Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-caed-2_21-cv-01948/USCOURTS-caed-2_21-cv-01948-8/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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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT 

FOR THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA 

ANDRES C. HERNANDEZ, 

Plaintiff, 

v. 

PATRICK COVELLO, 

Defendant. 

No. 2:21-cv-01948-WBS-SCR P 

ORDER 

 Plaintiff Andres C. Hernandez, a former state inmate, filed this action while in custody. 

Since filing this action, plaintiff has been released from prison. Plaintiff proceeds pro se and in 

forma pauperis under 42 U.S.C. § 1983. The parties’ discovery-related motions are before the 

court. For the reasons set forth below, plaintiff’s motion for an extension of time is granted in part 

and defendant’s motion to compel is denied without prejudice to renewal. Plaintiff is cautioned 

that further requests for extensions of time will require a showing of diligence. 

I. Background 

 Plaintiff’s operative first amended complaint brings a serious medical needs claim under 

the Eighth Amendment against defendant Patrick Covello. (ECF No. 11.) Under the court’s 

scheduling order issued on May 14, 2024, fact discovery closed on September 13, 2024. (ECF 

No. 46.) The parties’ discovery-related motions are before the court. 

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 Defendant served the discovery requests at issue on plaintiff on May 23, 2024. (ECF No. 

49 at 3.) Plaintiff’s responses were due within 45 days under the court’s discovery and scheduling 

order. Defendant did not receive responses and did not receive a response from plaintiff to a meet 

and confer letter. (Id. at 4.) 

On August 8, 2024, plaintiff filed a motion requesting an extension of time for “discovery 

purposes” and, more specifically, “to be able to produce the record” for defendant. (ECF No. 48.) 

Plaintiff sates all records in his possession were recently stolen. (Id. at 1.) Defendant opposed 

plaintiff’s motion for an extension of time, arguing the request failed to specify the deadline for 

which plaintiff seeks an extension, failed to specify the amount of additional time needed, and 

failed to show plaintiff’s diligence. (ECF No. 50.) Plaintiff filed a reply. (ECF No. 51.) 

 On August 14, 2024, defendants filed a motion (1) seeking to compel plaintiff to respond 

to defendant’s discovery outstanding discovery requests, (2) arguing the requests to admit are 

deemed admitted, and (3) requesting a modification of the scheduling order extending time for 

defendant to complete discovery and file dispositive motions. (ECF No. 49.) Plaintiff filed an 

opposition to the motion and defendant filed a reply. (ECF No. 51, 52.) 

II. Discussion 

 The discovery served by defendant consists of Requests for Production of Documents Set 

One, First Set of Interrogatories, and First Set of Requests for Admissions, served on May 23, 

2024. (ECF No. 49 at 3.) In plaintiff’s combined response1

 to the motion to compel and reply to 

his motion for extension of time, plaintiff argues he recently had multiple hardships including 

health issues, “theft of his entire file of documents pertaining to this civil matter” and four 

hospitalizations in the prior month which prevented plaintiff from responding to discovery 

requests “that may have been served to this plaintiff.” (ECF No. 51 at 3.) Plaintiff asks the court 

for “enough time reasonable to retrieve all personal records needed to continue this civil 

matter....” (ECF No. 51 at 4.) 

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 Plaintiff’s opposition was untimely filed. In this instance, the court will accept the late-filed 

opposition and consider its contents. 

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 Good cause appearing, the court will grant plaintiff an extension of time up to and 

including 30 days from the day of service of this order to respond to the discovery defendant 

served on May 23, 2024. However, plaintiff is cautioned that further extensions of time for this 

purpose will require a much more detailed showing of good cause than plaintiff has given in this 

instance. Specifically, if plaintiff seeks further extensions of time on the ground that plaintiff does 

not have his records, plaintiff must explain in detail the actions he has taken to obtain or replace 

those records in order to establish his diligence. If plaintiff seeks a further extension of time for 

illness or another reason, plaintiff must explain in detail how his illness or the other reason 

rendered him unable to respond to discovery. The court will not look favorably on a request for 

extension of time made after the deadline has passed and the court may deny such a request on 

that ground, having given this warning. 

 In accordance with the above, IT IS ORDERED as follows: 

1. Plaintiff’s motion for an extension of time for discovery purposes (ECF No. 48) is 

granted in part to the extent that plaintiff is GRANTED an extension of time of 30 

days from the day of service of this order to respond to the discovery defendant served 

on May 23, 2024, and CAUTIONED that any further request for extension of time for 

this purpose will require a detailed showing of good cause and plaintiff’s diligence. 

2. Defendant’s motion to compel (ECF No. 49) is DENIED without prejudice. 

3. On the court’s own motion, the court modifies the case schedule as follows: the time 

for the parties to complete discovery is extended until 60 days following the deadline 

for plaintiff’s responses, and the dispositive motion deadline is extended to 120 days 

after deadline for plaintiff’s responses. 

DATED: November 7, 2024 

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