Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-caed-2_07-cv-00666/USCOURTS-caed-2_07-cv-00666-12/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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The court will issue a scheduling order if necessary once the dispositive motions 1

have been ruled on. Until then, discovery remains open. 

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IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

FOR THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

PETER DALE GRAVES,

Plaintiff, No. CIV S-07-0666-GEB-CMK P

vs.

B. WILLIAMS, et al.,

Defendants. ORDER

 /

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

to 42 U.S.C. § 1983. Pending before the court are three motions for summary judgment (Docs.

54, 55 & 67). Plaintiff has filed an opposition to one of the motions, and a request for a

continuance of the motions under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 56(f) (Doc. 76).

This civil rights action stems from plaintiff’s claim of deliberate indifference to

medical care for a broken finger. Discovery is opened, however, due to delays in serving all of

the named defendants, no scheduling order has been issued in this matter. In plaintiff’s 1

opposition to the motion for summary judgment, he has requested the motions be continued to

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The Clerk of the Court is directed to administratively terminate the motions for 2

summary judgement as pending motions on the court's docket. This is an administrative action

only, and defendants will not be required to re-file their motions. 

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allow him time to depose his treating physicians. He claims that his physicians will testify to

what treatment was required of his broken finger and what the effects of plaintiff’s delayed

surgery were. Accordingly, plaintiff states that the information he will receive from his treating

physicians will raise a genuine issue of material fact he needs to properly oppose defendants’

motions for summary judgment. Rule 56(f) allows the court to continue a motion for summary

judgment to enable the parties to take depositions if the party opposing the motion for summary

judgment shows by affidavit that he cannot present facts essential to justify its opposition. The

court also finds that plaintiff has met this standard. 

In addition, the court has allowed plaintiff an opportunity to depose a correctional

officer through written questions. This deposition is still pending. The court finds that ruling on

a motion for summary judgment prior to allowing plaintiff time to conduct the discovery he has

been allowed to do would be premature. 

Therefore, the motions for summary judgment will be continued to allow plaintiff

time to take the depositions of the correctional officer and his treating physicians. Plaintiff’s 2

opposition to the motions for summary judgment will be due within 30 days of completing the

depositions. 

In accordance with the above, IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that:

1. Plaintiff’s request for a continuance of the motions for summary judgment

is granted;

2. Plaintiff shall file his request to conduct depositions of his treating

physicians by written question within 30 days of the date of this order;

3. If plaintiff files his request to depose his doctors within the time provided,

a due date for his opposition to summary judgment will be set by further order of the court; and

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4. If plaintiff fails to file his request to depose his doctors within the time

provided, the court will deem his effort to seek additional discovery under Rule 56(f) abandoned. 

In this event, plaintiff's opposition to the motions for summary judgment will be due within 30

days of the deadline.

DATED: February 21, 2008

______________________________________

CRAIG M. KELLISON

UNITED STATES MAGISTRATE JUDGE

Case 2:07-cv-00666-KJM -CMK Document 81 Filed 02/22/08 Page 3 of 3