Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-caed-2_11-cv-03262/USCOURTS-caed-2_11-cv-03262-6/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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IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

FOR THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

ALFRED JAMES FOY, No. 2:11-cv-3262-MCE-CMK-P

Plaintiff, 

vs. ORDER

VALLEJO POLICE DEPARTMENT,

Defendant.

 /

Plaintiff, a prisoner proceeding pro se, brings this civil rights action pursuant to 42

U.S.C. § 1983. Pending before the court is defendant’s motion to compel (Doc. 36) and request

to modify the current scheduling order (Doc. 46). Plaintiff filed an opposition to the motion

(Doc. 43) and defendant filed a reply (Doc. 44). 

In the motion to compel, defendant argues that discovery was propounded on

plaintiff, including a request for production of documents and interrogatories. Pursuant to the

court’s scheduling order, responses to the discovery requests were due 45 days after service. 

However, defendant states no responses were received. Plaintiff apparently attempted a meet and

confer through the use of a non-attorney representative, to which the defendant objected. 

/ / / 

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The scope of discovery is generally governed by Federal Rule of Civil Procedure

26(b). Rule 26(b)(1) provides that “the scope of discovery is as follows: Parties may obtain

discovery regarding any nonprivileged matter that is relevant to any party’s claim or defense . . . .

Relevant information need not be admissible at the trial if the discovery appears reasonably

calculated to lead to the discovery of admissible evidence.” Fed. R. Civ. P. 26(b)(1). Rule 37

provides that if a party fails to respond to discovery requests, the propounding party may move

for an order compelling an answer. See Fed. R. Civ. Proc. 37(a)(3)(B). Generally, discovery

responses are due within 30 days after being served, unless otherwise ordered by the court. See

e.g., Fed. R. Civ. Proc. 33(b)(2), 36(a)(3). Here, pursuant to the scheduling order issued

September 4, 2012, the court has allowed 45 days for responses, due to plaintiff’s incarceration.

Plaintiff opposes the motion to compel solely on the grounds that defendant failed

to engage in meaningful meet and confer attempts with his legal assistant. Defendant argues that

so doing would have been tantamount to aiding in the unauthorized practice of law. 

Generally in civil litigation, where there is a discovery dispute the parties are

required to engage in a good faith effort to confer on the disputed issues. See Fed. R. Civil Proc.

37(a)(1). Indeed, the Eastern District of California Local Rules set forth specific meet and confer

requirements the parties must meet prior to bringing a motion to compel. See Local Rule 251. 

However, in this court, where one party is a prisoner proceeding in propria persona the parties are

usually exempt from that requirement. See e.g., Harpool v. Beyer, No. CIV S-10-1253 MCE

GGH P, 2011 WL 5103041 (E.D. Cal. Oct. 25, 2011). In this case, the scheduling order issued

September 4, 2012, specifically exempts the parties from Local Rule 251, including the meet and

confer requirements. Thus, defendant’s failure to confer with plaintiff in a good faith attempt to

resolve the conflict is not a sufficient basis for denying the motion to compel. 

As for plaintiff’s failure to provide responses to the interrogatories and produce

the documents requested, plaintiff will be required to provide defendant with appropriate

responses. Having not provided timely responses, plaintiff has waived any objection he may

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have to the requests propounded. See Fed. R. Civ. Proc 33(b)(4). Plaintiff is warned that his

failure to comply with this order and provide defendants will full and complete responses to the

discovery requests may result in sanctions, including the dismissal of this action for his failure to

participate. Defendants cannot be required to defend this action where plaintiff refuses to follow

court orders and the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure. While the court acknowledges that

plaintiff is proceeding pro se, that does not excuse his failure to provide appropriate responses. 

“Although we construe pleadings liberally in their favor, pro se litigants are bound by the rules of

procedure.” Ghazali v. Moran, 46 F.3d 52, 54 (9th Cir. 1995) (citing King v. Atiyeh, 814 F.2d

565, 567 (9th Cir. 1987)). 

Pursuant to the current scheduling order, the time for discovery has expired. The

court previously extended the deadline for the parties to propound additional discovery following

proper procedure. That deadline has now past. If plaintiff did propound additional discovery,

responses thereto will be due within a short amount of time. If he did not propound additional

discovery, his time for so doing has now passed. As this order again extends some discovery

deadlines, to the extent plaintiff is required to respond to the outstanding discovery requests

propounded by the defendant, the court agrees the other deadlines in the scheduling order require

modification.

 Therefore, plaintiff is required to submit full and adequate responses to the

outstanding discovery within 30 days of the date of this order. If no response, or inadequate

response, is received by the defendants, a renewed motion to compel and/or for sanctions may be

filed within 14 days after the date the responses are due. If adequate responses are received, and

no renewed motion is required, any dispositive motion shall be filed within 90 days of the date of

this order. If a renewed motion is necessary, the dispositive motion deadline will be addressed

thereafter, if required.

Accordingly, IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that:

1. Defendant’s motion to compel (Doc. 36) is granted;

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2. Plaintiff shall, within 30 days of the date of this order, serve his responses

to the defendant’s request for production of documents and interrogatories on defendant without

objections;

3. Failure to serve full and complete responses to the pending discovery

requests may result in sanctions, including the dismissal of this action for plaintiff’s failure to

follow court orders and prosecute his case;

4. If no response is received, or if an inadequate response is received from

plaintiff, defendant may file a renewed motion to compel and/or for sanctions within 14 days of

the date the discovery responses are due; 

6. Defendant’s motion to an extension of the deadlines in the scheduling

order (Doc. 46) is granted;

7. The scheduling order is modified so that any dispositive motion shall be

filed within 90 days of the date of this order.

DATED: January 2, 2014

______________________________________

CRAIG M. KELLISON

UNITED STATES MAGISTRATE JUDGE

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