Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-caed-1_15-cv-01320/USCOURTS-caed-1_15-cv-01320-1/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 360
Nature of Suit: Other Personal Injury
Cause of Action: 28:1983 Civil Rights

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Stipulated Protective Order for Discovery Matters 

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THERESA A. GOLDNER, COUNTY COUNSEL 

STATE OF CALIFORNIA 

By: Marshall S. Fontes, Deputy (SBN 139567) 

Kathleen S. Rivera. Deputy (SBN 211606) 

Kern County Administrative Center 

1115 Truxtun Avenue, Fourth Floor 

Bakersfield, CA 93301 

Telephone 661-868-3800 

Fax 661-868-3805 

Attorneys for Defendants, County of Kern, 

Kern County Sheriff’s Department, 

Aaron Warmerdam and Jeffrey Kelly 

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT 

EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA 

THE ESTATE OF CHRISTOPHER 

MCDANIEL, ET AL., 

 Plaintiff, 

 

 v. 

COUNTY OF KERN, ET AL. 

Defendants. 

CASE NO. 1:15-cv-01320-JAM-JLT 

 

STIPULATED PROTECTIVE ORDER 

FOR DISCOVERY MATTERS 

COME NOW, all Plaintiffs and all Defendants (hereinafter the “Parties”) to this 

matter, and agree and stipulate to a Protective Order, as follows: 

 1. WHEREAS it is anticipated that Plaintiffs will request portions of the 

private personnel records of law enforcement members of the Kern County Sheriff’s 

Office (“KCSO”), which qualify as peace officer records under California Penal Code 

§§ 832.7 and 832.8, and KCSO will be requested to produce the records in discovery; 

 2. WHEREAS the parties agree that discovery of the private personnel 

records of law enforcement members of the KCSO may be relevant to this action; 

/// 

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Stipulated Protective Order for Discovery Matters 

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 3. WHEREAS Defendants are concerned that turning over the KCSO 

private personnel records without a protective order could result in the violation of the 

privacy rights of KCSO Deputies including but not limited to those who are parties to 

this litigation; 

 4. WHEREAS the parties agree that a Stipulated Protective Order is 

necessary to balance Plaintiffs’ need for relevant discovery, KCSO’s duty as steward 

of the records, and the privacy rights of the KCSO Deputies including but not limited to 

those who are parties to this litigation; 

 5. WHEREAS it is anticipated that Plaintiffs will request portions of the 

investigation reports, records and evidence, including coroner’s records and autopsy 

photos prepared during the investigation of the underlying incident by law enforcement 

members of the Kern County Sheriff’s Office (hereinafter “investigation records”), and 

KCSO will be requested to produce the records in discovery; 

 6. WHEREAS the parties agree that discovery of the investigation records 

may be relevant to this action; 

 7. WHEREAS Defendants are concerned that turning over the investigation 

records without a protective order could result in the violation of the privacy rights of 

witnesses, Decedent, Plaintiffs and/or KCSO Deputies including, but not limited to, 

those who are parties to this litigation, and of the investigation privilege; 

 8. WHEREAS the parties agree that a Stipulated Protective Order is 

necessary to balance Plaintiffs’ need for relevant discovery, KCSO’s duty as steward 

of the records, and the privacy rights of witnesses, Decedent, Plaintiffs and/or KCSO 

Deputies including, but not limited to, those who are parties to this litigation; 

 9. WHEREAS it is anticipated that Defendants may request portions of the 

private financial, medical and psychological records of Decedent and Plaintiffs, and 

Plaintiffs may be requested to produce the records in discovery; 

 10. WHEREAS the parties agree that discovery of the private financial, 

medical and psychological records of Decedent may be relevant to this action; 

Case 1:15-cv-01320-JAM-JLT Document 23 Filed 12/16/15 Page 2 of 7
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Stipulated Protective Order for Discovery Matters 

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 11. WHEREAS Plaintiffs are concerned that turning over the private 

financial, medical and psychological records of Decedent without a protective order 

may result in the violation of the privacy rights of Plaintiffs; 

 12. WHEREAS the parties agree that a Stipulated Protective Order is 

necessary to balance Defendants’ need for relevant discovery of Decedent’s private 

medical and psychological records, and Plaintiffs’ desire to prevent unwarranted 

disclosure of Decedent’s medical and psychological records; 

 13. WHEREAS it is anticipated that Defendants may request portions of the 

private records of each Plaintiff, and each Plaintiff may be requested to produce the 

records in discovery; 

 14. WHEREAS the parties agree that discovery of the private records of 

Decedent may be relevant to this action; 

 15. WHEREAS Plaintiffs are concerned that turning over the private records 

of each Plaintiff without a protective order could result in the violation of the privacy 

rights of Plaintiffs; 

 16. WHEREAS the parties agree that a Stipulated Protective Order is 

necessary to balance Defendants’ need for relevant discovery and each Plaintiff’s 

desire to prevent unwarranted disclosure of their private records; 

SUBJECT TO THE APPROVAL OF THIS COURT, THE PARTIES HEREBY 

STIPULATE TO THE FOLLOWING PROTECTIVE ORDER: 

 17. In connection with discovery proceedings in this action, the parties 

designate the KCSO’s personnel records regarding their Deputies including, but not 

limited to, those who are parties to this litigation, as CONFIDENTIAL. 

