Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-caed-1_16-cv-00188/USCOURTS-caed-1_16-cv-00188-2/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 440
Nature of Suit: Other Civil Rights
Cause of Action: 42:1981 Civil Rights

---

1

____________________________________________________________________________________________

STIPULATION RE: DISCOVERY AND TRIAL TESTIMONY OF MINOR PLAINTIFFS

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

MARK L. NATIONS, INTERIM COUNTY COUNSEL

By: Andrew C. Thomson, Deputy (Bar # 149057)

Kern County Administrative Center

1115 Truxtun Avenue, Fourth Floor

Bakersfield, CA 93301

Telephone 661-868-3800

Fax 661-868-3805

Attorneys for Defendants County of Kern, 

Kern County Sheriff's Office, Sheriff 

Youngblood, and Deputy Manriquez

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

THE ESTATE OF DONALD MALIIK 

LEVINGSTON, TRACI MORALES,

individually and as successor in interest to 

the ESTATE OF DONALD MALIIK 

LEVINGSTON, ELIJAH LEVINGTSON 

by and through his Guardian Ad Litem

TRACI MORALES and ELIZABETH 

LEVINGSTON, by and through her 

Guardian Ad Litem TRACI MORALES

Plaintiffs,

v.

COUNTY OF KERN, KERN COUNTY 

SHERIFF’S DEPT., DEPUTY DAVID 

MANRIQUEZ, KERN COUNTY 

SHERIFF DONNY YOUNGBLOOD, 

HALL AMBULANCE SERVICE, INC., 

BRENDA ROBINSON and DOES 1 

THROUGH 25, INCLUSIVE

Defendants.

)

)

)

)

)

)

)

)

)

)

)

)

)

)

)

)

)

)

)

)

)

)

)

Case No.: 1:16-CV-00188 DAD JLT

STIPULATION RE TESTIMONY OF 

MINOR PLAINTIFFS

(Doc. 16)

COME NOW THE PARTIES IN THIS MATTER: 

Plaintiffs, the Estate Of Donald Maliik Levingston, Traci Morales, individually and as 

successor in interest to the Estate Of Donald Maliik Levingston, Elijah Levingston by and 

through his Guardian Ad Litem Traci Morales and Elizabeth Levingston, by and through her 

Case 1:16-cv-00188-DAD-JLT Document 17 Filed 01/17/17 Page 1 of 4
2

____________________________________________________________________________________________

STIPULATION RE: DISCOVERY AND TRIAL TESTIMONY OF MINOR PLAINTIFFS

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

Guardian Ad Litem Traci Morales (hereinafter collectively “Plaintiffs”) are represented by 

Michael J. Curls and Nichelle D. Jones of the Law Offices of Michael J. Curls.

Defendants, Hall Ambulance Service, Inc. and Brenda Robinson (hereinafter 

collectively “Hall Defendants”) are represented by Deborah Susan Tropp of McNeil, Tropp 

& Braun.

Defendants, County of Kern, Kern County Sheriff's Office, Sheriff Youngblood, and 

Deputy Manriquez, (hereinafter collectively “County Defendants”) are represented by Andrew 

C. Thomson, of the Office of Kern County Counsel.

Plaintiffs, Hall Defendants and County Defendants are hereinafter collectively 

referred to as the “Parties” and provide as follows:

IT IS HEREBY STIPULATED AND AGREED TO, by and between the Parties to 

this action through their designated counsel that:

Based upon statements by Plaintiffs’ counsel, the Parties are informed and believe 

that the minor Plaintiffs Elijah Levingston and Elizabeth Levingston (hereinafter the “minor 

Plaintiffs”) are currently six and eight years old respectively. 

Based upon statements by Plaintiffs’ counsel, the Parties are informed and believe 

that the minor plaintiffs do not have any information and/or details about the underlying 

incident and facts of Decedent’s death, including but not limited to Decedent’s arrest, the 

transportation of Decedent from the arrest site, any vehicle stops occurring for inspections, 

assessments and/or to reposition Decedent during transportation in the Sheriff’s vehicle, 

Decedent’s brief stay and/or treatment at Central Receiving (the Downtown Jail), Decedent’s 

stay and/or treatment at Kern Medical Center, and/or Decedent’s autopsy including the 

autopsy and all forensic lab tests and panels.

Based upon statements by Plaintiffs’ counsel, the Parties are informed and believe 

that the minor plaintiffs Elijah Levingston and Elizabeth Levingston are understandably 

having a difficult time as a result of the loss of Decedent and any questioning on the incident 

or facts of Decedent‘s death could have an adverse effect on the minor Plaintiffs.

\ \ \

Case 1:16-cv-00188-DAD-JLT Document 17 Filed 01/17/17 Page 2 of 4
3

____________________________________________________________________________________________

STIPULATION RE: DISCOVERY AND TRIAL TESTIMONY OF MINOR PLAINTIFFS

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

IT IS THEREFOR STIPULATED:

Based upon the representations by Plaintiffs’ counsel as set forth above, the Parties 

agree and stipulate, as follows:

Hall Defendants and County Defendants will not solicit any information in discovery, 

including in depositions or at trial, regarding the underlying incident and facts of Decedent’s 

death in this case from the minor Plaintiffs, in an effort to protect the minor Plaintiffs as 

requested by Plaintiffs’ counsel; and,

Neither at trial, nor for any other purpose, will Counsel for minor Plaintiffs illicit, or 

attempt to illicit, through oral testimony, declaration or in any other manner, any information 

regarding the incident and or facts regarding Decedent’s death from minor Plaintiffs.

DATED: January 11, 2017 Law Offices of Michael J. Curls

By: /s/ Nichelle D. Jones _ 

Michael J. Curls, Esq.

Nichelle D. Jones, Esq.

Attorneys for Plaintiffs Estate of Donald Maliik 

Levingston, Traci Morales, Elijah Levingston

and Elizabeth Levingston

DATED: January 12, 2017 McNeil Tropp & Braun LLP

By: /s/ Deborah S. Tropp _ 

Deborah Susan Tropp, Esq.

Attorneys for Defendants Hall Ambulance 

Service, Inc. and Brenda Robinson

DATED: January 12, 2017 Mark L. Nations, Interim County Counsel

By: /s/ Andrew C. Thomson _ 

Andrew C. Thomson, Deputy

County Of Kern, Kern County Sheriff’s Dept., 

Deputy David Manriquez, and Kern County 

Sheriff Donny Youngblood

///

///

///

Case 1:16-cv-00188-DAD-JLT Document 17 Filed 01/17/17 Page 3 of 4
4

____________________________________________________________________________________________

STIPULATION RE: DISCOVERY AND TRIAL TESTIMONY OF MINOR PLAINTIFFS

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

IT IS APPROVED.

IT IS SO ORDERED.

Dated: January 17, 2017 /s/ Jennifer L. Thurston 

UNITED STATES MAGISTRATE JUDGE

Case 1:16-cv-00188-DAD-JLT Document 17 Filed 01/17/17 Page 4 of 4