Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-cand-3_05-cv-01525/USCOURTS-cand-3_05-cv-01525-19/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 446
Nature of Suit: Americans with Disabilities Act - Other
Cause of Action: 42:12101 Americans w/ Disabilities Act (ADA)

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J. KENDRICK KRESSE (CA BAR NO. 53926)

JENNIFER PESEK (CA BAR NO. 219161)

CALIFORNIA CENTER FOR LAW AND THE DEAF

14895 E. 14th Street, Suite 220

San Leandro, CA 94578

Tel.: (510) 483-0922 V/TTY

Fax: (510) 483-0967

Email: ken.kresse@deaflaw.org

SHAWNA L. PARKS (CA BAR NO. 208301)

DISABILITY RIGHTS LEGAL CENTER 

(FORMERLY WESTERN LAW 

CENTER FOR DISABILITY RIGHTS)

919 Albany Street

Los Angeles, CA 90015

Tel.: (213) 736-1031

Fax: (213) 736-1428

Email: shawna.parks@lls.edu

RITA F. LIN (CA BAR NO. 236220)

MORRISON & FOERSTER, LLP

425 Market Street

San Francisco, CA 94105-2482

Tel.: (415) 268-7000

Fax: (415) 268-7522

Email: pmar@mofo.com

Attorneys for Plaintiffs

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

VICTORIA MUNOZ, et al.,, Plaintiffs, v.

SACRAMENTO AREA COUNCIL OF 

GOVERNMENTS, et al., Defendants.

Case No. C05-01525 (JSW/EDL)

[PROPOSED] ORDER GRANTING JOINT 

MOTION FOR PRELIMINARY APPROVAL 

OF CLASS ACTION SETTLEMENT 

AGREEMENTS, CLASS CERTIFICATION 

FOR PURPOSES OF SETTLEMENT, 

APPROVAL OF PROPOSED NOTICE TO 

CLASS, AND THE SETTING OF A 

SCHEDULE FOR HEARING ON FINAL 

APPROVAL

Date: April 20, 2007

Time: 9:00 a.m.

Place: Courtroom 2, 17th floor

Judge: Hon. Jeffrey S. White

Case 3:05-cv-01525-JSW Document 134 Filed 04/24/2007 Page 1 of 5
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Plaintiffs, on behalf of themselves and all Settlement Class Members, and all Defendants 

remaining in this case, California Highway Patrol and its Commissioner Mike Brown (“CHP”), 

California Department of Transportation and its Director Will Kempton (“Caltrans”), Riverside 

County Transportation Commission (“RCTC”), and San Bernardino County Service Authority for 

Freeway Emergencies (“SB SAFE”), have entered into settlements of Plaintiffs’ claims in this 

class action. The parties have jointly moved for an order (1) granting conditional certification of 

the settlement classes for injunctive and declaratory relief pursuant to F.R.C.P. 23 for settlement 

purposes only; (2) granting preliminary approval of the settlement agreements reached between 

Plaintiffs and each of the four Defendants (the “Settlement Agreements”), attached as Exhibits A 

through D to the Joint Notice of Motion and Motion by All Parties for Preliminary Approval of 

Class Action Settlement Agreements, Class Certification for Purposes of Settlement, Approval of 

Proposed Notice to Class, and the Setting of a Schedule for Hearing on Final Approval (the 

“Preliminary Approval Motion”), as fair, reasonable, and adequate; (3) approving notice to the 

class as provided in the Settlement Agreements; and (4) setting a hearing date and briefing 

schedule for final approval. After due consideration of the Preliminary Approval Motion, its 

supporting Memorandum of Points and Authorities, its supporting declarations, arguments of 

counsel and all other matters presented to the Court, 

IT IS ORDERED THAT:

1. The Preliminary Approval Motion is hereby GRANTED.

2. The classes described in the respective Settlement Agreements (the “Settlement 

Classes”) are conditionally certified under Rule 23(b)(1)(A) and Rule 23(b)(2) for settlement 

purposes only. 

3. Plaintiffs Victoria Munoz, Daniel Arellanes, Lyle Hinks, Seymour Bernstein, and 

the California Association of the Deaf are adequate representatives of the Settlement Classes, 

have claims typical of members of the Settlement Classes, and designated as class representatives. 

4. The California Center for Law and the Deaf (“CalCLAD”), the Disability Rights 

Legal Center (“DRLC”), and Morrison & Foerster, LLP adequately represent the Settlement 

Classes and are designated as class counsel (“Class Counsel”). 

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5. The proposed settlements are within the range of possible approval, and 

preliminary approval of all four Settlement Agreements is granted.

6. The proposed Publication Notices and Community Notices, attached to each of the 

Settlement Agreements, provide fair and adequate notice of the settlements to the Settlement 

Classes and are approved. 

