Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-caed-2_21-cv-02075/USCOURTS-caed-2_21-cv-02075-5/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 440
Nature of Suit: Other Civil Rights
Cause of Action: 28:1441 Petition for Removal- Civil Rights Act

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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

FOR THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

MARY ELLEN LENNOX,

Plaintiff,

v.

CITY OF SACRAMENTO, ET. AL

Defendants.

No. 2:21-cv-2075-DAD-KJN

ORDER

Plaintiff Mary Ellen Lennox, defendant State of California, and defendant City of 

Sacramento appeared, through counsel, for an informal telephonic conference regarding 

discovery on April 21, 2023, before the undersigned. Attorney Renee V. Masongsong appeared 

for plaintiff, attorney Diana Esquivel appeared for defendant State of California, and attorney 

Sean D. Richmond appeared for defendant City of Sacramento.1

 

Before the informal telephonic conference, plaintiff and defendant State of California 

submitted a joint letter summarizing the issues. (ECF No. 38.) As identified in the letter and 

during the conference, the following Requests for Production (RFPs) are at issue: 

• Defendant State of California’s RFP No. 31, which seeks records from the 

rehabilitation center that decedent (Jordan Zenka) attended in Oregon, which

plaintiff identified at her February 9th deposition;

1 This matter was referred to the undersigned pursuant to Local Rule 302(c)(1).

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• Defendant State of California’s RFP No. 33, which seeks decedent’s cell phone 

records from 12:00 a.m. on December 11, 2020, to 8:00 a.m. on December 13, 

2020; and

• Defendant State of California’s RFP Nos. 34 and 35, which seek all 

communications between plaintiff and George Cardenas (decedent’s romantic 

partner) and any friend or roommate of decedent from December 12, 2020, to the 

present.

(ECF No. 38.)

The court issues this discovery order upon consideration of the parties’ arguments in the 

joint statement and during the informal telephonic conference.

ORDER

It is HEREBY ORDERED that:

1. Defendant State of California’s request for plaintiff’s responses to RFP No. 31 is 

granted. Plaintiff shall produce decedent’s rehabilitation records from decedent’s stay 

at the rehabilitation facility in Oregon identified by plaintiff at her February 9th

deposition. Plaintiff shall produce responses to RFP No. 31 within fourteen days of 

receipt of decedent’s rehabilitation records;

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2. Defendant State of California’s request for plaintiff’s responses to RFP No. 33 is 

granted. Plaintiff shall produce decedent’s phone records from the following period:

12:00 a.m. on December 11, 2020, to 8:00 a.m. on December 13, 2020. The phone 

records produced shall include incoming and outgoing call and text information, as 

well as the substance of text messages sent and received during this period.3

 Plaintiff 

shall produce responses to RFP No. 33 within fourteen days of receipt of decedent’s 

phone records; and

2 The parties have a May 1, 2023 discovery cut-off date, but the parties agreed they would 

cooperatively stipulate to extend the pretrial dates to accomplish the necessary discovery 

addressed herein.

3 Plaintiff may redact the phone records pursuant to privilege and/or irrelevance, where 

applicable. However, if plaintiff redacts decedent’s phone records, plaintiff shall indicate to 

defendant the reasons for each and every redaction made in an accompanying privilege log.

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3. Defendant State of California’s request for plaintiff’s responses to RFP Nos. 34-35 is 

denied without prejudice. Within seven days of this order, plaintiff shall contact Mr. 

Cardenas by text to identify Mr. Cardenas’ current location and shall inform 

defendants of Mr. Cardenas’ location. If plaintiff is unable to reach Mr. Cardenas, 

plaintiff shall inform defendants of her last communication with Mr. Cardenas, 

including telephone number and last known address.

Dated: April 25, 2023

lenn.2075

Case 2:21-cv-02075-DAD-CSK Document 40 Filed 04/25/23 Page 3 of 3