Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-caed-1_15-cv-00768/USCOURTS-caed-1_15-cv-00768-42/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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Order

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

LAKEITH MCCOY,

Plaintiff,

v.

A HOLGUIN, et al.,

Defendants.

Case No. 1:15-cv-00768-KES-HBK (PC)

ORDER DIRECTING PLAINTIFF TO 

SUBMIT WITNESS INFORMATION

NOVEMBER 4, 2024 DEADLINE

Plaintiff LaKeith McCoy (“Plaintiff”) is a former state prisoner proceeding pro se in this 

civil rights action pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 1983. The Final Pretrial Conference in this case is 

scheduled for December 9, 2024. (Doc. No. 234). A jury trial is scheduled to commence on 

February 25, 2025 at 8:30 a.m. in Courtroom 6 before District Judge Kirk E. Sheriff. (Id.). As 

set forth in this Order, to secure the presence of witnesses at trial, Plaintiff is required to (1) 

provide identifying information and addresses for all of his non-incarcerated witnesses; (2) file 

motions for the appearance of any incarcerated witnesses; and (3) provide witness fees for any 

nonincarcerated witnesses who will not voluntarily testify at trial.1

1 The Court will advise Plaintiff as to the amount of the witness fees for each of his proposed nonincarcerated witnesses once Plaintiff provides the Court with the necessary information specified in this 

Order. The Court will set a deadline for submission of the witness fees at a later date.

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INCARCERATED WITNESSES

Plaintiff identifies two potential incarcerated witnesses for trial. These are (1) Joshua 

Howard, and (2) Daniel Verduzco. (Doc. No. 220 at 12, 14). As previously advised, for those 

incarcerated witnesses who are willing to testify voluntarily, Plaintiff must serve and file a written 

motion for a court order requiring that such witnesses be brought to court at the time of trial. (See

Doc. No. 224 at 3-4). The motion must: (1) state the name, address, and prison identification 

number of each witness2; and (2) be accompanied by 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.” Plaintiff should refer to the 

Court’s March 25, 2024 Amended Order Setting Trial Date, Telephonic Trial Confirmation 

Hearing and Related Deadlines (Doc. No. 224) for further information concerning requirements 

of the Motion.

If Plaintiff wishes to secure the attendance of incarcerated witnesses who refuse to testify 

voluntarily, he should serve and file a written motion for a court order requiring that such 

witnesses be brought to court at the time of trial. Such motion should be in the form described 

above. In addition, Plaintiff must indicate in the motion that the incarcerated witnesses are not 

willing to testify voluntarily.

The Court will review and rule on any motions for attendance of incarcerated witnesses,

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

issue the writs necessary to cause any approved witnesses’ custodian to bring the witness(es) to 

court. A motion for the attendance of incarcerated witnesses, if any, must be filed on or before 

November 4, 2024. Any opposition(s) must be filed on or before November 18, 2024.

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2 Based on the Court’s review of CDCR’s public inmate locator (https://ciris.mt.cdcr.ca.gov/search), 

Inmate Joshua Howard, T47638, is currently incarcerated at Kern Valley State Prison and Inmate Daniel 

Verduzco, T45537, is currently incarcerated at Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility in San Diego, 

CA.

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NON-INCARCERATED WITNESSES

In his amended pretrial statement, Plaintiff identifies ten potential non-incarcerated 

witnesses for trial.

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 (Doc. No. 220 at 12-14). These include: (1) William Coleman; (2) Dr. 

Steven Yaplee; (3) Maybren Johnson; (4) J. Gutierrez; (5) former Defendant Santa Maria; (6) 

former Defendant Holland; (7) former Defendant Kilmer; (8) former Defendant DeLuna; (9) Abel 

Garcia; and (10) Lieutenant K. Westergren. (Id.). Plaintiff does not provide addresses for 

Coleman, Johnson, Yaplee, Holland, or Westergren. (See id.). 

To permit the Court to calculate estimated travel costs and for the Clerk of Court to issue 

subpoenas (if so ordered), Plaintiff must provide full names and current addresses for each of the

witnesses. Plaintiff must submit the required identification and address information to the Court 

no later than November 4, 2024. 

Once the Court has this information it will calculate the travel expenses for each nonincarcerated witness and notify Plaintiff. Plaintiff then, for each witness, must submit to the 

Court a request for subpoena and money order made payable to the witness for the full amount of 

the witnesses’ travel expenses plus the daily witness fee of $40.00. Because Plaintiff is not 

proceeding in forma pauperis, he is not entitled to service of the subpoenas by the United States 

Marshals Service. See 28 U.S.C. 1915(d); 28 U.S.C. 566(c). The Court will issue any approved 

subpoenas to Plaintiff so that he may have them served in accordance with Rule 4 of the Federal 

Rules of Civil Procedure.

Plaintiff is advised that based on the information he provided to the Court, several of his 

non-incarcerated witnesses are located more than 100 miles from the location set for trial. Under 

Rule 45 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, a witness who resides more than 100 miles from 

the location set for trial is beyond the court’s subpoena power unless:

[the location for trial is] within the state where the person resides, is 

employed, or regularly transacts business in person, [and] . . . the 

3 The Court is uncertain as to the custody status of proposed witnesses William Coleman and Maybren 

Johnson. Upon review of CDCR’s inmate locator, the Court was unable to find any records for either 

Coleman or Johnson and thus presumes they are now out of custody. See 

https://ciris.mt.cdcr.ca.gov/search (last visited: October 3, 2024).

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person (i) is a party or party’s officer; or (ii) is commanded to 

attend a trial and would not incur substantial expense.

Fed. R. Civ. P. 45(c)(1)(B); see also Dooley v. Nevada Gold Mines, LLC, 2022 WL 867265, at *3 

(D. Nev. Mar. 23, 2022) (noting that “federal courts can compel a witness to testify” if the 

conditions of Fed. R. Civ. P. 45(c)(1)(B) are met). 

“When travel over 100 miles could impose substantial expense on the witness, the party 

that served the subpoena may pay that expense and the court can condition enforcement of the 

subpoena on such payment.” See Advisory Committee Note to the 2013 Amendments to Rule 45. 

Thus, the Court will determine whether issuance of subpoenas to any witness beyond the Court’s 

subpoena power is appropriate and may condition its enforcement on Plaintiff’s payment of the 

witness’ expenses, including overnight lodging permitting the witness to attend trial.

Accordingly, it is hereby ORDERED:

1. No later than November 4, 2024, Plaintiff shall file any Motions for the Attendance of 

Incarcerated Witnesses in accordance with the instructions in this Order and the 

Court’s March 25, 2024 Order (Doc. No. 224).

2. Defendants’ opposition(s), if any, must be filed on or before November 18, 2024.

3. No later than November 4, 2024, Plaintiff shall submit to the Court the full names and 

addresses for potential witnesses Coleman, Johnson, Yaplee, Holland, and Kilmer.

4. If Plaintiff fails to comply with any provision of this Order he may be subject to 

sanctions at the Court’s discretion.

Dated: October 4, 2024 

HELENA M. BARCH-KUCHTA

UNITED STATES MAGISTRATE JUDGE

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