Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-cand-5_06-cv-03002/USCOURTS-cand-5_06-cv-03002-17/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 110
Nature of Suit: Insurance
Cause of Action: 28:2201 Declaratory Judgement (Insurance)

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United States District Court

For the Northern District of California

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ORDER GRANTING CAL. WATER'S MOTION TO CONTINUE MOTIONS FOR SUMMARY JUDGMENT—No. C-06-03002 RMW

MAG

United States District Court

For the Northern District of California

E-FILED on 12/5/07

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

FOR THE NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

SAN JOSE DIVISION

EMPLOYERS INSURANCE OF WAUSAU,

Plaintiff,

v.

CALIFORNIA WATER SERVICE

COMPANY, a California Corporation,

Defendant.

No. C-06-03002 RMW

ORDER GRANTING CAL. WATER'S

MOTION TO CONTINUE MOTIONS FOR

SUMMARY JUDGMENT

[Re Docket No. 256]

Cal. Water asks the court to continue the hearing on five currently-pending motions for

summary judgment until after a deposition of Wausau's hydrogeology expert Russell Juncal,

contending that an upcoming deposition of Juncal may reveal testimony requiring Juncal's

disqualification as an expert for Wausau. Cal. Water's application to continue the hearing on the

motions for summary judgment currently pending in this case is granted. 

Case 5:06-cv-03002-RMW Document 259 Filed 12/05/07 Page 1 of 3
United States District Court

For the Northern District of California

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 The court is also unconvinced that Wausau delayed Juncal's deposition "to prevent Cal. Water

from divulging his conflict of interest" in advance of summary judgment, particularly in light of the

parties' stipulation that Juncal only be deposed after Cal. Water's hydrogeology expert, Patrick

Hubbard. Hubbard's deposition will be taken shortly after this court's upcoming ruling as to whether

Hubbard may testify as an expert.

ORDER GRANTING CAL. WATER'S MOTION TO CONTINUE MOTIONS FOR SUMMARY JUDGMENT—No. C-06-03002 RMW

MAG 2

Although the evidence justifying an attempt to disqualify Juncal appears to be slim,1 Cal.

Water's accusations regarding Juncal's previous work in the underlying actions are such that

allowing Juncal's deposition to go forward before the summary judgment hearing appears to be

prudent so that the parties may explore Juncal's role with respect to Cal. Water and the joint defense

group in the underlying actions. 

There does not appear to be significant prejudice to Wausau in delaying the hearing on the

motions for summary judgment. The court has continued the trial date to March 3, 2008, so the

delay in hearing these motions will not, by itself, result in prejudice to Wausau. Wausau also

expresses concern that it will be prejudiced if at this late date its expert were to be disqualified

because it would be precluded from effectively presenting expert testimony in connection with its

summary judgment motion and at trial. However, if the court were to find that there were grounds to

disqualify Juncal and that Wausau was without significant wrongdoing, the court could also

determine whether circumstances would justify Wausau retaining a new expert and granting other

appropriate relief.

The court will thus continue the hearing on the five motions for summary judgment and Cal.

Water's related motion to strike Wausau's answer until January 18, 2007. Although only a subset of

those motions concern Mr. Juncal, the court finds that it will be more efficient to address the

motions together on the same date. Wausau's motion to exclude Cal. Water's experts and Cal.

Water's motion to continue discovery deadlines will be heard as currently scheduled on December 7,

2007. 

DATED: 12/5/07

 RONALD M. WHYTE

United States District Judge

Case 5:06-cv-03002-RMW Document 259 Filed 12/05/07 Page 2 of 3
United States District Court

For the Northern District of California

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ORDER GRANTING CAL. WATER'S MOTION TO CONTINUE MOTIONS FOR SUMMARY JUDGMENT—No. C-06-03002 RMW

MAG 3

Notice of this document has been electronically sent to:

Counsel for Plaintiff:

Bryan M. Barber bbarber@barberlg.com

Fulton M. Smith, III fsmith@barberlg.com 

Counsel for Defendant:

John H. Podesta jpodesta@bbgslaw.com

A. Geoffrey Hutchinson ghutchinson@bbgslaw.com 

Counsel are responsible for distributing copies of this document to co-counsel that have not

registered for e-filing under the court's CM/ECF program.

Dated: 12/5/07 /s/ MAG

Chambers of Judge Whyte

Case 5:06-cv-03002-RMW Document 259 Filed 12/05/07 Page 3 of 3