Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-caed-1_05-cv-00303/USCOURTS-caed-1_05-cv-00303-10/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 355
Nature of Suit: Motor Vehicle Product Liability
Cause of Action: 28:1332 Diversity-Motor Vehicle Product Liability

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IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

FOR THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

SHOUKAT KHAN, et al. CASE NO. CV F 05-0303 LJO DLB

Plaintiffs, TRIAL SCHEDULING ORDER

vs.

FORD MOTOR COMPANY, Motions in Limine Briefing

Defendant. Response Deadline: January 30, 2008

Motions in Limine Hearing

Date: February 14, 2008

Time: 9 a.m.

Dept.: 4 (LJO)

Jury Trial (15 days est.)

Date: April 14, 2008

Time: 9 a.m.

 Dept.: 4 (LJO)

 /

This Court conducted a November 19, 2007 conference to schedule trial and related dates.

Plaintiffs Shoukat Khan and Sanober Mirza (collectively “plaintiffs”) appeared by telephone by counsel

Walter Walker and Wilda White, Walker, Hamilton & White. Defendant Ford Motor Company

(“defendant”) appeared by telephone by counsel Frank Kelly and Randall Haimovici, Shook, Hardy &

Bacon. 

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1. Motions In Limine

The parties have filed their respective motions in limine. Responses to motions in limine shall

be filed and served no later than January 30, 2008. This Court will conduct a motions in limine hearing

on February 14, 2008 at 9 a.m. in Dept. 4 (LJO).

2. Trial Exhibits

A. Exhibit Exchange

The parties, no later than February 20, 2008, shall exchange their respective proposed exhibits.

B. Duty To Pre-Mark Exhibits

Counsel, no later than February 27, 2008, shall meet and conduct an exhibit conference to premark and examine trial exhibits and to prepare exhibit lists. All exhibits should be marked in sequential

numerical order. Plaintiffs’ exhibits shall begin with the number 1 (1, 2, 3...). Defendant’s exhibits shall

begin with the number 1000 (1000, 1001, 1002...). At the time of the exhibit conference, counsel shall

have in their possession the original and additional complete sets of their exhibits (joint or disputed) for

distribution as follows: (1) the original and one set to be submitted to the courtroom deputy; (2) one set

for all other counsel; and (3) one set for counsel's own use. Counsel may, if desired, have an additional

set of exhibits available to aid in witness examination.

C. Indexes

All joint exhibits shall be listed on a separate joint exhibitsindex. Joint exhibits will be admitted

into evidence on introduction and motion of any party without further foundation. The joint exhibits

index should be formatted as follows:

Ex. No. Description (w/ date)

 

As to all separate exhibits to which there are no objections, such exhibits shall be listed on an

index of all the exhibits of the offering party with an “X” in a column entitled “No Obj.” and will be

admitted upon introduction and motion of the offering party without further foundation. With respect

to those exhibits as to which the only objection is to foundation, such exhibits shall be listed on an index

of all the exhibits of the offering party with an “X” in a column entitled “Found. Obj.” All other exhibits

shall be listed on the offering party’s exhibits index with an “X” in a column entitled “Subst. Obj.” All

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of a party’s separately-offered exhibits (discussed in this paragraph) shall be listed on one index

formatted as follows:

 No Found. Subst.

 Ex. No. Description (w/ date) Obj. Obj. Obj.

 

D. Submission of Trial Exhibits And Indexes

All pre-marked trial exhibits (joint and separate), along with the appropriate indexes, shall be

submitted to the Court’s clerk no later than March 5, 2008. Counsel should note that, pursuant to Local

Rule 16-281(b)(11), only those exhibits listed in the parties’ joint pre-trial statement will be permitted

to be offered into evidence. Therefore, any exhibits submitted which are not listed in the pre-trial

statement will not be admitted. 

