Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-cand-3_07-cv-04517/USCOURTS-cand-3_07-cv-04517-7/pdf.json

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

---

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

1

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

AISAKE P. NAUFAHU,

Plaintiff,

v.

CITY OF SAN MATEO, et al.

Defendants.

)

)

)

)

)

)

)

)

)

)

)

No. C07-4517 MMC (BZ)

ORDER IMPOSING SANCTIONS

A hearing was held before the court on Wednesday, April

30, 2008 on the court’s Order To Show Cause directed to

plaintiff and on defendants’ Motion For Sanctions. Plaintiff

Aisake Naufahu appeared as did David King representing the

defendants. 

Mr. Naufahu stated that he did not attend the March 21,

2008 settlement conference and did not advise the court that

he would not attend or seek a continuance because he was in

mourning for a niece who had died March 4, 2008. He explained

the Tongan custom for an extended period of mourning. He

offered no explanation for why he had not mentioned the death

of his niece or that he would not attend the conference when

Case 3:07-cv-04517-MMC Document 67 Filed 05/02/08 Page 1 of 3
1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

2

he filed his “Objection to Settlement Conference, legal

reasons documented herein” on March 18, 2008. 

Mr. King objected to the insinuation in the first

paragraph of plaintiff’s “Show Cause and Motion Please For

Trial” filed March 25, 2008, that somehow Mr. King was at

fault for not advising the court of the death of the niece. 

Apparently Mr. Naufahu had informed Mr. King of the death and

requested a continuance of his deposition which had been

scheduled for March 12, 2008. Mr. King had expressed his

condolences and had agreed to continue the deposition. Mr.

King insisted that Mr. Naufahu had never said anything about

not attending the settlement conference. Mr. Naufahu did not

dispute this. Mr. King also pointed out that other members of

the Naufahu family had attended a settlement conference in

another case within the morning period. The court does not

hold this against Mr. Naufahu since people mourn differently. 

Considering all the circumstances, the court finds that

Mr. Naufahu has failed to provide a satisfactorily explanation

for why he did not attend the settlement conference and

especially why he did not advise the court and opposing

counsel that he would not attend. This failure is especially

inexcusable given that Mr. Naufahu filed a settlement

conference statement of sorts three days before the conference

without mentioning his unwillingness to attend. If plaintiff

could prepare his lengthy statement during the period of

mourning, he could have included a request for a continuance. 

His failures resulted in wasted effort by the court and by

defendants and their counsel who appeared at the settlement

Case 3:07-cv-04517-MMC Document 67 Filed 05/02/08 Page 2 of 3
1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

1 Because defendants did not provide detailed time

records, I am not able to more precisely assess the wasted

time for which I would sanction plaintiff.

3

conference. 

IT IS THEREFORE ORDERED that sanctions be imposed upon

plaintiff pursuant to Rule 16(f) for violating this court’s

settlement conference order and that defendants’ motion for

sanctions be GRANTED. IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that Mr. Naufahu

pay to defendants the amount of $250.00 as a sanction. The

court finds that the $2,600.00 defendants requested is not

fully justified since the plaintiff is pro se and since the

settlement documents that defendants prepared were put to

productive use at the settlement conference I conducted after

the show cause hearing.1

 Plaintiff is ORDERED to pay the

sanction by June 6, 2008.

Dated: May 2, 2008

 Bernard Zimmerman

United States Magistrate Judge

 G:\BZALL\-REFS\REFS.08\NAUFAHU\NAUFAHU IMPOSE SANCTIONS.wpd

Case 3:07-cv-04517-MMC Document 67 Filed 05/02/08 Page 3 of 3