Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-cand-5_06-cv-07293/USCOURTS-cand-5_06-cv-07293-6/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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United States District Court

For the Northern District of California

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ORDER PARTIALLY STAYING DISCOVERY

C-06-07293 RMW

TSF

United States District Court

For the Northern District of California

E-FILED on 12/21/07

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

FOR THE NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

SAN JOSE DIVISION

MEGAN DEANN ALLEN,

Plaintiff,

v.

COUNTY OF MONTEREY, ADA

SIFUENTES, ANTONIO SIFUENTES,

LUCILLE HRALIMA, STEVEN SINOR,

ELVA MENCIA, MICHELLE CASSILLAS,

PAT MANNION, ANTONIO MENDOZA

CEBALLOS and DOES 1-30, inclusive,

Defendants.

No. C-06-07293 RMW

ORDER PARTIALLY STAYING

DISCOVERY

[Re Docket No. (none)]

The County of Monterey requests a stay of discovery pending the mediation scheduled in

this case for January 30, 2008. Plaintiff opposes the request. A telephone conference was held with

the court on December 20, 2007. The court grants in part and denies in part defendant County’s

request.

On October 19, 2007, a case management conference was held. Since the father of the

deceased minor’s child had not appeared in the action, the case management conference was

continued to December 14, 2007. No discovery plan was discussed but the parties expressed

frustration with the time it was taking to get juvenile records that required an order from the

Monterey County Juvenile Court. On November 7, 2007, pursuant to the stipulation of the parties,

the case was referred to court ordered mediation with the mediation to be completed by December

14, 2007. On December 12, 2007, the parties filed a written stipulation, which the court accepted, to

Case 5:06-cv-07293-RMW Document 76 Filed 12/21/07 Page 1 of 4
United States District Court

For the Northern District of California

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ORDER PARTIALLY STAYING DISCOVERY

C-06-07293 RMW

TSF 2

continue the case management conference to March 21, 2008, because they had agreed to continue

the mediation to January 30, 2008.

Meanwhile, on December 3, 2007 plaintiff served on the County a request for production of

documents and a set of interrogatories. On December 7, 2007 plaintiff served a records subpoena on

the County. The County complains that when the mediation was originally set, it was going to be

conducted without the benefit of discovery to see if the case could be resolved without incurring

discovery costs. Plaintiff does not disagree that the mediation as originally scheduled was going to

occur before discovery. However, plaintiff contends that in light of the continued date of the

mediation and the need to obtain information from the County, discovery is appropriate now.

The court finds that the parties at least implicitly contemplated that the mediation would take

place without the benefit of discovery and that one goal of ADR is to minimize costs. It is also

apparent that a good portion of the records and information requested cannot be released without a

court order from the Monterey County Juvenile Court. On the other hand, the court appreciates

plaintiff’s frustration with the delay in getting a release order from the Juvenile Court and recognizes

the plaintiff’s need for information about County policies, practices and procedures. The County

has agreed to respond to the discovery requested within 30 days of the completion of the mediation. 

The County claims it would be very time consuming to respond to the plaintiff’s broad discovery

requests before the mediation.

In balancing the needs and concerns of the parties, the court orders as follows:

1. Discovery is stayed pending the mediation except as set forth in 2-5 below;

2. The parties may continue their efforts to get the required order from the Juvenile

Court and may view or obtain, as appropriate, any records authorized for disclosure

or release by the Juvenile Court;

3. The County is to produce by January 25, 2008 any general written policy of the

County with respect to its social workers’ duties with respect to checking on

conditions of foster homes that was in effect in 2004 or 2005;

4. The County is to produce by January 25, 2008 any general written policy of the

County with respect to its social workers’ procedures in responding to complaints of

Case 5:06-cv-07293-RMW Document 76 Filed 12/21/07 Page 2 of 4
United States District Court

For the Northern District of California

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ORDER PARTIALLY STAYING DISCOVERY

C-06-07293 RMW

TSF 3

suspected abuse in foster homes including its procedures to fulfill any mandatory

reporting requirements;

5. The County is to respond to or move to limit or quash, as appropriate, the other

discovery requested within 30 days of the completion of the mediation (the parties are

reminded that discovery disputes are assigned to the magistrate judge); and

6. The parties are to propose a joint discovery plan in their next joint case management

statement.

DATED: 12/21/07

RONALD M. WHYTE

United States District Judge

Case 5:06-cv-07293-RMW Document 76 Filed 12/21/07 Page 3 of 4
United States District Court

For the Northern District of California

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ORDER PARTIALLY STAYING DISCOVERY

C-06-07293 RMW

TSF 4

Notice of this document has been electronically sent to:

Counsel for Plaintiff:

Robert Ross Powell rpowell@rrpassociates.com

Dennis R. Ingols dingols@rrpassociates.com

Douglas D. Durward Doug@durwardlaw.com

Counsel for Defendants:

Elizabeth Mary Kessel EMKessel@kesselaw.com

Scott Edward Boyer SEBoyer@kesselaw.com

Alison Yew yew@lbbslaw.com

Irene Takahashi takahashi@lbbslaw.com

Notice of this document has been mailed to:

Douglas Tsuchiya

341 Capitol Street, #1

Salinas, CA 93901

Counsel are responsible for distributing copies of this document to co-counsel that have not

registered for e-filing under the court's CM/ECF program.

Dated: 12/21/07 TSF

Chambers of Judge Whyte

Case 5:06-cv-07293-RMW Document 76 Filed 12/21/07 Page 4 of 4