Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-cand-3_07-cv-05466/USCOURTS-cand-3_07-cv-05466-3/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 110
Nature of Suit: Insurance
Cause of Action: 28:1332 Diversity-Insurance Contract

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LOMBARDI, LOPER & CONANT, LLP 

Lake Merritt Plaza 

1999 Harrison Street, Suite 2600 

Oakland, CA 94612-3541 

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30788-37422 LAS 558916.1 - 1 - JOINT STATUS REPORT AND 

STIPULATION TO CONTINUE CMC 

C-07-5466 WHA

RALPH A. LOMBARDI, State Bar No. 048217 

ral@llcllp.com 

LORI A. SEBRANSKY, State Bar No. 125211 

las@llcllp.com 

LOMBARDI, LOPER & CONANT, LLP 

Lake Merritt Plaza 

1999 Harrison Street, Suite 2600 

Oakland, CA 94612-3541 

Telephone: (510) 433-2600 

Facsimile: (510) 433-2699 

Attorneys for Defendants 

MALCOLM M. SYNIGAL, SR. and ANGELA M. 

SYNIGAL 

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT 

NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA 

METROPOLITAN DIRECT PROPERTY 

AND CASUALTY INSURANCE 

COMPANY, a Rhode Island Corporation, 

Plaintiff, 

v. 

MALCOLM M. SYNIGAL, SR., an 

individual, and ANGELA M. SYNIGAL, 

an individual, and DANITA KING, an 

individual, 

Defendants. 

Case No. C-07-05466 WHA 

FURTHER JOINT STATUS REPORT AND 

STIPULATION FOR SHORT 

CONTINUANCE OF CASE 

MANAGEMENT CONFERENCE; 

[PROPOSED] ORDER 

Date: September 10, 2008 

Time: 11:00 a.m. 

Courtroom: 9 

The Honorable William H. Alsup. 

 STATUS OF UNDERLYING ACTION

This is an insurance coverage action that arises from an underlying civil lawsuit entitled 

King v. Synigal, Contra Costa County Superior Court Action No. C07 01910 (the “King action”). 

The King complaint states two causes of action, but substantively asserts three claims: 1) 

negligence against Malcolm and Angela Synigal [for negligently supervising their son]; 2) 

negligence against Marlin [claiming he was “negligent in the manner in which he accosted 

Plaintiff’s daughter,” which resulted in her death]; and 3) intentional tort against Marlin 

Case 3:07-cv-05466-WHA Document 35 Filed 08/29/08 Page 1 of 4
LOMBARDI, LOPER & CONANT, LLP 

Lake Merritt Plaza 

1999 Harrison Street, Suite 2600 

Oakland, CA 94612-3541 

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30788-37422 LAS 558916.1 - 2 - JOINT STATUS REPORT AND 

STIPULATION TO CONTINUE CMC 

C-07-5466 WHA

[alleging he intentionally assaulted Nadawn Brown].1 

Discovery in the King action is underway. Plaintiff King was supposed to have deposed 

Mr. and Mrs. Synigal on August 6, and a mediation was supposed to have occurred before August 

19. Those dates have been continued, however, because Ms. King’s counsel had not yet received 

all of the hospital records needed to proceed. 

The mediation is now scheduled for September 25, 2008. A further Case Management 

Conference in the trial court is scheduled for October 7, 2008. If the case has not resolved by that 

time, the parties expect that a trial date will be assigned. 

 STATUS OF THIS INSURANCE COVERAGE ACTION

In this insurance action Metropolitan Direct seeks a declaration that the claims asserted 

against the Synigals are not within the scope of coverage afforded by the policy. Alternatively, 

Metropolitan seeks a declaration that the policy’s intentional or criminal acts exclusion precludes 

coverage for the Synigals. 

The Synigals previously filed a motion to stay or dismiss this insurance action on the 

ground that a declaration that coverage does not apply would require this Court to determine the 

same factual issues that already are pending in both the state criminal and civil actions. This 

Court granted the Synigals’ motion to stay for a period of six-months, and scheduled the original 

July 17, 2008 case management conference to revisit the status of the underlying proceedings. 

