONSOLIDATE CASES & MODIFY SCHEDULING ORDER

A.G., et al. v. County of Tulare, et al.

Case No. 1:23-cv-00500-JLT-SKO 2

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

G. On February 21, 2024, the A.G. Plaintiffs filed a Notice of Related Cases regarding 

Madrid. See ECF No. 30. 

H. On February 23, 2024, counsel for Defendants Wellpath, LLC; Alla Liberstein, M.D.; 

and Andrew P. Ho, M.D.; filed a notice of appearance in A.G. See ECF no. 31.

I. Also on February 23, 2024, counsel for the Wellpath defendants and counsel for 

Plaintiffs in A.G., after meeting and conferring, filed a stipulation pursuant to Eastern 

District Local Rule 144(a) that the Wellpath defendants would file a responsive pleading 

to Plaintiffs’ First Amended Complaint by March 25, 2024. See ECF No. 34.

J. Also on February 23, 2024, Plaintiffs served the First Amended Complaint on defendant 

Dr. Ho. See ECF No. 35.

K. Also on February 23, 2024, District Judge Thurston entered an order relating Madrid to 

A.G. and reassigning both cases to District Judge Thurston and this Court. See ECF No. 8 

in Madrid.

L. Also on February 23, 2024, this Court reset a scheduling conference in Madrid for May 

14, 2024. See ECF No. 9 in Madrid.

M. The Parties agree that the cases of A.G., et al. v. County of Tulare, et al., No. 1:23-cv00500-JLT-SKO and Madrid v. Sanchez-Perez, et al., No. 1:24-cv-00150-JLT-SKO,

“involve overlapping parties, claims, events and/or questions of factor law. Both actions 

concern the death of Francisco Ponce, Jr., while confined in the Bob Wiley Detention 

Facility.” See ECF No. 8 in Madrid. The Plaintiffs in A.G. are Mr. Ponce’s two minor 

daughters and co-successors in interest, and the Plaintiff in Madrid is Mr. Ponce’s 

mother.

N. The Parties also agree that these cases should be consolidated, Fed. R. Civ. P. 42(a), for 

discovery, pretrial, and trial, proceeding under one Scheduling Order. 

O. Therefore, the Parties stipulate and request that the cases be consolidated, and that the 

current scheduling order in A.G., ECF No. 19, be modified.

Case 1:23-cv-00500-JLT-SKO Document 37 Filed 03/05/24 Page 3 of 8
STIP. & ORDER TO CONSOLIDATE CASES & MODIFY SCHEDULING ORDER

A.G., et al. v. County of Tulare, et al.

Case No. 1:23-cv-00500-JLT-SKO 3

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

P. When an act must be done within a specified time, the Court may, for good cause, extend 

the time with or without motion if the court acts, or a request is made, before the original 

time expires. Fed. R. Civ. P. 6(b)(1)(A). With respect to an order setting forth the Court’s 

pretrial schedule, the “court may modify the pretrial schedule ‘if it cannot be reasonably 

met despite the diligence of the party seeking the amendment.’” Johnson v. Mammoth 

Recreations, Inc., 975 F.2d 604, 609 (9th Cir. 1992). The Parties respectfully submit that 

good cause exists to continue the deadline for completion of fact discovery and the 

successive deadlines.

Q. Currently, the cutoff for non-expert discovery in A.G. is May 8, 2024. See ECF No. 19. 

R. Counsel for the A.G. Plaintiffs, counsel for the Tulare County Defendants, and counsel 

for the Wellpath Defendants have met-and-conferred and do not believe that fact 

discovery can be completed in A.G. by the current deadline of May 8, 2024, because the 

Wellpath Defendants will file their responsive pleading by March 25, 2024.

S. Therefore, the A.G. Parties have agreed that a stipulated extension of approximately 180 

days of the cutoff for fact discovery will allow the Parties to complete fact discovery. 

T. The A.G. Parties have further agreed that such a stipulated extension of 180 days of the 

cutoff for fact discovery would necessitate an approximate 180-day extension of each of 

the remaining pretrial dates, and of the trial date. 

U. Should Madrid be consolidated with A.G., then counsel for Plaintiff in Madrid agrees that 

the A.G. Scheduling Order, as modified below, should apply to the consolidated case.

STIPULATIONS

The Parties stipulate that, pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 42(a), the cases of 

A.G., et al. v. County of Tulare, et al., No. 1:23-cv-00500-JLT-SKO and Madrid v. SanchezPerez, et al., No. 1:24-cv-00150-JLT-SKO, should be consolidated for discovery, pretrial dates,

and trial. Given the foregoing, and the current approaching non-expert discovery cutoff of May 

8, 2024 (ECF No. 19), the Parties respectfully submit that good cause exists to continue the nonexpert discovery cutoff and the subsequent case deadlines by approximately 180 days each:

Case 1:23-cv-00500-JLT-SKO Document 37 Filed 03/05/24 Page 4 of 8
STIP. & ORDER TO CONSOLIDATE CASES & MODIFY SCHEDULING ORDER

A.G., et al. v. County of Tulare, et al.

