Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-caed-1_14-cv-01603/USCOURTS-caed-1_14-cv-01603-2/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 for Protective Order; Order

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THERESA A. GOLDNER, COUNTY COUNSEL

By: ANDREW C. THOMSON, Deputy (SBN 149057)

 JAMES L. BRANNEN, Deputy (SBN 279367 )

Kern County Administrative Center

1115 Truxtun Avenue, Fourth Floor

Bakersfield, CA 93301

Telephone 661-868-3800

Fax 661-868-3805

Attorneys for Defendants County of Kern, 

Cynthia Norris, Melissa Allen and Mark Pafford

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

ALEXANDER F. HARPER, an 

individual

 Plaintiff,

 vs.

COUN TY OF KERN, a municipal 

entity, CYNTHIA NORRIS, an 

individual, MELISSA ALLEN, an 

individual, MARK PAFFORD, an 

individual, and DOES 1 through 10, 

inclusive,

 Defendants.

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CASE NO. 1:14-CV-01603- TLN-MJS

STIPULATION FOR PROTECTIVE 

ORDER; ORDER

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Plaintiff ALEXANDER F. HARPER (hereinafter “Plaintiff”) is represented by 

Attorneys Brian T. Dunn and Jennifer A. Bandlow, The Cochran Firm – California, 4929 

Wilshire Blvd, Ste 1010, Los Angeles, CA. 90010.

Defendants COUNTY OF KERN, CYNTHIA NORRIS, MELISSA ALLEN, and 

MARK PAFFORD (hereinafter collectively “Defendants”) are represented by the Office of 

Kern County Counsel, Deputy Andrew C. Thomson and Deputy James Brannen, 1115 Truxtun 

Ave., Bakersfield, CA. 93301.

Case 1:14-cv-01603-TLN-MJS Document 27 Filed 12/02/15 Page 1 of 5
____________________________________________________________________________________

Stipulation for Protective Order; Order

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Plaintiff and Defendants are hereinafter collectively referred to as the “Parties.”

IT IS HEREBY STIPULATED AND AGREED TO, by and between the Parties, 

through their respective counsel of record, that the following Protective Order be entered:

1. The Parties have repeatedly met and conferred regarding various issues regarding 

discovery in this matter in an effort to informally resolve various issues. 

2. Defendants have requested that Plaintiff, in response to written discovery, produce 

records which: a) qualify as medical/psychological records; b) involve employment and/or 

employment discipline records; c) may contain private financial information; and, d) may 

contain information derived from private personnel investigations.

3. Plaintiff has taken the deposition of Defendants Pafford, Norris and Allen and has 

delved into private and/or personnel issues, and Defendants anticipate that Plaintiff will address 

private and/or personnel issues, and other County administrative issues, in the scheduled 

depositions of witnesses Yraceburn, Harwell and Lee, and during the impending depositions of 

the three Persons Most Qualified on behalf of Defendants

4. Counsel for the Parties are informed and believes that a protective order is necessary in 

order to protect the records and testimony from inappropriate use and/or disclosure, including 

but not limited to the private personnel records and information of Plaintiff and Defendants.

5. In order to comply with Defendants’ discovery demands, and also to avoid occupying the 

Court’s time with numerous requests to view the documents in camera, the Parties are willing to 

agree that the documents and/or testimony may be produced provided the attached Protective 

Order is issued by the Court prior to production of the documents.

6. The Parties each agree to be bound by the terms of the Protective Order, and by signing 

this stipulation, counsel represent to the Court that they have informed or will inform their 

clients, consultants and experts of the terms of the protective order prior to the clients, 

consultants and experts review of the documents and testimony.

7. The Parties agree that this stipulation may be signed in counterpart.

8. The Parties respectfully request the Court’s consideration of this request.

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Stipulation for Protective Order; Order

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THEREFORE, IT IS HEREBY STIPULATED:

I. All documents produced by the Parties in response to the opposing Party’s propounded 

discovery that are designated “CONFIDENTIAL” (including but not limited to medical and/or 

psychological records, financial documents, personnel records, investigations, interviews, 

investigative reports, statements, employment evaluations, or other information from personnel 

files) and/or deposition testimony that is designated “CONFIDENTIAL” shall be subject to the 

following orders:

a) The records shall not be copied or disseminated outside of any attorney’s office 

except for review by retained consultants/experts or a party to this action.

b) The only persons who shall be authorized to view the records will be the 

involved attorneys, the attorneys’ office staff, retained consultants/experts, any non-party 

witnesses who have already seen or have been in possession of such documents/testimony, 

and/or parties to this action.

c) The contents of the records/testimony shall not be discussed with, or disseminated 

to, (either verbally, in writing, or in any other format) any person that is not one of the involved 

attorneys, the attorneys’ office staff, consultant/retained expert, parties to this action or any nonparty witnesses who have already seen or have been in possession of such documents/testimony.

d) The records shall not be provided to the news media directly or indirectly in any 

form or manner.

e) The records shall be utilized only in connection with this litigation and for no 

other purpose whatsoever, at any time, ever.

II. At the conclusion of this litigation, all produced records and/or testimony, and any 

copies thereof, including exhibits to depositions, shall be returned to the office of the respective 

party’s counsel or destroyed. However, at the conclusion of the case, counsel may retain one 

file copy for his/her records.

III. No counsel shall file with this Court, or any other court, any of the produced 

“CONFIDENTIAL” records and/or testimony subject to this protective order, either as an 

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Stipulation for Protective Order; Order

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exhibit to a motion or otherwise, unless the subject court has previously issued an order sealing 

such record.

IV. Any person, or persons, violating this order shall be subject to sanctions and costs of any 

protective related motion. 

Dated: December 2, 2015 THE COCHRAN FIRM - CALIFORNIA

 By /s/ Jennifer A. Bandlow _

Jennifer A. Bandlow, Esq. 

 Attorneys for Plaintiff Alexander F. Harper 

Dated: December 2, 2015 THERESA A. GOLDNER, COUNTY COUNSEL

 By /s/ Andrew C. Thomson _ 

 Andrew C. Thomson, Deputy

 Attorneys for Defendants County of Kern 

ORDER

Good cause appearing, the STIPULATION FOR PROTECTIVE ORDER in CASE 

NO. 1:14-CV-01603- TLN-MJS is hereby accepted and adopted as the Order of this 

Court.

IT IS SO ORDERED.

Dated: December 2, 2015 /s/Michael J. Seng 

UNITED STATES MAGISTRATE JUDGE

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Stipulation for Protective Order; Order

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#22F1803

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