Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-caed-1_15-cv-01581/USCOURTS-caed-1_15-cv-01581-12/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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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

Plaintiff is a state prisoner proceeding pro se and in forma pauperis in this civil rights 

action brought pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 1983. The action proceeds on Plaintiff’s Plaintiff’s

Eighth Amendment excessive force claim against Defendants Brandon Cope, Borjas 

Gonzales, Mario Lozano, Howard Smith, and Stan, and on a Fourteenth Amendment due 

process claim against Defendant Crounse.

OUSSAMA SAHIBI,

 Plaintiff,

v.

BORJAS GONZALES, et al.,

Defendants.

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Case No.: 1:15-cv-01581-LJO-MJS (PC)

TRIAL SCHEDULING ORDER

Telephonic Trial Confirmation

Hearing: May 3, 2018 at 10:00 a.m. in 

Courtroom 6 (MJS)

Jury Trial: June 26, 2018, at 8:30 a.m. in 

Courtroom 4 (LJO)

CLERK TO SEND LOCAL RULE 281 TO 

PLAINTIFF

Case 1:15-cv-01581-LJO-JLT Document 73 Filed 12/19/16 Page 1 of 6
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The matter has been assigned to United States District Judge Lawrence J. O’Neill. To 

facilitate the efficient resolution of prisoner civil rights cases, Judge O’Neill requires that all 

such cases be set for trial within three years of Defendants’ first appearance. Accordingly, 

pursuant to Rule 16(b) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, the Court herein sets a 

schedule for trial of this matter.

The parties are advised that nothing herein supersedes the provisions of the Court’s 

prior discovery and scheduling order. To the contrary, the parties are required to abide by 

that order and to pursue any discovery, amendments, or motions with diligence. In all such 

matters, the parties should manage their efforts so that they are prepared to proceed to trial 

as scheduled. The parties are warned that a continuance of the trial date is unlikely, and will 

only be granted upon a showing of good cause and a determination that, despite the parties’ 

best efforts, proceeding to trial as scheduled is impracticable. 

The parties are required to file pretrial statements in accordance with Local Rule 281 

and the schedule set forth herein. In addition, Plaintiff must make a particularized showing to 

obtain the attendance of witnesses at trial. The procedures and requirements for doing so 

are outlined in detail below.

Failure to comply with the provisions of this Order may result in the imposition 

of sanctions which could include dismissal of the action or entry of default.

I. SPECIAL PROCEDURES FOR PLAINTIFF’S WITNESSES 

At the trial of this case, Plaintiff must be prepared to introduce evidence to prove each 

of the alleged facts that support claims made in the lawsuit. In general, there are two kinds of 

trial evidence: (1) exhibits and (2) testimony of witnesses. It is Plaintiff’s responsibility to 

produce all of the evidence to prove his case, whether that evidence is in the form of exhibits 

or testimony from witnesses. If Plaintiff wants to call witnesses to testify, he must comply with 

the following procedures to ensure that the witnesses will appear at trial and be available to 

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testify.1 Failure to comply with the procedures set forth below may result in the Court 

precluding testimony from Plaintiff’s witnesses.

A. Procedures for Obtaining Attendance of Incarcerated Witnesses Who Agree to 

Testify Voluntarily 

An incarcerated witness who agrees to come to court and testify at trial can only do so 

if the Court orders the warden or other custodian to allow him or her to be transported to 

court. The Court will not issue such an order unless it is satisfied that: (a) the prospective 

witness is willing to attend; and (b) he or she has actual knowledge of relevant facts.

If Plaintiff wants to call such witnesses, Plaintiff must serve and file with the pretrial 

statement a written motion for a court order directing that the witnesses be brought to trial. 

The motion must: (1) state the name, address, and prison identification number of each such 

witness; and (2) include declarations showing that each witness is willing to testify and that 

each witness has actual knowledge of relevant facts. The motion should be entitled “Motion 

for Attendance of Incarcerated Witnesses.”

The willingness of the prospective witness to come and testify can be shown in one of 

two ways: (a) the Plaintiff can swear under penalty of perjury that the prospective witness 

has informed him that he or she is willing to testify voluntarily without being subpoenaed; if 

so, the declaration must state when and where the witness so advised the Plaintiff; or (b) 

Plaintiff can serve and file a declaration, signed under penalty of perjury by the prospective 

witness, in which the witness states he or she is willing to testify without being subpoenaed.

The prospective witness’s actual knowledge of relevant facts also can be shown in 

one of two ways: (a) if Plaintiff has actual firsthand knowledge that the prospective witness 

was an eyewitness or an ear-witness to the relevant facts (for example, if the incident 

occurred in Plaintiff’s cell and Plaintiff saw that a cellmate was present at the time and 

observed the incident), Plaintiff can swear by declaration under penalty of perjury that the 

 

1 Notwithstanding the requirements set forth herein, it is within the Court’s discretion to grant a motion for the 

attendance of incarcerated witnesses if the moving party has shown the witnesses have relevant information 

and the Court determines the witnesses’ presence will substantially further the resolution of the case. Wiggins 

v. County of Alameda, 717 F.2d 466, 468 n.1 (9th Cir. 1983).

