Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-cand-3_12-cv-06005/USCOURTS-cand-3_12-cv-06005-9/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 440
Nature of Suit: Other Civil Rights
Cause of Action: 42:1983 Civil Rights Act

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CASE NO. 12-6005 EMC

STIPULATED REQUEST AND [PROPOSED] ORDER

ROSEMARIE T. RING (SBN 220769) 

rose.ring@mto.com 

MARI OVERBECK (SBN 261707) 

mari.overbeck@mto.com 

MUNGER, TOLLES & OLSON LLP 

560 Mission Street 

Twenty-Seventh Floor 

San Francisco, California 94105-2907 

Telephone: (415) 512-4000 

Facsimile: (415) 512-4077 

CHRISTINE P. SUN (SBN 218701) 

csun@aclunc.org 

ELIZABETH O. GILL (SBN 218311) 

egill@aclunc.org 

AMERICAN CIVIL LIBERTIES UNION 

FOUNDATION OF NORTHERN 

CALIFORNIA, INC. 

39 Drumm Street 

San Francisco, CA 94111 

Telephone: (415) 621-2493 

Facsimile: (415) 255-8437 

Attorneys for Plaintiffs 

BENJAMIN MIZER 

 Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General 

BRIAN STRETCH 

 Acting United States Attorney 

ALEX TSE 

 Chief, Civil Division 

ANTHONY J. COPPOLINO 

 Deputy Branch Director 

CAROLINE LEWIS WOLVERTON 

 caroline.lewis-wolverton@usdoj.gov 

 District of Columbia Bar No. 496433 

Senior Trial Counsel 

Civil Division, Federal Programs Branch 

U.S. Department of Justice 

P.O. Box 883 

Washington, D.C. 20044 

Telephone: (202) 514-0265 

Facsimile: (202) 616-8470 

Attorneys for Defendant ASHTON B. CARTER 

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT 

NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA 

SAN FRANCISCO DIVISION 

MARY JENNINGS HEGAR, JENNIFER 

HUNT, ALEXANDRA ZOE BEDELL, 

COLLEEN FARRELL, AND SERVICE 

WOMEN’S ACTION NETWORK, 

Plaintiffs, 

vs. 

ASHTON B. CARTER, Secretary of Defense, 

Defendant. 

 Case No. 12-CV-06005 EMC 

STIPULATED REQUEST AND 

[PROPOSED] ORDER FOR 

CONTINUANCE OF FURTHER CMC and 

UPDATED CMC STATEMENT 

Judge: Hon. Edward M. Chen 

Case Management Conference: Mar. 10, 2016 

Time: 10:30 a.m. 

Case 3:12-cv-06005-EMC Document 74 Filed 03/07/16 Page 1 of 6
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CASE NO. C-12-6005 EMC

STIPULATED REQUEST AND [PROPOSED] ORDER

Plaintiffs Mary Jennings Hegar, Jennifer Hunt, Alexandra Zoe Bedell, Colleen Farrell and 

Service Women’s Action Network and Defendant Ashton B. Carter, Secretary of Defense 

(“Secretary”) (collectively, “the parties”), by and through their respective counsel, submit this 

Stipulated Request and Proposed Order for a continuance of the deadline for the parties’ updated 

joint Case Management Conference (CMC) Statement to April 17, 2016, and further CMC to 

April 24, 2016. The joint CMC Statement is currently due March 3, 2016, and the further CMC is 

currently scheduled for March 10, 2016. The parties submit that the following facts and 

circumstances set forth in the attached Declaration of counsel for Defendant Caroline Lewis 

Wolverton establish good cause for the requested continuance as follows: 

1. On November 20, 2015, the Court scheduled a further CMC in this matter for February 

18, 2016. ECF No. 67. The Court directed that, for the further CMC, Defendant should provide 

specific information as to the nature and status of accession, training and assignment policies. On 

February 9, 2016, based on a stipulated request for continuance made by Defendant’s counsel, the 

Court rescheduled the further CMC to March 10, 2015. ECF No. 72. 

2. On December 3, 2015, the Secretary of Defense announced his “determin[ation] that no 

exceptions are warranted to the full implementation of the rescission of the ‘1994 Direct Combat 

Definition and Assignment Rule’” and that “[a]nyone, who can meet operationally relevant and 

gender neutral standards, regardless of gender, should have the opportunity to serve in any 

position.” See http://www.defense.gov/Portals/1/Documents/pubs/OSD014303-15.pdf. The 

Secretary further directed the Secretaries of the Military Departments and the Chiefs of the 

Military Services to submit final, detailed implementation plans for the opening of all military 

occupational specialties, career fields, and branches for accession by women for approval no later 

than January 1, 2016, and to begin to execute their approved plans as soon as practicable but no 

later than April 1, 2016. Id. The Services and Special Operations Command have all submitted 

their implementation plans for the Secretary’s review and approval. Defendant expects that once 

approved, the implementation plans will be made publicly available. 

Case 3:12-cv-06005-EMC Document 74 Filed 03/07/16 Page 2 of 6
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CASE NO. C-12-6005 EMC

STIPULATED REQUEST AND [PROPOSED] ORDER

3. Defendant’s counsel denied Plaintiffs’ request for copies of the implementation 

plans submitted by the Services and Special Operations Command. Defendant’s position is that 

prior to approval by the Secretary the plans are deliberative, subject to revision, and for those 

reasons not releasable. 

4. In the course of preparing for the further CMC, it became apparent to Defendant 

that “specific information as to the nature and status of accession, training and assignment 

policies” referenced in the Court’s November 20, 2015 Minute Order will likely be set forth in the 

implementation plans and thus available after April 1, 2016, the date by which it is expected that 

approved implementation plans will be available publicly. 

