Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-cand-3_04-cv-05311/USCOURTS-cand-3_04-cv-05311-0/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 190
Nature of Suit: Other Contract Actions
Cause of Action: 28:1332 Diversity-Other Contract

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LAW OFFICES OF

JOSEPH E. POWELL

582 Market Street, Suite 2001

San Francisco, CA 94104

Telephone (415) 788-4949

Facsimile (415) 788-9949

October 6, 2005

The Honorable Bernard Zimmerman

United States Magistrate Judge

United States District Court

450 Golden Gate Avenue

San Francisco, CA 94102

Re: Jamaica Travel Service v. Invicta Group, Inc. et. al.

 Case No. C 04 5311 BZ (ARB)

Dear Judge Zimmerman,

Pursuant to Rule 4.5(a) of the Local ADR Rules, for the reasons set forth below the

parties request the court to approve the continuance of the arbitration currently scheduled for

October 19, 2005 to January 19, 2006. The arbitrator has confirmed his availability for the

requested date.

1. Defendants’ will not be able to prepare for arbitration due to lack of discovery from

plaintiffs. The parties agreed to provide their initial disclosures on May 15, 2005 - plaintiffs

wholly failed to do so. On August 3, 2005, defendant Invicta Group served upon plaintiff

Jamaican Travel Specialists, Inc. a Request for Production of Documents with the date of

production set for September 20. 2005, and Special Interrogatories. Despite meet and confer

between counsel for the parties, and assurances otherwise, plaintiff has not produced any

documents nor any responses to the special interrogatories. The only evidence which defendants

have received from plaintiff is plaintiff’s initial disclosure which was not served until August 25,

2005 and which defendants consider to be very incomplete. Defendants did not pursue further

disclosure pending responses to its discovery requests. As a result defendants will not be able to

prepare a defense against plaintiff’s claims or to document their counter claims before the

scheduled arbitration even if the requested discovery were produced immediately.

Further, defendants believe that a motion to compel plaintiff’s compliance with the

requested discovery will be necessary and the requested continuance will allow time to do so and

sufficient time to analyze the evidence produced and follow up as necessary. If plaintiff does not

produce the pending discovery, or produces incomplete discovery by October 17th, defendant

will file a motion to compel. 

Plaintiff’s counsel maintains that plaintiff has tried to provide the requested discovery but

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so far has been unable to do so but anticipates that all discovery will be produced by October

17th..

2. Plaintiff and defendants require time for depositions of the principal parties. A

significant portion of the evidence in this matter requires explanations of the documentary

evidence. This evidence can only be developed through the deposition testimony of the parties

after the relevant documents have been produced.

3. The requested continuance will not interfere with the parties ability to prepare for trial

on rhe scheduled trial date. The parties’ preparation for arbitration will mirror their preparation

for trial. If allowed sufficient time to prepare for the arbitration the parties will then be prepared

for trial, if necessary.

For the foregoing reasons the parties respectfully request the court’s approval of the

continuance of the arbitration to January 19, 2005.

Respectfully,

Joseph E. Powell

Attorney for Defendants

Frank E. Mayo

Attorney for Plaintiffs

Approval of Court

Based upon the reasons set forth above the court approves the continuance of the

arbitration in this matter to January 19, 2005.

_____________________________

Bernard Zimmerman

United States Magistrate Judge

Case 3:04-cv-05311-BZ Document 23 Filed 10/12/2005 Page 2 of 2

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORN

I

A

IT IS SO ORDERED

Judge Bernard Zimmerman

Oct. 12, 2005

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