Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-caed-2_06-cv-00457/USCOURTS-caed-2_06-cv-00457-8/pdf.json

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

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28 Caption has been modified to reflect summary judgment 1

ruling filed on September 5, 2008.

1

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

FOR THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

ROBERT E. HUNTER, D.V.M.; HOWARD ) 2:06-cv-00457-GEB-EFB

ELEY, )

) FINAL PRETRIAL ORDER

Plaintiffs, )

)

v. )

)

COUNTY OF SACRAMENTO; and )

SHERIFF JOHN MCGINNIS in his )

official capacity, )

)

Defendants. )

1

___________________________________)

A final pretrial conference was held on September 22,

2008. Gary Gorski appeared on behalf of the Plaintiffs; Tom

Cregger appeared on behalf of the Defendants.

The parties agreed that a jury will decide the Fourth

Amendment excessive force claims, but dispute whether viable

injunctive relief claims exist; the parties took opposite positions

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This portion of the Order does not affect the parties’ 2

obligations to timely comply with witness disclosure requirements

provided in the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, the Local Rules,

or by Order of this Court.

2

on whether a judge or jury decide any factual issue applicable to

any viable injunctive relief claim.

I. DISPUTED EVIDENTIARY ISSUES

Any evidentiary dispute capable of being resolved in

limine shall be set forth in an in limine motion which shall be

filed no later than 4:30 p.m. on October 14, 2008. An opposition

or a non-opposition statement to any filed in limine motion shall

be filed no later than 4:30 p.m. on October 21, 2008. Failure to

state a basis for admissibility or non-admissibility of disputed

evidence constitutes a waiver or abandonment of that basis. 

II. TRIAL BRIEFS

Trial briefs shall be filed with the Court no later than

fifteen (15) court days prior to the date on which trial commences. 

All legal positions briefed in the trial brief(s) shall be

supported with case and applicable statutory authority. Each trial

brief must include “a summary of points of law, including

reasonably anticipated disputes concerning admissibility of

evidence, legal arguments, and citations of authority in support

thereof” (Local Rule 16-285(a)(3)) and shall address the viability

of the injunctive relief claims.

 III. WITNESSES2

A. Plaintiff anticipates calling the witnesses listed on

the Plaintiffs’ Amended Witness List.

B. Defendant anticipates calling the witnesses listed on

the Defendants’ Witness List.

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C. Each party may call a witness designated by the

other.

D. No person, other than those named on these witness

lists, will be permitted to testify unless:

(1) The party offering the witness demonstrates that

the witness is for the purpose of rebutting evidence which could

not reasonably be anticipated at the pretrial conference; or

(2) The witness was discovered after the pretrial

conference and the proffering party makes the showing required in

"E", below.

E. If a witness is discovered after the pretrial

conference, counsel for the party offering the witness shall

promptly inform the Court and opposing parties of the existence of

the unlisted witness so that the Court may consider at trial

whether the witness shall be permitted to testify. The witness

will be not be permitted to testify unless:

(1) The witness could not reasonably have been

discovered prior to pretrial;

(2) The Court and opposing counsel were promptly

notified upon discovery of the witness;

(3) If time permitted, counsel offered the witness

for deposition; and

(4) If time did not permit, a reasonable summary of

the witness' testimony was provided to opposing counsel.

/ / /

/ / /

/ / /

/ / /

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This portion of the Order does not affect the parties’ 3

obligations to timely comply with disclosure requirements provided

in the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, the Local Rules, or by

Order of this Court.

4

IV. EXHIBITS3

A. Plaintiff anticipates offering the exhibits listed on

Plaintiffs’ Exhibit List.

B. Defendant anticipates offering the exhibits listed on

Defendants’ Exhibit List to the JPS.

C. No other exhibits will be permitted to be introduced

unless:

(1) The party seeking to use the unlisted exhibit

demonstrates that the exhibit is being used to rebut evidence which

could not reasonably have been anticipated at the pretrial

conference; or

(2) The unlisted exhibit was discovered after the

pretrial conference and the offering party makes the showing

required in paragraph "D", below.

D. Any party proposing to introduce an exhibit which was

discovered after the pretrial conference shall promptly notify the

Court and opposing counsel of the existence of such exhibit. The

Court will not permit any such exhibit to be introduced unless it

finds:

(1) That the exhibit could not reasonably have been

discovered prior to the pretrial conference;

(2) The Court and counsel were promptly informed of

the exhibit's existence; and

(3) That the offering party has delivered a copy of

the exhibit to opposing counsel, or, if the exhibit may not be

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copied, that the offering counsel has made the exhibit reasonably

available for inspection by opposing counsel. 