5. Accordingly, Defendant expects he will be able to provide more information about the 

nature and status of accession, training and assignment policies if the CMC and Updated Joint 

CMC Statement deadline are continued until after April 1, 2016. Plaintiffs do not oppose 

Defendants’ request for a continuance of the March 10, 2016 CMC, but Plaintiffs remain 

concerned and frustrated by the continuing delays, both in the implementation process and in the 

provision of the “specific information as to the nature and status of accession, training and 

assignment policies” referenced in the Court’s November 20, 2015 Minute Order. These 

continued delays only reinforce Plaintiffs’ concern that, as stated in our November 13, 2015 CMC 

statement, it will be years from now before we see actual implementation of the Secretary’s 

January 24, 2013 decision to rescind the ban on women in combat positions, which was 

supposedly “effective immediately.” Plaintiffs nevertheless recognize that a CMC at this time 

may not serve any meaningful purpose. For that reason, and because Defendant expects to be able 

to provide the approved implementation plans for the Services and Special Operations Command 

to Plaintiffs shortly after April 1, 2016, Plaintiffs agree that it would be appropriate to continue the 

CMC to April 24. 

6. Defendant disagrees with Plaintiffs’ suggestion that the time during which the Secretary 

is reviewing the implementation plans represents delay in the process of integrating previously 

closed positions and MOSs. As the Secretary explained in his December 3, 2015 Memorandum, 

the plans are part of “the continuation of a deliberate, methodical, evidence-based, and iterative 

Case 3:12-cv-06005-EMC Document 74 Filed 03/07/16 Page 3 of 6
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CASE NO. C-12-6005 EMC

STIPULATED REQUEST AND [PROPOSED] ORDER

process that ensures combat effectiveness and protects the welfare of the force.” See

http://www.defense.gov/Portals/1/Documents/pubs/OSD014303-15.pdf. The Court should reject 

attempts by Plaintiffs to pressure the Secretary to rush the integration process at the risk of 

jeopardizing its success. 

7. In light of the foregoing, the parties respectfully request that the Court continue the 

further CMC to April 21, 2016, or any date convenient for the Court thereafter except between 

April 22-29, and the parties’ updated joint CMC Statement to seven (7) days before the date set 

for the CMC. 

DATED: March 3, 2016 BENJAMIN MIZER 

Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General 

BRIAN STRETCH 

Acting United States Attorney 

ALEX TSE 

Chief, Civil Division 

ANTHONY J. COPPOLINO 

Deputy Branch Director 

/s/ Caroline Lewis Wolverton 

CAROLINE LEWIS WOLVERTON 

U.S. Department of Justice 

Attorneys for Defendant ASHTON B. CARTER 

DATED: March 3, 2016 MUNGER, TOLLES & OLSON LLP 

By: /s/ Rosemarie T. Ring 

 ROSEMARIE T. RING 

Attorneys for Plaintiffs 

MARY JENNINGS HEGAR, JENNIFER HUNT, 

ALEXANDRA ZOE BEDELL, COLLEEN FARRELL, 

AND SERVICE WOMEN’S ACTION NETWORK 

Additional Counsel: 

STEVEN M. PERRY (SBN 106154) LENORA M. LAPIDUS [pro hac vice] 

MUNGER, TOLLES & OLSON LLP AMERICAN CIVIL LIBERTIES UNION 

355 South Grand Avenue, 35th Floor FOUNDATION 

Los Angeles, CA 90071-1560 WOMEN’S RIGHTS PROJECT 

Case 3:12-cv-06005-EMC Document 74 Filed 03/07/16 Page 4 of 6
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CASE NO. C-12-6005 EMC

STIPULATED REQUEST AND [PROPOSED] ORDER

Telephone: (213) 683-9100 125 Broad Street, 18th Floor 

Facsimile: (213) 687-3702 New York, NY 10004 

Email: steven.perry@mto.com Telephone: (212) 549-2668 

 Facsimile: (212) 549-2480 

 Email: Llapidus@aclu.org 

ATTESTATION PURSUANT TO GENERAL ORDER 45 

I, Caroline Lewis Wolverton, am the ECF User whose identification and password are 

being used to file this Stipulated Request and [Proposed] Order for Continuance of Further Case 

Management Conference and Updated Case Management Statement. In compliance with General 

Order 45.X.B, I hereby attest that all signatories have concurred in this filing. 

/s/ Caroline Lewis Wolverton 

Case 3:12-cv-06005-EMC Document 74 Filed 03/07/16 Page 5 of 6
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CASE NO. C-12-6005 EMC

STIPULATED REQUEST AND [PROPOSED] ORDER

[PROPOSED] ORDER

Pursuant to the stipulated request, and based on good cause shown, it is hereby 

ORDERED that the Stipulated Request for Continuance of Further Case Management 

Conference and Updated Case Management Statement is hereby GRANTED; and it is further 

ORDERED that the Further Case Management Conference is hereby CONTINUED to 

April 24, 2016; and it is further 

ORDERED that the deadline for the parties’ Updated Joint CMC Statement is 

CONTINUED to April 17, 2016. 

Dated: 

 HONORABLE EDWARD M. CHEN 

 United States District Judge 

28 May 5, 2016 at 10:30 a.m.

U

NITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

IT IS SO ORDERED

AS MODIFIED

Judge Edward M. Chen

Case 3:12-cv-06005-EMC Document 74 Filed 03/07/16 Page 6 of 6