Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-caed-2_07-cv-00100/USCOURTS-caed-2_07-cv-00100-3/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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IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

FOR THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

ERIC GARFIELD WILLIAMS,

Plaintiff, No. CIV S-07-0100 LKK EFB PS

vs.

SEAN KENNEY, et al.,

ORDER

Defendants. 

 /

This action, in which plaintiff is proceeding pro se, was referred to the undersigned by

Local Rule 72-302(c)(21), pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 636(b)(1). This case was before the

undersigned for a scheduling conference on September 19, 2007. Alesia Jones-Martin appeared

as defense counsel and plaintiff appeared on his own behalf. The scheduling order shall issue

separately; this order summarizes other rulings made during the hearing. 

First, the court addresses a lengthy document filed by plaintiff on July 2, 2007. That

document, styled as a “Civil Complaint of Excessive and/or Improperly Applied Force,” contains

what appears to be plaintiff’s response to defendants’ answer, as well as a motion to compel

defendants’ responses to interrogatories. As discussed at the hearing, the court construes this

document as a motion to compel defendants’ responses to interrogatories and denies it, without

prejudice, as premature. 

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Next, the court addresses two documents filed by plaintiff on July 23, 2007, and July 27,

2007. In these documents, plaintiff invokes Fed. R. Civ. P. 37 rather than Fed. R. Civ. P. 15(a),

in seeking to add as defendants the Director of the California Department of Motor Vehicles and

Kaiser Permanente of Vallejo. The court denies these requests without prejudice. Defendants

have filed an answer to the operative complaint. If plaintiff wishes to amend his complaint to

add additional defendants, he must obtain leave of court by first filing an appropriately noticed

motion pursuant to the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure and this court’s Local Rules, in addition

to making the required showing. See Fed. R. Civ. P. 15(a); Fed. R. Civ. P. 16(b); E.D. Cal. L.R.

5-137(c). 

Finally, the court addresses plaintiff’s motion, filed August 8, 2007, for an “order

requiring defendants and plaintiff [to] submit to a lie detector/voice stress analyzer.” For the

reasons stated at the hearing, this motion is denied, and the September 26, 2007, hearing on that

motion is vacated. The August 31, 2007, order to show cause directed at defendants for their

failure to respond to that motion is discharged. 

The Court cautions plaintiff that although he is proceeding in this action pro se, he is

nonetheless obligated to read and comply with the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure and this

court’s Local Rules. See McNeil v. United States, 508 U.S. 106, 113 (1993); E.D. Cal. L.R. 83-

183(a). Failure to comply with these rules or with any order of this court may result in sanctions, 

E.D. Cal. L.R. 11-110, including the sanction of dismissal. 

In accordance with the foregoing, IT IS ORDERED that: 

1. Plaintiff’s motion, filed July 2, 2007, is denied without prejudice;

2. Plaintiff’s requests, filed July 23, 2007, and July 27, 2007, are denied without

prejudice; 

3. Plaintiff’s motion, filed August 8, 2007, for an “order requiring defendants and

plaintiff [to] submit to a lie detector/voice stress analyzer,” is denied, and the hearing on that

motion, set for September 26, 2007, is vacated; and, 

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4. The August 31, 2007, order to show cause directed toward defendants is discharged.

DATED: September 24, 2007.

Case 2:07-cv-00100-LKK-EFB Document 40 Filed 09/25/07 Page 3 of 3