Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-cand-4_04-cv-03518/USCOURTS-cand-4_04-cv-03518-6/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 110
Nature of Suit: Insurance
Cause of Action: 28:1332 Diversity-Insurance Contract

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United States District Court

For the Northern District of California

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United States District Court

For the Northern District of California

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

FOR THE NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

AMERICAN COLOR GRAPHICS, INC.,

Plaintiff,

 v.

TRAVELERS PROPERTY CASUALTY

COMPANY OF AMERICA, 

Defendant. /

No. C 04-3518 SBA

ORDER

This matter comes before the Court on Plaintiff American Color Graphics, Inc.'s Motion to

Exclude the Use of Discovery Materials Not Produced during Discovery; to Strike Defendant's

Supplemental Expert Reports; for an Order for Defendant to Cooperate in Setting Deposition Dates for

Certain Witnesses; and for Request for Sanctions [Docket No. 173]. Having read and considered the

arguments presented by the parties in the papers submitted to the Court, and the arguments of counsel

at the hearing, the Court hereby GRANTS in part and DENIES in part Plaintiff's Motion to Exclude. 

IT IS HEREBY ORDERED as follows:

1. The Court finds that Defendant had an obligation to produce or supplement all discovery

materials in a seasonable manner. 

2. The Court finds that Defendant was in possession, custody and/or control of

approximately 1500 pages of documents it failed to produce in a seasonable manner.

Specifically, Defendant violated its obligation to produce or supplement all discovery

materials in a timely manner when Defendant produced and supplemented certain

discovery materials not only following the close of discovery, but after the originally

scheduled trial date in this action, even though such documents had been in its

possession well before that time. Defendant amended its expert reports as a result of

Case 4:04-cv-03518-SBA Document 221 Filed 06/30/06 Page 1 of 3
United States District Court

For the Northern District of California

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these documents without seeking leave of Court.

3. Plaintiff was prejudiced by the untimely produced discovery materials, insofar as

depositions has already been taken, expert reports had been prepared and depositions of

certain experts taken, and Plaintiff prepared for trial based upon the information

disclosed by Defendant. As the Court believes that such prejudice can be cured by

allowing discovery on these 1500 pages of documents, and making Defendant

responsible for all reasonable costs and attorneys' fees related to such discovery, the

Court denies Plaintiff's motion to exclude use of the 1500 pages of documents and grants

the motion for sanctions.

4. Discovery shall continue so that Plaintiff may examine and gather all relevant

information relating to the untimely produced 1500 pages of documents.

5. All reasonable costs, including attorneys' fees, related to any additional discovery, or

other items necessitated by the late production of the materials, shall be borne by

Defendant. This includes, but is not limited to: (1) any additional or supplemental expert

reports, or additional expert disclosures related to the 1500 pages of materials; (2) any

supplemental or new depositions related to the 1500 pages of documents; and/or (3) any

review and analysis of the materials.

6. Defendant represented that it intended to call Katherine Zalewski as a witness for a sole

purpose of authenticating certain documents. Based on that representation, the Court

denies Plaintiff's motion to exclude Katherine Zalewski as a trial witness.

7. The Court grants Plaintiff's motion for Defendant to cooperate in the setting of the

depositions of certain witnesses.

8. The Court grants Plaintiff's motion to extend the time to conduct discovery as discussed

above.

9. A Pretrial Conference shall be held on July 18, 2006 at 1:00 p.m.

10. The parties' motions in limine already filed with the Court are denied without prejudice

and shall be re-filed no later than June 27, 2006, if appropriate.

11. The parties shall meet and confer before filing any motion in limine.

Case 4:04-cv-03518-SBA Document 221 Filed 06/30/06 Page 2 of 3
United States District Court

For the Northern District of California

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12. Responses or oppositions to motions in limine shall be due on July 5, 2006.

13. The parties shall participate in a settlement conference between now and the Pretrial

Conference.

IT IS SO ORDERED.

Dated: 6/29/06 SAUNDRA BROWN ARMSTRONG

United States District Judge

Case 4:04-cv-03518-SBA Document 221 Filed 06/30/06 Page 3 of 3