E. Objections

The parties, no later than March 5, 2008, shall file and serve written objections as to those

exhibits identified on the separate exhibits indexes to which there is an indication of either foundational

or substantive objections. Such written objections shall reference the exhibit objected to, shall

specifically set forth the objectionable matter in the disputed exhibit, and shall include a citation to legal

authority explaining the grounds for the objection and why the exhibit is not admissible. A concise

argument concerning the disputed exhibit may be included. 

F. Discovery Documents

Only specifically-designated discovery documents will be eligible for admission into evidence.

Therefore, the parties, no later than March 5, 2008, shall file and serve a list of all discovery documents

intended to be used at trial, identifying the discovery by set number and indicating whether the original

discovery document has been previously lodged with the court. If a discovery document intended to be

used at trial has not been previously lodged, the parties, no later than March 5, 2008, shall submit to the

Court’s clerk the original of such document along with a copy for the court’s use. Discovery documents

(or relevant portions thereof) may either be separately marked and indexed as a trial exhibit (as part of

the exhibit marking and indexing process described above) or, if admissible, read directly into evidence.

/ / /

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G. Deposition Testimony

Deposition testimony shall be designated by page and line number, and such designation shall

be filed and served to the Court’s clerk no later than March 5, 2008. Any counter-designation as to the

same deposition (also set out by page and line number), along with written objections to any question

and answer designated by another party, shall be filed and served no later than March 7, 2008. The

original certified transcript of any deposition identified in a designation or counter-designation shall be

lodged with the Court’s clerk no later than March 7, 2008, if not previously lodged with the Court.

All objections shall be in writing, shall identify by page and line number the testimony or content

subject to the objection, and shall include a citation to legal authority explaining the grounds for the

objection and why the testimony or content is improper. A concise argument concerning the testimony

or content may be included. 

H. Duty of Counsel

During the course of trial, counsel are obliged to meet with the Court each morning to advise as

to which items of evidence will be used that day that have not already been admitted into evidence. The

Court will rule on objections to the extent possible prior to the commencement of trial each day out of

the presence of the jury. If such ruling depends on the receipt of testimony or other evidence, the Court

will rule as appropriate upon the receipt of such testimony or evidence. If evidentiary problems are

anticipated, counsel are required to notify the Court, at least one court day before the evidence will be

presented, that a hearing outside the jury’s presence will be required. During the time set for conducting

the trial before the jury, the Court will not hear argument outside the jury’s presence on such matters.

I. Use of Laptop Computers/Powerpoint for Presentation of Evidence

If a party intends to use a laptop computer for presentation of evidence, that party, no later than

April 7, 2008, shall so notify chambers at (559) 498-5680. The courtroom deputy will arrange a time

to bring the laptop to the courtroom and to meet with the Court’s Information/Technology Department

to receive brief training on interaction with the Court’s audio/visual equipment.

If a party intends to use PowerPoint, the resolution should be set no higher than 1024 x 768 when

preparing the presentation.

/ / /

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J. Post-Trial Exhibit Retention

Counsel who proposed or entered in to evidence an exhibit at trial shall retrieve the original from

the courtroom deputy after verdict in the case. Counsel shall have the duty to retain possession of the

exhibit until all appeals are exhausted and the judgment is final.

3. Witness Lists

The parties, no later than March 5, 2008, shall file and serve a final witness list, including the

name of each witness along with the business or home address of each witness, to the extent known, and

omitting witnesses which the parties no longer intend to call. 

4. Joint Statement Of The Case

The parties, no later than March 5, 2008, shall file a joint neutral statement of the case, which

briefly describes the case, including the claims and defenses. The joint neutral statement will be used

during jury voir dire. 

5. Jury Questionnaire And Proposed Jury Voir Dire

The parties, no later than March 5, 2008, shall file proposed jury voir dire.