Case No. 1:23-cv-00500-JLT-SKO 4

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

Matter Current Deadline (Doc. 19) New Deadline

Non-Expert Discovery Cutoff May 8, 2024 (W) November 6, 2024 (W)

Expert Disclosures June 12, 2024 (W) December 11, 2024(W)

Rebuttal Expert Disclosures July 17, 2024 (W) January 15, 2025 (W)

Expert Discovery Cutoff August 19, 2024 (M) February 17, 2025 (M)

Non-Dispositive Motion 

Deadline-Filing

September 3, 2024 (Tu) March 4, 2025 (Tu)

Non-Dispositive Motion 

Deadline-Hearing

October 16, 2024 (W) April 16, 2025 (W)

Dispositive Motion DeadlineFilingSeptember 18, 2024 (W) March 19, 2025 (W)

Dispositive Motion DeadlineHearingOctober 28, 2024 (M) April 28, 2025 (M)

Deadline to Provide Proposed 

Settlement Conference Dates:

December 4, 2024 (W) June 4, 2025 (W)

Pre-Trial Conference January 27, 2025, 1:30 p.m. (M) July 28, 2025, 1:30 pm 

(M)

Trial March 18, 2025, 8:30 a.m. (Tu) September 16, 2025,

8:30 a.m. (Tu)

IT IS SO STIPULATED, THROUGH COUNSEL OF RECORD.

Respectfully Submitted,

Dated: March 1, 2024 HELM LAW OFFICE, PC

/s/ T. Kennedy Helm, IV 

T. KENNEDY HELM, IV 

Attorney for Plaintiffs A.G. and F.G., by and through their 

guardian ad litem, Johana Yolanda Corral Galvan

Case 1:23-cv-00500-JLT-SKO Document 37 Filed 03/05/24 Page 5 of 8
STIP. & ORDER TO CONSOLIDATE CASES & MODIFY SCHEDULING ORDER

A.G., et al. v. County of Tulare, et al.

Case No. 1:23-cv-00500-JLT-SKO 5

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

Dated: March 1, 2024 LAW OFFICE OF KEVIN G. LITTLE

 /s/ Kevin G. Little* 

 By: KEVIN G. LITTLE

 Attorney for Plaintiff Rosa Madrid

Dated: March 1, 2024 LEBEAU THELEN LLP

 /s/ Gary L. Logan* 

 By: GARY L. LOGAN

 Attorneys for Tulare County Defendants

Dated: March 1, 2024 GORDON REES SCULLY MANASUKHANI, LLP

 /s/ Lindsey M. Romano* 

 By: LINDSEY M. ROMANO

 Attorneys for Wellpath, LLC Defendants

*Pursuant to Local Rule 131(e), Messrs. Logan and Little, and Ms. Romano, each consented that 

this document be filed by CM/ECF.

Case 1:23-cv-00500-JLT-SKO Document 37 Filed 03/05/24 Page 6 of 8
STIP. & ORDER TO CONSOLIDATE CASES & MODIFY SCHEDULING ORDER

A.G., et al. v. County of Tulare, et al.

Case No. 1:23-cv-00500-JLT-SKO 6

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

ORDER

The Court, having considered the Parties’ stipulation, and good cause appearing, rules as 

follows: The foregoing stipulation to consolidate the cases of A.G., et al. v. County of Tulare, et 

al., No. 1:23-cv-00500-JLT-SKO and Madrid v. Sanchez-Perez, et al., No. 1:24-cv-00150-JLTSKO pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 42(a) for pretrial dates and trial is HEREBY 

GRANTED.

1. The Clerk of Court shall consolidate A.G., et al. v. County of Tulare, et al., No. 

1:23-cv-00500-JLT-SKO and Madrid v. Sanchez-Perez, et al., No. 1:24-cv00150-JLT-SKO;

2. All future filings and correspondence shall use Case No. 1:23-cv-00500-JLTSKO;

3. The Clerk shall file a copy of this order in Case No. 1:24-cv-00150-JLT-SKO; 

and

4. The Clerk of Court is directed to shall administratively close Madrid v. SanchezPerez, et al., No. 1:24-cv-00150-JLT-SKO1

.

The Court further finds that the Parties have shown good cause for the relief their 

Stipulation requests. IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that the Scheduling Conference in Madrid set 

for May 14, 2024 (Doc. 9) is VACATED and the existing Scheduling Order in A.G. (Doc. 19) 

shall apply to the consolidated action and is modified as follows:

Matter Current Deadline (Doc. 19) New Deadline

Non-Expert Discovery Cutoff May 8, 2024 (W) November 6, 2024 

Expert Disclosures June 12, 2024 (W) December 11, 2024

Rebuttal Expert Disclosures July 17, 2024 (W) January 15, 2025 

Expert Discovery Cutoff August 19, 2024 (M) February 17, 2025 

1 The Court notes that administratively closing this case has no impact whatsoever on the merits.

Case 1:23-cv-00500-JLT-SKO Document 37 Filed 03/05/24 Page 7 of 8
STIP. & ORDER TO CONSOLIDATE CASES & MODIFY SCHEDULING ORDER

A.G., et al. v. County of Tulare, et al.

Case No. 1:23-cv-00500-JLT-SKO 7

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

Non-Dispositive Motion 

Deadline-Hearing

October 16, 2024 April 9, 2025 

Dispositive Motion DeadlineFilingSeptember 18, 2024 March 17, 2025 

Dispositive Motion DeadlineHearingOctober 28, 2024 April 21, 2025 

Deadline to Provide Proposed 

Settlement Conference Dates:

December 4, 2024 May 14, 2025 

Pre-Trial Conference January 27, 2025 at 1:30 p.m. June 16, 2025 at 1:30 

pm 

Trial March 18, 2025 at 8:30 a.m. August 12, 2025 at 

8:30 a.m. 

IT IS SO ORDERED.

Dated: March 5, 2024 /s/ Sheila K. Oberto .

UNITED STATES MAGISTRATE JUDGE

Case 1:23-cv-00500-JLT-SKO Document 37 Filed 03/05/24 Page 8 of 8