That conference was continued to September 10, 2008 at the parties’ request, based on events in 

the underlying action. 

Both Metropolitan Direct and the Synigals have expressed an interest in trying to resolve 

the King action now, before defense costs mount and before additional fees are incurred to 

prosecute the insurance declaratory relief suit. Counsel in this insurance action and the King

action have discussed the need for early mediation on numerous occasions. All parties intend to 

participate in mediation of the underlying King action, for purposes of resolving both that 

 

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 A criminal complaint also was filed against Marlin Synigal in Contra Costa County Superior 

Court in March 2006. That complaint alleges that on March 22, 2006, Marlin broke into the 

house belonging to Nadawn Brown and killed her with a Dumbbell Bar. Marlin was charged with 

murder and residential burglary. Marlin was determined to be incapable of standing trial, and so 

the criminal proceedings have been suspended. 

Case 3:07-cv-05466-WHA Document 35 Filed 08/29/08 Page 2 of 4
LOMBARDI, LOPER & CONANT, LLP 

Lake Merritt Plaza 

1999 Harrison Street, Suite 2600 

Oakland, CA 94612-3541 

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30788-37422 LAS 558916.1 - 3 - JOINT STATUS REPORT AND 

STIPULATION TO CONTINUE CMC 

C-07-5466 WHA

case and the insurance litigation now pending before this Court. 

Because the mediation of the King action will not occur until the end of September, the 

parties request that the September 10, 2008 status conference be continued to a date after October 

7, 2008. That would allow sufficient time to complete the mediation process, and attend the case 

management conference for further scheduling if the mediation is not successful. 

STIPULATION TO CONTINUE THE SEPTEMBER 11 STATUS 

CONFERENCE

The parties to this action, by and through their respective counsel, therefore stipulate as 

follows: 

1. Because the parties wish to participate in the mediation of the underlying King

action, which is scheduled to take place on September 25, 2008, the parties agree that this action 

should continue to be temporarily stayed. 

2. The parties further stipulate and request that the case management conference 

currently set for September 10, 2008 be continued to a date after October 7, 2008, with an 

updated joint status report due 7 days prior to the new case management conference date. 

DATED: August 28, 2008 LOMBARDI, LOPER & CONANT, LLP 

By:___/s/ Lori A. Sebransky______________________ 

LORI A. SEBRANSKY 

Attorneys for defendants Malcom M. Synigal, Sr. and 

Angela M. Synigal 

DATED: August 28, 2008 CHARLSTON, REVICH & CHAMBERLIN, LLP 

By:___/s/ Stephen P. Soskin______________________ STEPHEN P. SOSKIN 

Attorneys for plaintiff Metropolitan Direct Property and 

Casualty Insurance Company 

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Case 3:07-cv-05466-WHA Document 35 Filed 08/29/08 Page 3 of 4
LOMBARDI, LOPER & CONANT, LLP 

Lake Merritt Plaza 

1999 Harrison Street, Suite 2600 

Oakland, CA 94612-3541 

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30788-37422 LAS 558916.1 - 4 - JOINT STATUS REPORT AND 

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C-07-5466 WHA

DATED: August 28, 2008 LAW OFFICES OF CLARENCE LIVINGSTON, JR. 

By:____/s/ Clarence Livingston, Jr._________________ CLARENCE LIVINGSTON, JR. 

Attorneys for defendant Danita King 

ORDER

IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that 

1. This action continues to be temporarily stayed. 

2. A further status conference is set for ______________, 2008 at 10:00 a.m. An 

updated joint status report must be filed by ________________, 2008. 

DATED: ______________________ 

 

 __________________________________________ 

 HON. WILLIAM H. ALSUP 

 JUDGE OF THE DISTRICT COURT 

October 16 11:00 a.m. October 9

NO MORE CONTINUANCES 

WILL BE GRANTED. August 29, 2008.

U

NITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

IT IS SO ORDERED

Judge William Alsup

Case 3:07-cv-05466-WHA Document 35 Filed 08/29/08 Page 4 of 4