Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-cand-5_04-cv-03946/USCOURTS-cand-5_04-cv-03946-34/pdf.json

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

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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

SAN JOSE DIVISION

Darla Padgett, et al.,

Plaintiffs,

 v.

Brian Loventhal, et al.,

Defendants. /

NO. C 04-03946 JW 

ORDER OVERRULING DEFENDANTS’

OBJECTIONS TO RECOMMENDED

DISCOVERY ORDER NO. 25

The parties have been working through a Special Master to obtain information contained on

Defendants’ hard drives. On March 5, 2008, the Special Master issued Recommended Discovery

Order Number 25. (See Docket Item No. 493.) Presently before the Court is Defendants’ objections

to Recommended Discovery Order Number 25. (Defendants’ Objections and Request for District

Court to Reconsider Special Master’s Discovery Order No. 25, hereafter, “Objection,” Docket Item

No. 496.)

Discovery Order No. 25 resulted from Defendants’ efforts to obtain a copy of data imaged

from Defendants’ hard drives by Plaintiffs’ experts at Plaintiffs’ expense. The process of imaging

the hard drives was the matter of significant dispute and formed the basis of the Special Master’s

appointment. (See Docket Item No. 306.) The Special Master subsequently worked with the parties

to develop a plan for the imaging and oversaw the entire process. Plaintiffs’ expert imaged

Defendants’ hard drives during the weekend of May 4-6, 2007. Plaintiffs bore the entire cost of this

process.

Case 5:04-cv-03946-EJD Document 499 Filed 03/28/08 Page 1 of 3
United States District Court

For the Northern District of California

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At the time of the imaging, Defendants were given the option of ordering a copy of the

imaged data. Defendants chose not to do so. Several months later, Defendants sought a copy of the

imaged data. Plaintiffs set forth the costs of such a copy at approximately $67,615.61. The parties

later agreed to allow Defendants to make a copy and reserve the question of appropriate

reimbursement. In Discovery Order No. 25, the Special Master ordered Defendants to pay

$32,652.79 for the copy.

Defendants contend that this charge is excessive because the actual cost of creating the

copies is only a few thousand dollars. The Special Master found Defendants’ arguments without

merit because they failed to consider the costs incurred to produce the imaged data in the first

instance. The Special Master found that Defendants were on notice from the time the hard drives

were imaged that they would have to pay for their copy and that they would not be able to piggy

back on Plaintiffs’ efforts. The Special Master concluded that a reasonable reimbursement is half of

the cost of the original imaging.

The Court finds that the Special Master acted within his discretion in determining a

reasonable reimbursement. It was clear from the beginning that the cost of producing the imaged

data was significantly more than a few thousand dollars. If Defendants had chosen to participate in

the initial imaging process, they would have been expected to contribute toward the total costs. 

Thus, half of the initial imaging cost is a reasonable charge.

Accordingly, the Court OVERRULES Defendants’ Objection to Discovery Order No. 25.

Dated: March 28, 2008 

JAMES WARE

United States District Judge

Case 5:04-cv-03946-EJD Document 499 Filed 03/28/08 Page 2 of 3
United States District Court

For the Northern District of California

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THIS IS TO CERTIFY THAT COPIES OF THIS ORDER HAVE BEEN DELIVERED TO:

Darla Kaye Padgett Actiontkr@aol.com

Joseph C. Howard jhoward@hrmrlaw.com

Thomas H R Denver tdenver@mediationmasters.com

Todd Holton Master tmaster@hrmrlaw.com

Dated: March 28, 2008 Richard W. Wieking, Clerk

By: /s/ JW Chambers 

Elizabeth Garcia

Courtroom Deputy

Case 5:04-cv-03946-EJD Document 499 Filed 03/28/08 Page 3 of 3