 18. In connection with discovery proceedings in this action, the parties 

designate the Decedent’s financial, medical and psychological records as 

CONFIDENTIAL. 

 19. In connection with discovery proceedings in this action, the parties 

designate the investigation reports, records and evidence prepared during the 

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Stipulated Protective Order for Discovery Matters 

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investigation of the underlying incident by law enforcement members of the Kern 

County Sheriff’s Office, which is not otherwise available to the public through a public 

records request, as CONFIDENTIAL. 

 20. By designating the above matters as CONFIDENTIAL, the Parties certify 

to the Court that there is a good faith basis both in law and in fact for the designations 

within the meaning of Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 26(c). 

 21. Material designated as CONFIDENTIAL under this Order, the information 

contained therein, and any summaries, copies, abstracts, or other documents derived 

in whole or in part from material designated as confidential shall be used only for the 

purpose of the prosecution, defense, or settlement of this action and for no other 

purpose. 

 22. CONFIDENTIAL material produced pursuant to this Order may be 

disclosed or made available only to the Court, to counsel for a party (including the 

paralegal, clerical, and secretarial staff employed by such counsel), and to the 

“qualified persons” designated below: 

(a) a named party, to which only CONFIDENTIAL material specifically 

related to the named party shall be disclosed; 

(b) experts and/or consultants (together with their clerical staff) retained by 

such counsel to assist in the prosecution, defense or settlement of this 

action; 

(c) court reporter(s) employed in this action; 

(d) a witness at any deposition or other proceeding in this action; and 

(e) any other person as to whom the parties in writing agree. 

 23. CONFIDENTIAL material shall not be provided to the news media 

directly or indirectly in any form or manner. 

 24. For purposes of Defendants’ initial responses to Plaintiffs’ production 

request, the parties agree that Defendants may exclude [redact] from the production 

the names, addresses, telephone numbers and other personal contact information of 

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Stipulated Protective Order for Discovery Matters 

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any non-party Deputy, provided that the identified Deputy is not a first person witness, 

report writer and/or an investigator of Plaintiffs’ complaints. 

 25. In the event of a disputed factual issue as to the preceding paragraph, 

and Plaintiffs deem it necessary to discover the identities and personal contact 

information of a non-party Deputy’s information, excluded under the preceding 

paragraph, Plaintiffs’ counsel will notify Defendants’ counsels of their intent in writing 

to seek such personal information. If after five (5) days the parties are unable to reach 

an agreement on production of the non-party Deputy’s information, then Plaintiffs may 

make an application to the Court for an order to resolve the dispute. 

26. Nothing herein shall impose any restrictions on the use or disclosure by 

a party of material obtained by such party independent of the discovery process in this 

action, whether or not such material is also obtained through discovery in this action. 

 27. If a party wishes to file documents with the Court, which contain material 

designated as confidential, the party shall comply with Local Rules 140 and 141. 

 28. This Order shall be without prejudice to the right of the parties (a) to 

bring before the Court at any time the question of whether any particular document or 

information is confidential or whether its use should be restricted or (b) to present a 

motion to the Court under FRCP 26(c) for a separate protective order as to any 

particular document or information, including restrictions differing from those as 

specified herein. This Order shall not be deemed to prejudice the parties in any way in 

any future application for modification of this Order. 

 29. This Order is entered solely for the purpose of facilitating the exchange 

of documents and information between the parties to this action without involving the 

Court unnecessarily in the process. Nothing in this Order, or in the production of any 

information or document under the terms of this Order, or any proceedings pursuant to 

this Order, shall be deemed to have the effect of an admission or waiver by either 

party or of altering the confidentiality or non-confidentiality of any such document or 

information or altering any existing obligation of any party or the absence thereof. 

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Stipulated Protective Order for Discovery Matters 

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 30. This Order shall survive the final termination of this action, to the extent 

that the information contained in Confidential Material is not or does not become 

known to the public, and the Court shall retain jurisdiction to resolve any dispute 

concerning the use of information disclosed hereunder; 

 31. Upon termination of this case, counsel for each Party shall assemble and 

return to opposing counsel all documents, material and deposition transcripts 

designated as confidential and all copies of same, or shall certify the destruction 

thereof. 

 32. Any person, or persons, violating this order shall be subject to sanctions 

and all attorney’s fees and costs associated with any related motion. 

Dated: December 15, 2015 LAW OFFICE OF MICHAEL J. CURLS 

 By: /s/ Nichelle D. Jones . 

 Michael J. Curls, Esq. 

Nichelle D. Jones, Esq. 

 Attorneys for Plaintiffs 

Dated: December 15, 2015 THERESA A. GOLDNER, 

COUNTY COUNSEL 

 By: /s/ Kathleen Rivera . 

 Marshall S. Fontes, Esq. 

Kathleen Rivera, Esq. 

 Attorneys for Defendants 

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Stipulated Protective Order for Discovery Matters 

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ORDER 

 The parties having stipulated thereto and good cause appearing therefor, IT IS 

THEREFORE ORDERED. 

Dated: 12/15/2015 /s/ John A. Mendez____________________ 

 JOHN A. MENDEZ, 

 UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT JUDGE 

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