Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-casd-3_08-cv-00298/USCOURTS-casd-3_08-cv-00298-1/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 350
Nature of Suit: Motor Vehicle Personal Injury
Cause of Action: 28:2671 Federal Tort Claims Act

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1 08cv298

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

NORMA KIRSCH, et al,

Plaintiff,

v.

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA; DOES 1

through 10 inclusive,

Defendants. 

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Civil No. 08cv298-WQH(NLS)

ORDER FOLLOWING SHOW CAUSE

HEARING RE: SANCTIONS

On September 30, 2008, the Court held an Order to Show Cause Hearing to consider whether

sanctions should be imposed against Plaintiffs and/or Plaintiffs’ counsel for failing to appear as ordered

at the Early Neutral Evaluation Conference (“ENE”) on September 9, 2008. Ernesto Cordero, Jr.

appeared on behalf of Defendant United States of America. Benjamin Anderson appeared on behalf of

Plaintiffs. Plaintiffs’ lead counsel and sole attorney of record, Robert Hamparyan, failed to appear at the

hearing. Based on the declarations of counsel submitted to the Court [Doc. Nos. 14 & 15], and for oral

reasons stated at the September 30, 2008 hearing, the Court finds that monetary sanctions in the amount

of $350.00 must be imposed against Plaintiffs’ lead counsel, Robert Hamparyan, pursuant to Federal

Rule of Civil Procedure 16 and Local Civil Rule 16.1(c)(1)(c), for violating this Court’s Notice and

Order filed August 19, 2008 [Doc. No. 11], and for violating this Court’s Order Setting Show Cause

Hearing Re: Sanctions [Doc. No. 13], which required him to appear in person before the Court on

September 30, 2008.

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Case 3:08-cv-00298-WQH-NLS Document 16 Filed 09/30/08 Page 1 of 3
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DISCUSSION

An Early Neutral Evaluation Conference (“ENE”) was scheduled on September 9, 2008 in this

case. Assistant United States Attorney Ernest Cordero, Jr. appeared on behalf of Defendant United

States of America. In violation of the Court’s Notice and Order filed August 19, 2008 [Doc. No. 11]

scheduling the ENE, Plaintiffs and their attorney of record, Robert Hamparyan, failed to appear for the

conference. As a result, the ENE was not held, and the Court issued an Order Setting Show Cause

Hearing [Doc. No. 13] ordering Plaintiff’s attorney of record, Robert Hamparyan to appear in person

before the Court on September 30, 2008 at 9:30 a.m. and show cause why sanctions should not be

imposed against him and/or his clients for failing to comply with the Court’s Notice and Order filed

August 19, 2008. The Court also requested that defense counsel submit a declaration outlining any costs

and fees incurred to attend the ENE, and requested a declaration from Plaintiff’s counsel explaining any

justification for the failure to appear at the ENE. (Court’s September 11, 2008 Order, Doc. No. 11, 2.) 

Defense counsel, Ernesto Cordero, Jr., submitted a declaration to the Court stating that his client

incurred $646.73 in fees and expenses related to his attendance at the ENE. (Declaration of Ernesto

Cordero, Jr. ¶ 3.) Plaintiff’s lead counsel, Robert Hamparyan, submitted a declaration to the Court

explaining that his and his clients’ failure to appear at the ENE resulted from his paralegal inadvertently

failing to calendar the hearing in the firm’s calendaring system. (Declaration of Robert Hamparyan ¶

3.) Courts may impose monetary sanctions against a party who does not comply with an order

scheduling a pre-trial settlement conference, including ENEs. Pursuant to Local Civil Rule

16.1(c)(1)(c), attendance at an ENE “may be excused only for good cause shown and by permission of

the court. Sanctions may be appropriate for an unexcused failure to attend.” In pertinent part, Federal

Rule of Civil Procedure 16(f) states that “if a party or party’s attorney fails to participate [in a pre-trial

conference], the judge, upon motion or the judge’s own initiative, may make such orders with regard

thereto as are just, . . . . In lieu of or in addition to any other sanction, the judge shall require the party or

the attorney representing the party or both to pay the reasonable expenses incurred because of any

noncompliance with this rule, including attorney’s fees. . . .” Fed.R.Civ.P 16(f); see, e.g., Lucas

Automotive Engineering, Inc. v. Bridgestone/Firestone, Inc., 275 F.3d 762 (9th Cir. 2001). 

Based on the declarations submitted by counsel prior to the September 30, 2008 hearing, the

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 The Court finds that AUSA Cordero’s time spent preparing for and attending the ENE was reasonable, however the

Court discounts the sanction award to $350.00 to account for time that would have been incurred preparing for a Case

Management Conference. 

3 08cv298

Court finds that the failure by Plaintiffs’ and Plaintiff’s counsel failure to appear at the September 9,

2008 ENE resulted from a mistake on the part Mr. Hamparyan. The Court finds that he did not act in a

wilful or deliberate manner, however, he compounded his violation of the Court’s August 19, 2008

order by failing to appear in person for the Show Cause Hearing, and sending an associate from his firm

instead. Defendants incurred expenses in relation to the ENE, including attorneys fees totaling $646.73.

(Cordero Decl’n. ¶ 3.) In addition, because Plaintiffs failed to appear for the ENE, the conference could

not be held, thwarting any effort by the Court to facilitate an early settlement of this matter. 

Accordingly, the Court finds that an award of monetary sanctions in the amount of $350.00 against

Plaintiff’s lead counsel, Robert Hamparyan, is appropriate. 

CONCLUSION

Based on the foregoing, the Court finds that pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 16(f)

and Local Civil Rule 16.1(c)(1)(c) monetary sanctions in the amount of $350.00 must be imposed

against Plaintiff’s attorney of record Robert Hamparyan, for violating the Court’s August 19, 2008 and

September 11, 2008 orders and failing to appear, or to make his clients available to appear, at the

August 19, 2008 ENE and failing to appear himself at the September 30, 2008 Show Cause Hearing. 

This amount represents a fair portion of the fees incurred by Defendant in relation to Mr. Cordero’s

preparation and appearance at the ENE.1

 

Accordingly, IT IS HEREBY ORDERED THAT Robert Hamparyan shall pay monetary

sanctions in the amount of $350.00, via check or money order made payable to the United States

Treasury, to be delivered directly to the United States, c/o AUSA Ernesto Cordero, Jr., 880 Front Street,

Room 6293, San Diego, California, 92101, no later than October 15, 2008.

IT IS SO ORDERED.

DATED: September 30, 2008

Hon. Nita L. Stormes

U.S. Magistrate Judge

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