The parties propose to use a jury questionnaire. The parties, no later than March 28, 2008, shall

file a joint jury questionnaire for this Court’s approval. The parties are to deliver 45 copies of the Courtapproved questionnaire to the Court no later than the end of the day on April 9, 2008. Further, the

parties are required to provide a copy service at the Court to copy the completed questionnaires. The

copy service shall be at the Court on April 11, 2008 at 8:30 a.m., at the Second Floor witness room

outside the Jury Commissioner’s office, ready to make copies. Potential jurors will complete the

questionnaires on April 11, 2008. 

6. Proposed Jury Instructions and Verdict Forms

The parties, no later than February 20, 2008, shall serve their proposed jury instructions and

verdict forms. The parties, no later than February 27, 2008, shall conduct a conference to address their

proposed jury instructions and verdict forms. At the conference, counsel shall attempt to reach

agreement on jury instructions and verdict forms for use at trial. The parties, no later than March 5,

2008, shall file and serve all agreed-upon jury instructions and verdict forms and identify such as the

agreed-upon jury instructions and verdict forms.

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If the parties cannot agree upon certain specific jury instructions and verdict forms after

legitimate and good faith meeting and conferring, the parties, no later than March 5, 2008, shall file and

serve such disputed jury instructions and verdict forms and identify such as the disputed jury instructions

and verdict forms.

Except as otherwise required below for “clean” copies, all jury instructions and verdict forms

shall indicate the party submitting the instruction or form (i.e., joint, Plaintiff, Defendant), the number

of the proposed instruction in sequence, a brief title for the instruction describing the subject matter, the

text of the instruction, the legal authority supporting the instruction, and a legend in the lower left corner

of the instruction as follows: 

 GIVEN ______

 GIVEN AS MODIFIED ______

 WITHDRAWN ______

 REFUSED ______

In addition to the jury instructions and verdict forms described above, the parties, no later than

March 5, 2008, shall file and serve a "clean" copy of their proposed jury instructions and verdict forms

(whether agreed or disputed) without reference to the party submitting the instruction or verdict form,

any legal authority, or spaces for Court action or the judge's initials. In the upper right corner of these

jury instructions, the notation “JURY INSTRUCTION NO. ___” shall appear for sequential numbering

of the instructions as needed.

All proposed jury instructions and verdict forms described above (whether agreed or disputed)

shall be e-mailed as a WordPerfect attachment to ljoorders@caed.uscourts.gov no later than March 5,

2008. The Court will not accept a mere list of numbers of form instructions from the Ninth

Circuit Model Jury Instructions, CACI, BAJI or other instruction forms.

Ninth Circuit Model Jury Instructions SHALL be used where the subject of the instruction is

covered by a model instruction. All instructions shall be short, concise, understandable, and neutral

and accurate statements of the law. Argumentative or formula instructions will not be given and

must not be submitted. The parties shall, by italics or underlining, designate any modification of

instructions from statutory or case authority, or any pattern instruction, such as the Ninth Circuit Model

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Jury Instructions or any other source of pattern instructions, and must specifically state the modification

made to the original form instruction and the legal authority supporting the modification.

The parties, no later than March 7, 2008, shall file and serve written objections to disputed jury

instructions proposed by another party. All objections shall be in writing, shall set forth the proposed

instruction objected to in its entirety, shall specifically set forth the objectionable matter in the proposed

instruction, and shall include a citation to legal authority explaining the grounds for the objection and

why the instruction is improper. A concise argument concerning the instruction may be included.

Where applicable, the objecting party shall submit an alternative proposed instruction covering the

subject or issue of law.

7. Trial

This Court sets a 15-day jury trial for April 14, 2008 at 9 a.m. in Dept. 4 (LJO).

8. Compliance with This Order

Strict compliance with this order and its requirements is mandatory. Counsel and parties are

subject to sanctions for failure to fully comply with this order and its requirements.

IT IS SO ORDERED.

Dated: November 19, 2007 /s/ Lawrence J. O'Neill 

66h44d UNITED STATES DISTRICT JUDGE

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