E. Plaintiff's exhibits shall be numbered and marked

with colored stickers provided by the Court while Defendant's

exhibits shall be designated by alphabetical letter also marked

with colored stickers provided by the Court. To obtain stickers,

parties should contact the Clerk of Court at (916) 930-4000.

The parties are directed to exchange with each other, at

least ten (10) court days prior to the date on which trial

commences, copies of all of their respective exhibits, marked with

exhibit stickers provided by the Court. Within five (5) court days

after receipt of the exhibits, each party shall file with the Court

and serve upon opposing counsel objections, if any, to the

exhibits, referencing the exhibits as marked by exhibit sticker and

specifying the basis for each objection. Failure to exchange

exhibits as ordered could result in the exhibit not being used at

trial and/or the imposition of sanctions. The failure to make

objections in the manner prescribed by this section shall

constitute a waiver of objections. A party seeking to admit into

evidence an exhibit to which no objection was made must identify

said exhibit for the record and then move it into evidence. 

Counsel shall produce all exhibits to the Clerk's Office

no later than 4:00 p.m. on the Friday before the date on which

trial is scheduled to commence. At that time, the parties shall

also furnish the Court with a copy of each exhibit, unless the

exhibit is physically incapable of being reproduced. Failure to

produce exhibits as ordered could result in waiver of the right to

offer those exhibits. Each party submitting exhibits shall furnish

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a list to the Court, the courtroom deputy and opposing counsel

itemizing the exhibits. 

V. FURTHER PREPARATION FOR USE OF DISCOVERY DOCUMENTS

A. It is the duty of counsel to ensure that any

depositions which are to be used at trial for any purpose shall

have been filed with the clerk, and counsel are cautioned that a

failure to discharge this duty may result in preclusion of the use

of the unfiled depositions or in the imposition of such other

sanctions as the Court deems appropriate.

B. No later than twenty (20) court days before the trial

commencement date, counsel for each party shall serve on the other

parties a statement designating all answers to interrogatories and

all portions of depositions (except for passages to be used solely

for refreshing recollection, impeachment or rebuttal). No later

than ten (10) court days before the trial commencement date,

counter-designations of other portions of these discovery documents

may be served. No later than five (5) court days before the trial

commencement date, the parties shall file and serve any preserved

evidentiary objections to any designated discovery, or said

objections are waived.

VI. FURTHER DISCOVERY OR MOTIONS

Pursuant to the Court's Pretrial Scheduling Order, all

discovery and law and motion was to have been completed prior to

the date of the final pretrial conference. That order is

confirmed. The parties are, of course, free to conduct any

additional discovery they desire pursuant to informal agreement. 

However, any such agreement will not be enforceable in this Court.

/ / /

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VII. SETTLEMENT NEGOTIATIONS

No settlement conference is scheduled in this matter. If

the parties believe that a settlement conference would be

productive and facilitate resolution of this case, the parties may

contact the Court. If the Court schedules a settlement conference

at the request of the parties, each party would be directed to have

a principal with authority to settle the case on any terms present

at the settlement conference. 

In addition, each party would have to submit a settlement

conference statement directly to the chambers of the settlement

judge, five (5) court days prior to the settlement conference. 

Such statements would not have to be filed with the clerk nor

served on opposing counsel. However, each would be required to

notify the other party or parties that the statement was submitted

to the judge's chambers.

VIII. JURY INSTRUCTIONS, VOIR DIRE, AND VERDICT FORMS

A. Counsel are directed to confer and to attempt to

agree upon a joint set of jury instructions and verdict forms. 

B. All instructions, both general and specific, shall

be submitted in the exact numerical order counsel desires them

given to the jury and shall be tailored to the facts and issues in

suit.

The joint set of instructions and verdict forms shall be

filed fifteen (15) court days prior to the trial commencement date. 

As to instructions on which there is dispute, the parties shall

adhere to the following procedure: 1) the party offering the

disputed instruction(s) shall submit the instruction(s) as its

proposed jury instructions, shall submit authority in support of

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the proposed instruction(s) and shall number the disputed

instruction(s) in a manner that shows where each disputed

instruction should be placed in the tendered agreed upon

instructions. The contested instruction(s) and supporting

authority shall be filed with the joint set of instructions fifteen

(15) court days prior to the trial commencement date; 2) the party

opposed to the contested instruction(s) shall file opposing

authority ten (10) court days prior to the trial commencement date.

