Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-caed-1_20-cv-00902/USCOURTS-caed-1_20-cv-00902-4/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 550
Nature of Suit: Prisoner - Civil Rights (U.S. defendant)
Cause of Action: 42:1983 Prisoner Civil Rights

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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

FOR THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

OLIVER GRAY,

Plaintiff,

v.

C. FLORES,

Defendant.

Case No. 1:20-cv-00902-JLT-HBK (PC)

DISCOVERY AND SCHEDULING ORDER

Deadline to Respond to Complaint 01/22/24

Deadline for Exhaustion-Based Motion: 04/08/24

Deadline to Amend Pleadings: 07/08/24

Deadline to Complete Discovery: 10/08/24

Deadline for Dispositive Motion(s): 01/08/25

On January 7, 2024, the Court granted Defendant’s request to opt out of early ADR. 

(Doc. No. 34). The Court directs Defendant to file a response to the claim deemed cognizable in 

Plaintiff’s Complaint no later than January 22, 2024. (See Doc. Nos. 1, 21, 26, 27). Pursuant 

to Federal Rules of Civil Procedure 1, 16, and 26-37, the Court sets forth the following case 

management deadlines and discovery procedures for this case as follows: 

I. Written Discovery:

Discovery requests shall be served by the parties in compliance with Rule 5 of the Federal 

Rules of Civil Procedure (Fed. R. Civ. P.) and Eastern District of California Local Rule 135. 

Discovery requests and responses shall not be filed with the Court unless required by Eastern 

District California Local Rules 250.2, 250.3 and 250.4. Absent leave of Court, discovery is 

limited as follows: 

The parties are limited to 15 interrogatories under Fed. R. Civ. P. 33; 

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The parties are limited to 15 requests for admission under Fed. R. Civ. P. 36;

The parties are limited to 15 requests to produce under Fed. R. Civ. P. 34.

Responses to documents shall include all documents within a party’s possession, custody, 

or control. Fed. R. Civ. P. 34(a)(1). Documents are deemed within a party’s possession, custody, 

or control if the party has actual possession, custody, or control thereof, or the legal right to 

obtain the property on demand. Allen v. Woodford, 2007 WL 309945, at *2 (E.D. Cal. 2007).

Responses to written discovery including the production of documents shall be due within 

forty-five (45) days after the request is served. Boilerplate objections are disfavored and may be 

summarily overruled by the Court. All discovery must be completed by the above-referenced 

discovery cut-off date.

The parties are required to act in good faith during discovery and are required to meet and 

confer, via correspondence or telephonically, to resolve any discovery dispute prior to filing any 

discovery motion. Any motions to compel should be file promptly after the objectionably 

discovery and no later than fourteen (14) days after the discovery cut-off date, i.e., October 

22, 2024. Failure to timely file a motion to compel will result in a waiver of any objections

to discovery. The moving party must include certification that they have complied with 

their duty to meet and confer. The failure to include a certification or show good cause for 

failure to meet and confer will result in the motion being stricken. The fact that Plaintiff is 

incarcerated does not constitute good cause to excuse the meet and confer requirement.

II. Depositions

Pursuant to Fed. R. Civ. P. 30(a)(2)(B), Defendants may depose Plaintiff and any other 

witness confined in a prison upon condition that, at least fourteen (14) days before such a 

deposition, Defendants serve all parties with the notice required by Rule 30(b)(1). Pursuant to 

Fed. R, Civ. P. 30(b)(4), the parties may take any deposition under this section by video 

conference, relieving the court reporter of the requirement to be in the physical presence of the 

witness under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 28(a)(1) during that deposition. Nothing herein 

forecloses a party from bringing a motion for protective order pursuant to Fed. R. Civ. P. 26(c)(1) 

if deemed necessary.

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Disagreement with any directive of security staff at the institution or prison at which the 

deposition is scheduled is not a basis for the Plaintiff to refuse to answer questions, and the failure 

of Plaintiff to attend, be sworn, or answer appropriate questions may result in sanctions, including 

terminating the action as provided in Fed. R. Civ. P. 37.

III. Case Management Deadlines

The following deadlines shall govern this action:

A. Deadline to challenge exhaustion of administrative remedies: April 8, 2024.

B. Deadline to amend pleadings: July 8, 2024.

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C. Deadline to complete non-expert discovery: October 8, 2024. Any motions to compel

must be filed no later than fourteen (14) days after the discovery cut-off date.

D. Deadline to file pre-trial dispositive motions: January 8, 2025.

E. In addition to complying with the applicable rules, a motion and incorporated

memorandum and any responses in opposition shall not exceed twenty-five (25) pages in length, 

exclusive of exhibits. A reply shall not exceed seven (7) pages in length. A party must move and 

show good cause for exceeding these page limitations. Any motions filed in excess of these page 

limitations may be struck.

F. Defendants shall lodge a Word version of any dispositive motion to chambers at:

hbkorders@caed.uscourts.gov. 

Any requests for an extension to any deadline set in this Order must be filed at least seven 

(7) days prior to its expiration. The deadlines set forth above are firm and will only be extended

upon a showing of good cause. Eleventh hours motions, i.e., motions filed on the eve of the 

deadline expiration will be granted only upon a showing of extraordinary circumstances. 

Dated: January 7, 2024 

HELENA M. BARCH-KUCHTA

UNITED STATES MAGISTRATE JUDGE

1 This date does not permit any party to unilaterally file an amended pleading. Any amendments to the 

pleadings must comply with all applicable Federal Rules of Civil Procedure (i.e., Rule 15) and Local Rules 

(i.e., Local Rule 220).

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