Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-cand-3_03-cv-04056/USCOURTS-cand-3_03-cv-04056-1/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 340
Nature of Suit: Marine Personal Injury
Cause of Action: 46:688 Jones Act

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United States District Court

For the Northern District of California

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C-04-4056 DISCOVERY ORDER Page 1 of 3

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

RANDY O FECHTIG,

Plaintiff,

v.

SEA PACIFIC INCORPORATED, ET AL.,

Defendants.

________________________________/

No. C 03-4056 JL

ORDER RE DEPOSITIONS

Granting in part and denying in part

Docket #s 84 and 85

The court received the parties’ separate letter briefs regarding the depositions of three

fishermen: Roger Semanak, Kent Mooreland and Mark Gentry. Defendants had previously

disclosed these witnesses to Plaintiff. Defendants on October 20 contacted Plaintiff’s counsel

to schedule the videotaped depositions of these witnesses. Mr. Semanak and Mr. Mooreland

live in Oregon. Mr. Gentry lives in San Francisco. Defendants noticed the deposition of Mr.

Semanak for November 7 in Crescent City, California, on the Oregon border, Mr. Mooreland

for November 8 in Astoria, Oregon and Mr. Gentry for November 14 in San Francisco. The

witnesses will not be available to testify in person at trial due to the continuance from the

original date of September 19 at the request of Plaintiff. This court ordered that the

depositions be videotaped so that the witnesses’ testimony could be preserved.

Plaintiff’s counsel objects to the timing of the depositions. Counsel has a trial before

the district court (Hon. Charles R. Breyer) in another case, Arispe v Timmer, C-03-4269. Trial

Case 3:03-cv-04056-JL Document 86 Filed 10/31/05 Page 1 of 3
United States District Court

For the Northern District of California

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C-04-4056 DISCOVERY ORDER Page 2 of 3

in that case is scheduled to begin October 31 and conclude by November 12. The defense in

that case is represented by the same firm as the defense in this case. Edward Bull is lead trial

counsel for the plaintiff in both the Fechtig and Arispe cases and wishes to be present for the

depositions of the witnesses in the Fechtig case. 

Plaintiff’s counsel also asks the court to order Defendants to pay for Plaintiff’s

counsel’s travel expenses, but not time, for any out of town deposition.

Defendants are willing to pay the expense of bringing Mr. Semanak to San Francisco.

This would require Plaintiff’s counsel to pay only their own expenses for travel to Oregon to

take the deposition of Mr. Mooreland. Defense counsel are willing to work with Plaintiff’s

counsel to schedule new deposition dates for Mr. Semanak and Mr. Mooreland. Defendants’

counsel contends it is unreasonable either to wait until the last minute to schedule their

videotaped depositions or to ask them to take additional time off from work and miss part of

the lucrative crab season to accommodate a deposition.

Analysis and Conclusion

In this instance Plaintiff’s counsel created the need to videotape these depositions by

requesting a continuance of the trial from September 19 to November 28. Now counsel

interposes another trial to justify an additional delay, which will prejudice both the Defendants

and the witnesses. The court is sympathetic to the constraints of a busy trial calendar;

however, fundamental fairness requires that the parties reach a reasonable compromise.

Accordingly, the court orders that the deposition of Mr. Semanak be taken in San

Francisco, that Defendants pay for his travel and that it be taken as soon as possible after the

conclusion of the Arispe trial and no later than November 18. The deposition of Mr. Gentry is

already scheduled for November 14 in San Francisco and that location and date shall stand.

The deposition of Mr. Mooreland shall proceed in Oregon as soon as possible after the

conclusion of the Arispe trial and no later than November 18. All counsel shall pay their own

travel expenses.

Case 3:03-cv-04056-JL Document 86 Filed 10/31/05 Page 2 of 3
United States District Court

For the Northern District of California

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C-04-4056 DISCOVERY ORDER Page 3 of 3

IT IS SO ORDERED.

DATED: October 31, 2005

__________________________________

 James Larson

 Chief Magistrate Judge

Case 3:03-cv-04056-JL Document 86 Filed 10/31/05 Page 3 of 3