C. All instructions shall be, to the extent possible,

concise, understandable, and neutral statements of law. They shall

be prepared in accordance with Local Rule 51-163. Ninth Circuit

Pattern Instructions are preferred.

D. It is the parties’ responsibility to ensure that

jury instructions are submitted on all issues preserved for trial

in accordance with the schedule set forth above. Pursuant to Local

Rule 51-163, instructions not presented in accordance with this

Order will be refused unless it is shown either (1) that the

necessity for the request arose in the course of trial; the

instructions could not reasonably have been anticipated prior to

trial; and the request for such additional instructions is

presented to the Court as promptly as possible; or (2) that the

refusal to give such instructions would constitute manifest

injustice under Rule 16(e). 

E. Most of the examination of prospective jurors is

conducted by the Judge. The parties are directed to meet and

confer and attempt to agree upon a joint set of proposed voir dire

questions. Voir dire questions shall be filed with the Court

fifteen (15) court days prior to the trial commencement date. 

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As explained in United States v. Blouin, 666 F.2d 796, 4

798 (2d Cir. 1981), "the goal of the 'struck jury' system is to

whittle down an initially selected group . . . [to the amount of

jurors] who will serve as the petit jury." The selected group

consists of the jurors who will hear the case, plus the number of

jurors required to enable the parties to use the combined number of

peremptory challenges allotted to both sides for striking jurors

(continued...)

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Each side is granted fifteen (15) minutes to conduct voir dire

following the Court's examination of prospective jurors.

F. The parties shall attempt to agree on a verdict

form. Proposed verdict forms shall be filed fifteen (15) court

days prior to the trial commencement date. A special verdict or

interrogatories shall be included for all factual disputes

submitted to the jury that must be resolved before questions of law

can be decided. 

At the time of electronically filing the jury

instructions and verdict forms, counsel shall also submit a copy of

the sanitized joint jury instructions, the sanitized disputed jury

instructions, and the joint verdict forms to the Court by email to

geborders@caed.uscourts.gov in accordance with L.R. 51-163(b)(1).

IX. PROPOSED FINDINGS AND CONCLUSIONS

Each party shall submit proposed prevailing party findings and

conclusions five (5) court days before the trial commencement date. 

FAILURE TO DO SO DISMISSES, WAIVES, OR ABANDONS THAT ISSUE, CLAIM

OR DEFENSE. The parties may supplement timely-submitted proposed

findings and conclusions as trial progresses, up until closing

arguments.

X. USE OF STRUCK JURY SELECTION SYSTEM

Eight jurors will be impaneled. The "struck jury" system

will be used to select the jury. At the beginning of the voir 4

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(...continued) 4

from the group. Typically extra jurors are included in the select

group in the event the minimum amount of jurors required for the

"struck system" is reduced "for cause" or some other reason.

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dire process, approximately eighteen prospective jurors, randomly

selected by the Jury Administrator, will be seated for voir dire. 

The order of the jurors’ random selection is reflected by the order

in which they will be seated. The first randomly selected juror

will be in jury seat number one, which is at the extreme right-hand

side of the jury box in the top row as the jury box is viewed from

the well of the courtroom. The eighth juror will be in the eighth

seat. The ninth selected juror will occupy the seat located at the

extreme right-hand side of the jury box in the bottom row. The

fifteenth seat will be in the left-hand side of that row. Three

chairs will be placed in front of the jury box. The sixteenth

juror will occupy the seat on the right and the eighteenth juror

will occupy the seat on the left. The first eight jurors on a

list, which shall be given to counsel, will constitute the petit

jury unless one or more of those eight is excused for some reason. 

Assuming that the first and fifth jurors on the list are excused,

the second listed juror becomes the first, and the other jurors’

numbers are changed accordingly, with the ninth juror on the list

becoming seventh on the list; however, the jurors continue to be

identified by their original numbers.

XI. ATTORNEYS FEES

The parties are referred to Local Rule 54-293 concerning

the post-trial procedure for seeking an award of attorney's fees.

/ / /

/ / / 

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XII. TRIAL DATE

Trial to a jury will commence on November 4, 2008. A

trial day will commence at 9:00 a.m. and will adjourn at

approximately 4:30 p.m. Each side has thirty (30) minutes within

which to make an opening statement to the jury and one hundred

twenty (120) minutes within which to make a closing argument.

Counsel are to call Shani Furstenau, Courtroom Deputy, at (916)

930-4114, one week prior to trial to ascertain the status of the

trial date.

IT IS SO ORDERED.

Dated: September 24, 2008

 

GARLAND E. BURRELL, JR.

United States District Judge

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