Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-caed-1_11-cv-00799/USCOURTS-caed-1_11-cv-00799-14/pdf.json

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

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Stipulation to Unseal Grand Jury Transcripts – 8-1-2014

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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

TOULU THAO,

Plaintiff,

v.

SHAUN DONOVAN, SECRETARY OF THE 

DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN 

DEVELOPMENT; FORMER REGIONAL 

COUNSEL OF HUD REGION IX FAYE 

AUSTIN; FORMER FIELD DIRECTOR OF THE 

FRESNO HUD OFFICE MARIE SUDDUTH; 

TERESA CARSON, FORMER AGENT OF THE 

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND 

URBAN DEVELOPMENT, HUD OFFICE OF 

INSPECTOR GENERAL; IN THEIR 

INDIVIDUAL AND OFFICIAL CAPACITIES; 

AND DOES 1-75, INCLUSIVE,

 Defendants.

CASE NO.: 1:11-CV-00799-AWI-SKO

STIPULATION FOR PROTECTIVE ORDER 

REGARDING UNSEALED GRAND JURY 

TRANSCRIPTS

Trial Judge: Hon. Anthony W. Ishii

Jacob M. Weisberg, SBN 049065

THE LAW OFFICE OF JACOB M. WEISBERG

844 N. Van Ness Avenue

Fresno, CA 93728

Telephone: (559) 441-0201

Facsimile: (559) 442-3164

Attorney for Plaintiff: TOULU THAO

Case 1:11-cv-00799-AWI-SKO Document 59 Filed 08/05/14 Page 1 of 6
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Stipulation to Unseal Grand Jury Transcripts – 8-1-2014

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IT IS HEREBY STIPULATED, by, among and between the parties hereto through their 

counsel of record, that the grand jury transcripts, hereafter “transcripts” produced pursuant to the 

Court’s Order to Unseal the Grand Jury Transcripts of February 9, 2006 in the case of USA v. Toulu 

Thao case number 1:06-CR-00046 are subject to the following Protective Order:

1. The unsealed transcripts shall be used solely in connection with the civil case of Toulu 

Thao v. Shaun Donovan, Secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development, et al., 

USDC Case No. CIV-F-1:11-CV-00799-AWI-BAM (E.D. Cal.) and in the preparation and trial of this 

action, and any related proceeding. The parties are not waiving any objections to the admissibility of 

the transcripts or portions of the transcripts in future proceedings, including the trial of the matters. 

2. Transcripts produced under this Protective Order may only be disclosed to the 

following persons: 

a) Jacob M. Weisberg, counsel for Plaintiff and Benjamin Hall, counsel for 

Defendants and Paralegal, clerical, and secretarial personnel regularly employed by either 

counsel;

b) Stenographic deposition reporters or videographers retained in connection with 

this action;

c) Court personnel including stenographic reporters or videographers engaged in 

proceedings as are necessarily incidental to the preparation for the trial of the civil action; 

d) Any expert, consultant or investigator retained in connection with this action;

e) The finder of fact at the time of trial, subject to the court’s rulings on in limine 

motions and objections of counsel; 

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Stipulation to Unseal Grand Jury Transcripts – 8-1-2014

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f) Counsel may discuss the documents with their respective clients;

g) Any party to the action or witness whose deposition testimony is being taken in 

connection to this lawsuit and who requires the use of the grand jury transcripts in order to 

provide a complete testimony at his or her deposition.

3. Each recipient of transcripts as described above shall be provided with a copy of this 

Stipulated Protective Order, which he or she shall read prior to the disclosure of transcripts. Upon 

reading this Stipulated Protective Order, such person shall acknowledge in writing that he or she has 

read this Stipulated Protective Order and shall abide by its terms. 

4. All documents, papers or materials utilizing information from the transcripts produced 

pursuant to this Stipulated Protective Order, that are filed with the Court for any purpose shall be filed 

and served under seal, with the following statement affixed to the document or other information:

“This envelope is sealed pursuant to order of the Court and contains Confidential Information 

filed in this case by [name of party] and is not to be opened or the contents thereof to be displayed or 

revealed except by order of the Court.”

5. Copies of Grand Jury Transcripts

The following procedures shall be utilized by the parties in the use of the transcripts.

a) Plaintiff’s and Defendant’s counsel shall receive one copy of the Grand Jury 

Transcripts within 10 days of the Courts approval of this stipulation.

b) If any document or information from the grand jury transcripts pursuant to this 

Protective Order is used or disclosed during the course of a deposition, that portion of the 

deposition record reflecting such material shall be stamped with the appropriate designation 

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Stipulation to Unseal Grand Jury Transcripts – 8-1-2014

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and access shall be limited pursuant to the terms of this Protective Order. The Court reporter 

for the deposition shall mark the deposition transcript cover page and all appropriate pages or 

exhibits, and each copy thereof, in accordance with paragraph 4 of this Protective Order. Only 

individuals who are authorized by this Protective Order to see or receive such material may be 

present during the discussion or disclosure of such material.

6. After the conclusion of this litigation, all documents and materials, in whatever form 

stored or reproduced, containing information from the transcripts will remain confidential, and if filed 

with the Court, shall remain under seal. All documents and materials produced to Plaintiff or 

Defendants pursuant to this stipulated protective order shall be returned to the custodian of the grand 

jury transcripts in a manner in which counsel will be able to reasonably verify that all documents were 

returned. All parties also ensure that all persons to whom transcripts were disclosed shall be returned 

to custodian of the grand jury transcripts. The conclusion of this litigation means a termination of the 

case following trial, settlement or the exhaustion of all appeals. 

7. No later than 30 days of settlement or of receiving notice of the entry of an order, 

judgment, or decree terminating this action, or the exhaustion of all appeals, all persons having 

received the confidential documents shall return said documents to custodian of the grand jury 

transcripts.

8. If any party appeals a jury verdict or order terminating the case, counsel shall retain 

possession of all confidential documents pending final outcome of the appeal after which they shall be 

returned to custodian of the grand jury transcripts.

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Stipulation to Unseal Grand Jury Transcripts – 8-1-2014

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9. This Stipulated Protective Order shall remain in full force and effect and shall continue 

to be binding on all parties and affected persons after this litigation terminates, subject to any 

subsequent modifications of this Stipulated Protective Order for good cause shown by this Court or 

any Court having jurisdiction over an appeal of this action. After this action terminates, any party may 

seek to modify or dissolve this Stipulated Protective Order by Court order for good cause shown or by 

the parties’ stipulation.

10. The Court shall retain jurisdiction, even after this lawsuit terminates, (a) to make such 

amendments, modifications and additions to this Protective Order as it may from time to time deem 

appropriate upon good cause shown and (b) to adjudicate any dispute respecting improper use or 

disclosure of confidential material.

Respectfully submitted,

Dated: August 1, 2014 /S/ JACOB M. WEISBERG________________

Jacob M. Weisberg, Attorney for Plaintiff,

TOULU THAO

Dated: August 1, 2014 BENJAMIN B. WAGNER

United States Attorney

By_/S/ BENJAMIN E. HALL ______________

BENJAMIN E. HALL

Assistant U.S. Attorney

Attorneys for Defendants

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Stipulation to Unseal Grand Jury Transcripts – 8-1-2014

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ORDER

IT IS SO ORDERED.

Dated: August 4, 2014 

 SENIOR DISTRICT JUDGE

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