Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-casd-3_16-cv-00632/USCOURTS-casd-3_16-cv-00632-0/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 362
Nature of Suit: Medical Malpractice
Cause of Action: 28:2671 Federal Tort Claims Act (Definitions)

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16CV632-BTM(JMA)

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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

CENENA HUGHES; TANISHEA 

HUGHES; ALEXANDER HUGHES, III; 

and AARON HUGHES,

Plaintiffs,

v.

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,

Defendant.

Case No.: 16CV632-BTM(JMA)

NOTICE AND ORDER FOR EARLY 

NEUTRAL EVALUATION 

CONFERENCE

IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that an Early Neutral Evaluation Conference will 

be held on August 18, 2016 at 10:00 a.m. in the chambers of the Honorable Jan 

M. Adler, United States Magistrate Judge, Edward J. Schwartz United States 

Courthouse, 221 West Broadway, San Diego, California. 

Pursuant to Rule 16.1(c) of the Local Rules of the United States District 

Court for the Southern District of California, all named parties, all counsel, and 

any other person(s) whose authority is required to negotiate and enter into 

settlement shall appear in person at the conference, shall be prepared to 

discuss the claims and defenses, and shall be legally and factually prepared to 

discuss and resolve the case at the Early Neutral Evaluation Conference. The 

individual(s) present at the Early Neutral Evaluation Conference with 

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16CV632-BTM(JMA)

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settlement authority must have the unfettered discretion and authority on 

behalf of the party to: 1) fully explore all settlement options and to agree 

during the Early Neutral Evaluation Conference to any settlement terms 

acceptable to the party (G. Heileman Brewing Co., Inc. v. Joseph Oat Corp., 

871 F.2d 648, 653 (7th Cir. 1989)), 2) change the settlement position of a 

party during the course of the Early Neutral Evaluation Conference (Pitman 

v. Brinker Int'l, Inc., 216 F.R.D. 481, 485-86 (D. Ariz. 2003)), and 3) negotiate 

a settlement without being restricted by any predetermined level of 

authority (Nick v. Morgan's Foods, Inc., 270 F.3d 590, 596 (8th Cir. 2001)).

Governmental entities may appear through litigation counsel only. As to all 

other parties, appearance by litigation counsel only is not acceptable. Retained 

outside corporate counsel shall not appear on behalf of a corporation as the party 

who has the authority to negotiate and enter into a settlement. The failure of 

any counsel, party or authorized person to appear at the Early Neutral 

Evaluation Conference as required will result in the immediate imposition 

of sanctions.

All conference discussions will be informal, off the record, privileged, and 

confidential.

Counsel for any non-English speaking parties is responsible for arranging 

for the appearance of an interpreter at the conference.

Although the submission of statements is not required in advance of the 

Early Neutral Evaluation Conference, parties may submit concise statements if 

desired. If a statement is submitted, it shall be provided to chambers no later 

than one week prior to the scheduled conference.1 If the parties submit 

 

1 Statements under 20 pages in length, including attachments and exhibits, may be e-mailed to 

efile_adler@casd.uscourts.gov, faxed to (619) 702-9939, or delivered to chambers via the 

Office of the Clerk of Court at 333 West Broadway, Suite 420, San Diego, California. 

Statements exceeding 20 pages in length, including attachments and exhibits, must be 

delivered to chambers via the Office of the Clerk of Court.

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16CV632-BTM(JMA)

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statements in connection with the Early Neutral Evaluation Conference, they may 

either do so on a confidential basis or may exchange their statements.

Rule 26 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure shall apply to this case. All 

discovery shall be stayed until after the Rule 26(f) conference, unless otherwise 

permitted by Rule 26(d)(1).

In the event the case does not settle at the Early Neutral Evaluation 

Conference, the parties shall also be prepared to discuss the following matters at 

the conclusion of the conference:

1. Any anticipated objections under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 

26(a)(1) to the initial disclosure provisions of Rule 26(a)(1)(A-E);

2. The scheduling of the Rule 26(f) conference;

3. The date of initial disclosures and the date for lodging the discovery 

plan following the Rule 26(f) conference; and

4. The scheduling of a Case Management Conference pursuant to Rule 

16(b).

Plaintiff's(s') counsel shall give notice of the Early Neutral Evaluation 

Conference to parties responding to the complaint after July 1, 2016.

Questions regarding this case may be directed to the Magistrate Judge's 

law clerk at (619) 557-5585.2

IT IS SO ORDERED.

Dated: July 1, 2016

 

2 Judge Adler's Chambers Rules are posted on the Court's website.

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NOTICE OF RIGHT TO CONSENT TO TRIAL

BEFORE A UNITED STATES MAGISTRATE JUDGE

IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE PROVISIONS OF 28 U.S.C. § 636(c), YOU 

ARE HEREBY NOTIFIED THAT A U.S. MAGISTRATE JUDGE OF THIS 

DISTRICT MAY, UPON THE CONSENT OF ALL PARTIES, ON FORM 1A 

AVAILABLE IN THE CLERK'S OFFICE, CONDUCT ANY OR ALL 

PROCEEDINGS, INCLUDING A JURY OR NON-JURY TRIAL, AND ORDER 

THE ENTRY OF A FINAL JUDGMENT. COUNSEL FOR THE PLAINTIFF 

SHALL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR OBTAINING THE CONSENT OF ALL 

PARTIES, SHOULD THEY DESIRE TO CONSENT.

YOU SHOULD BE AWARE THAT YOUR DECISION TO CONSENT OR 

NOT TO CONSENT IS ENTIRELY VOLUNTARY AND SHOULD BE 

COMMUNICATED SOLELY TO THE CLERK OF COURT. ONLY IF ALL 

PARTIES CONSENT WILL THE JUDGE OR MAGISTRATE JUDGE TO WHOM 

THE CASE HAS BEEN ASSIGNED BE INFORMED OF YOUR DECISION.

JUDGMENTS OF THE U.S. MAGISTRATE JUDGES ARE APPEALABLE 

TO THE U.S. COURT OF APPEALS IN ACCORDANCE WITH THIS STATUTE 

AND THE FEDERAL RULES OF APPELLATE PROCEDURE.

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