7. Defendant Caltrans shall, at its expense, arrange for publication of the Publication 

Notice attached as the first two pages of Exhibit 1 to the Caltrans Settlement Agreement, which 

Publication Notice is identical to the Publication Notice attached as Exhibit 1 to the CHP 

Settlement Agreement, in the San Francisco Chronicle and the Los Angeles Times. Publication 

shall begin on or before April 27, 2007 and shall run for a total of two days. 

8. Defendant SB SAFE shall, at its expense, arrange for publication of its Publication 

Notice in the San Bernardino Sun. Publication shall begin on or before April 27, 2007 and shall 

run for a total of two days.

9. Defendant RCTC shall, at its expense, arrange for publication of its Publication 

Notice in the Riverside Press-Enterprise. Publication shall begin on or before April 27, 2007 and 

shall run for a total of two days.

10. On or before April 27, 2007, class counsel shall arrange for the Community 

Notices for all four Settlement Agreements to be published on the websites of the California 

Association of the Deaf (“CAD”), CalCLAD, and DRLC and to be maintained on those websites 

through the date of the Fairness Hearing. 11. On or before April 27, 2007, class counsel shall arrange for hyperlinks to the 

Community Notices for all four Settlement Agreements to be e-mailed to all of the agencies, 

service providers, and organizations (collectively “organizations”) identified in Exhibit E to the 

Preliminary Approval Motion, which exhibit is hereby incorporated by reference, with a request 

that those organizations (1) post those hyperlinks on their websites through the date of the 

Fairness Hearing, (2) distribute those hyperlinks via e-mail to all persons on their electronic 

mailing lists as soon as possible, and (3) print out copies of the Community Notices for all four 

Settlement Agreements for posting in those organizations’ respective places reserved for 

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information and notices directed at deaf and hearing-impaired persons through the date of the 

Fairness Hearing. 12. On or before April 27, 2007, each of the Defendants shall post Community Notices 

for their respective Settlement Agreements on their websites through the date of the Fairness 

Hearing.13. The Court has become aware that some of the Defendants have not provided notice 

to appropriate state and federal officials of the settlement within the ten-day period required by 28 

U.S.C. section 1715. All Defendants shall provide such notice to such officials on or before April 

27, 2007. 

14. A hearing (“the Fairness Hearing”) shall be held before this Court on July 6, 2007 

at 9:00 a.m. for the Court to hear any objections as to: (i) whether the proposed settlements as set 

forth in the Settlement Agreements are fair, reasonable and adequate to the members of the 

Settlement Classes and should be approved by the Court, without modification, as binding on the 

members of the Settlement Classes; (ii) whether an order should be entered approving the terms 

of the Settlement Agreements and dismissing and releasing all claims against Defendants as 

provided in the Settlement Agreements; and (iii) whether the request of Class Counsel for 

payment of attorneys’ fees and reimbursement of expenses as provided in the Settlement 

Agreements should be approved. The Court will not issue an order making a final determination 

at the Fairness Hearing on those issues. Instead, the Court will wait until July 27, 2007 to issue

an order making a final determination on those issues, in order to comply with 28 U.S.C. section 

1715(d).15. Any interested person may appear at the Fairness Hearing to show cause why the 

Settlement Agreements should or should not be approved as fair, reasonable, adequate, and in 

good faith and/or why the request of Class Counsel for approval of attorneys’ fees and expenses 

and litigation-related reimbursements should or should not be approved as fair and reasonable; 

provided, however, that no person shall be heard or entitled to contest the approval of the terms 

and conditions of the Settlement Agreements or the fees, costs, and reimbursements requested by 

Class Counsel, unless that person has sent or delivered written objections and copies of any 

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supporting papers and briefs so that they are received no later than 5:00 p.m. on June 15, 2007, 

upon class counsel below:

California Center for Law and the Deaf

14895 E. 14th Street, Suite 220

San Leandro, CA 94578

(510) 483-0967 (fax)

16. Any member of the Settlement Classes who does not submit an objection in the 

manner provided above shall be deemed to have waived any objection to the Settlement 

Agreements and shall forever be foreclosed from making any objection to class certification, to 

the fairness, adequacy or reasonableness of the Settlement Agreements, and to any attorneys’ fees 

and reimbursements approved.

17. On or before June 29, 2007, Class Counsel shall file a declaration with the Court 

attaching all written objections and copies of any supporting papers and briefs received by 

CalCLAD on or before 5:00 p.m. on June 15, 2007. 18. Any additional memoranda, affidavits, declarations and other evidence in support 

of the request for final approval of the Settlement Agreements shall be filed on or before June 29,

2007. 

IT IS SO ORDERED.

Dated: _____________, 2007

____________________________________ The Honorable Jeffrey S. White

United States District Judge

Case 3:05-cv-01525-JSW Document 134 Filed 04/24/2007 Page 5 of 5

April 25

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