Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-casd-3_14-cv-00481/USCOURTS-casd-3_14-cv-00481-0/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 SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

MARIANO VALENZUELA, Case No. 14cv481-BAS-PCL

Plaintiff,

ORDER GRANTING IN PART AND

DENYING IN PART PLAINTIFF’S

REQUEST FOR DOCUMENTS v.

CITY OF CALEXICO, SERGEANT

FRANK URIARTE, OFFICER PETER

J. WEST, OFFICER VICTOR FLORES,

OFFICER CARLOS RAMIREZ, Chief

of Police POMEYO TABAREZ, Former

Chief of Police JIM NEUJAHR, and

DOES 1 through 25, inclusive,

Defendants.

I. INTRODUCTION

Pursuant to the Court’s Pitchess Procedures and the agreement of the parties,

Defendants’ attorney, Konrad M. Rasmussen, has submitted a copy of the internal law

enforcement personnel files of Calexico Police Department for Defendants Ramirez and

Flores to the Court for in camera review. The documents are numbered “City 0072” through

“City 01553.”1

 Plaintiffs have requested documents: 120-125; 127-158; 161; 167-168; 176;

178-179; 181; 185-205; 206-229; 230-254; 255-279; 280-306; 307-320; 321-340; 341-381;

382-417; 418-474; 475-516; 517-590; 591-632; 634-635; 658; 664-676; 684; 685-690; 700-

701; 704; 705-706; 734-736; 810-814; 815-818; 819-832; 833-892; 893-924; 925-944; 945-

1

All further document numbers refer to this set of documents.

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999; 1021-1042; 1388-1402; 1403-1429; 1430-1439; 1500-1534; and 1535-1553. After

thorough review, the Court orders the motion be GRANTED IN PART AND DENIED IN

PART, as discussed below.

II. DISCUSSION

Plaintiff seeks production of documents identified in Defendants’ privilege log,

pursuant to the stipulated protective order in this action. The documents at issue are

contained in the personnel files of Defendants Flores and Ramirez. Defendants object to the

release of these documents on the basis of privacy rights, relevance, and official information

privilege. 

Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 26(b) provides that any non-privileged material that is

relevant to a party’s claim or defense is discoverable. To be discoverable, the information

does not have to be admissible–it needs to be relevant information that appears to be

reasonably calculated to lead to the discovery of admissible evidence. Fed. R. Civ. P.

26(b)(1). 

Moreover, “Federal Courts ordinarily recognize a constitutionally-based right of

privacy that can be raised in response to discovery requests.” Soto v. City of Concord, 162

F.R.D. 603, 616 (N.D. Cal. July 17, 1995). “Resolution of a privacy objection ... requires a

balancing of the need for the information sought against the privacy asserted.” Id. In regards

to official documents, the balancing approach “is moderately preweighted in favor of

disclosure.” Kelly v. City of San Jose, 114 F.R.D. 653, 661 (N.D.Cal.1987).

Regarding Plaintiff’s instant request, the Court finds that documents: 120-125; 161;

169; 176; 178-179; 181; 185-205; 255-279; 280-306; 307-320; 321-340; 382-417; 475-516;

517-590; 591-632; 658; 664-676; 684; 685-690; 700-701; 704; 705-706; 734-736; 833-892;

925-944; 945-999; 1021-1042; 1388-1402; 1430-1493; 1500-1534; and 1535-1553 are not

relevant to Plaintiff’s lawsuit, or have already been produced according to Defendant’s

privilege log. 

However, the Court does find that documents: 127-158; 167-168; 206-229; 230-254;

341-381; 418-474; 634-635; 810-814; 815-818; 819-832; 893-924; and 1403-1429 are

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relevant to Plaintiff’s claims. Plaintiff could potentially use the information in these

documents to support their claim that Defendants Flores and Ramirez engaged in a pattern of

behavior, or that their claim that City of Calexico engaged in improper practices and

procedures when it hired and subsequently trained, supervised, and disciplined these

Officers. At the very least, the information in these documents may lead to discoverable

material. Defendants’ privacy concerns are outweighed by Plaintiff’s need for this

information to support their case. Also, the parties put into place a carefully crafted

protective order which should help maintain Defendants’ privacy rights. 

III. CONCLUSION

The Court ORDERS Defendants to produce law enforcement personnel records for

Defendants’ Flores and Ramirez, as contained in documents: 127-158; 167-168; 206-229;

230-254; 341-381; 418-474; 634-635; 810-814; 815-818; 819-832; 893-924; and 1403-1429. 

IT IS SO ORDERED.

DATED: February 19, 2015

Peter C. Lewis

United States Magistrate Judge

cc: The Honorable Cynthia Bashant

All Parties and Counsel of Record

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