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prospective witness has actual knowledge; or (b) Plaintiff can serve and file a declaration 

signed under penalty of perjury by the prospective witness in which the witness describes the 

relevant facts to which he or she was an eye- or ear-witness. 

Whether the declaration is made by the Plaintiff or by the prospective witness, it must 

be specific about the incident, when and where it occurred, who was present, and how the 

prospective witness happened to be in a position to see or hear what occurred.

The Court has discretion to grant a motion for the attendance of incarcerated 

witnesses if the moving party shows that the witnesses have relevant information and the 

Court finds that the witnesses’ presence will substantially further the resolution of the case. 

Wiggins, 717 F.2d at 468 n.1. The Court will review and rule on the motion for attendance of 

incarcerated witnesses, specifying which will be brought to court. Subsequently, the Court 

will order the witness’s custodian to bring the witness to court.

Motions for the attendance of incarcerated witnesses, if any, must be filed on or 

before March 8, 2018. Oppositions, if any, must be filed on or before April 5, 2018. 

B. Procedures for Obtaining Attendance of Incarcerated Witnesses Who Refuse to 

Testify Voluntarily 

If Plaintiff seeks to obtain the attendance of incarcerated witnesses who refuse to 

testify voluntarily, Plaintiff should submit, by March 8, 2018, a motion for the attendance of 

such witnesses. Such motion should be in the form described above. In addition, the party 

must indicate in the motion that the incarcerated witnesses are not willing to testify 

voluntarily.

C. Procedures for Obtaining Attendance of Unincarcerated Witnesses Who Agree 

to Testify Voluntarily 

Plaintiff does not need Court permission or a Court Order to have unincarcerated 

witnesses appear and testify if the witnesses are willing to do so voluntarily (and Plaintiff has 

properly identified the witnesses in his Pretrial Statement). It is Plaintiff’s sole responsibility to 

notify the witness of the time and date of trial and arrange for his or her presence. The Court 

need not be involved.

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D. Procedures for Obtaining Attendance of Unincarcerated Witnesses Who 

Refuse to Testify Voluntarily 

If a prospective witness is not incarcerated, and he or she refuses to testify voluntarily, 

the witness must be served with a subpoena. Fed. R. Civ. P. 45. In addition, the party 

seeking the witness’s presence must deposit fees for the witness in advance of subpoenaing 

the witness. Id. In the case of an unincarcerated witness, the fee that must be deposited is 

the daily witness fee of $40.00 plus the witness’s travel expenses. 28 U.S.C. § 1821.

If Plaintiff wishes to obtain the attendance of one or more unincarcerated witnesses 

who refuse to testify voluntarily, Plaintiff must first notify the Court in writing of the name and 

location of each unincarcerated witness. Plaintiff is to notify the Court of the names and 

locations of such witnesses on or before March 8, 2018. 

The Court will calculate the travel expense for each such witness and notify Plaintiff of 

the amount(s) to be deposited for each. Plaintiff must then, for each witness, submit a money 

order made payable to the witness for the full amount of the witness’s travel expenses plus 

the daily witness fee of $40.00. The subpoena will not be served on the unincarcerated 

witness by the United States Marshal unless the money order is tendered to the Court. There 

is no legal basis for using public funds to cover such expenses in civil cases even for parties 

proceeding in forma pauperis.

If Plaintiff wishes to have the Marshal serve any unincarcerated witnesses who refuse 

to testify voluntarily, Plaintiff must submit the money orders to the Court on or before April 

19, 2018.

II. SCHEDULING ORDER

With regard to further litigation and trial of this matter, the Court HEREBY ORDERS 

as follows:

1. This matter is set for a telephonic trial confirmation hearing before the undersigned 

on May 3, 2018 at 10:00 a.m. in Courtroom 6;

2. This matter is set for jury trial before the Honorable Lawrence J. O’Neill on June 

26, 2018 at 8:30 a.m. in Courtroom 4;

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3. Counsel for Defendant is required to arrange for the participation of Plaintiff in the 

telephonic trial confirmation hearing;

4. The parties may participate in the hearing by calling (888) 294-5984 and entering 

access code 4446176#;

5. Plaintiff shall file and serve a pretrial statement as described in this Order on or 

before March 8, 2016;

6. Defendant shall file and serve a pretrial statement as described in this Order on or 

before April 5, 2018;

7. In addition to electronically filing their pretrial statement, Defendants shall e-mail 

their pretrial statement to: mjsorders@caed.uscourts.gov;

8. If Plaintiff intends to call incarcerated witnesses at trial, Plaintiff shall file and serve 

a motion for attendance of incarcerated witnesses as described in this Order on or 

before March 8, 2016;

9. Opposition to the motion for the attendance of incarcerated witness, if any, shall 

be filed and served on or before April 5, 2018;

10.If Plaintiff wishes to obtain the attendance of unincarcerated witnesses who refuse 

to testify voluntarily, Plaintiff must notify the Court of their names and locations on 

or before March 8, 2018, and Plaintiff must submit the money orders, as described 

in section I subsection D of this Order, on or before April 19, 2018; and 

11.The Clerk’s Office shall send Plaintiff a copy of Local Rule 281.

IT IS SO ORDERED.

Dated: December 17, 2016 /s/Michael J. Seng 

UNITED STATES MAGISTRATE JUDGE

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