Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-caed-2_19-cv-02441/USCOURTS-caed-2_19-cv-02441-0/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 440
Nature of Suit: Other Civil Rights
Cause of Action: 42:1983 Civil Rights Act

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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

FOR THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

ESTATE OF HAILE NEIL, et al.,

Plaintiffs,

v.

COUNTY OF COLUSA, et al.,

Defendants.

No. 2:19-cv-2441 TLN DB PS

ORDER

On April 13, 2020, defendants filed a motion for protective order and noticed the motion 

for hearing before the undersigned pursuant to Local Rule 302(c)(1). (ECF No. 21.) The motion 

is set for hearing on June 19, 2020. (ECF No. 22.) The parties filed a Joint Statement re 

Discovery Disagreement pursuant to Local Rule 251 on June 12, 2020. (ECF No. 23.) 

Plaintiffs assert that “Defendants’ counsel did not adequately meet-and-confer with 

Plaintiffs’ counsel, prior to filling the instant motion.” (Id. at 8.) Defendants argue that they 

“have exhausted meet and confer efforts . . . before filing the instant motion.” (Id. at 10.) 

However, the undersigned’s Standard Information re discovery disputes set forth on the court’s 

web page explains that parties must meet and confer prior to filing a discovery motion and “must 

again confer in person or via telephone or video conferencing” prior to the filing of the joint 

statement. See http://www.caed.uscourts.gov/caednew/index.cfm/judges/all-judges/united-statesmagistrate-judge-deborah-barnes-db.

Case 2:19-cv-02441-TLN-DB Document 24 Filed 06/16/20 Page 1 of 2
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Moreover, the undersigned’s Standard Information also explains that joint statements filed 

before the undersigned shall not exceed twenty-five pages, excluding exhibits.

1

 See

http://www.caed.uscourts.gov/caednew/index.cfm/judges/all-judges/united-states-magistratejudge-deborah-barnes-db. Here, the parties’ joint statement exceeds the undersigned’s twentyfive-page limit. Accordingly, defendants’ motion will be denied without prejudice to renewal and 

the June 19, 2020 hearing vacated. However, the undersigned has reviewed the parties’ Joint 

Statement and will provide some guidance, should the parties find it helpful during meet and 

confer. 

In this regard, plaintiffs contend that this “discovery dispute concerns Defendant County’s 

request for issuance of a ‘blanket’ protective order[.]” (ECF No. 23 at 4.) Defendants, however, 

explain that the dispute involves only “the production of three Internal Affairs . . . investigations 

and related materials,” which defendants are willing to produce “pursuant to a protective order[.]” 

(Id. at 6.) And defendants explain that 

. . . the protective order would merely allow Defendants to initially 

designate the documents as confidential. If Plaintiffs disagree with 

the designation, all Plaintiffs would have to do is inform Defendants’

counsel that they disagree with the designation, and the burden would 

shift back to Defendants to file a Motion for Protective Order to get 

a Court ruling that the documents are confidential or Plaintiff would 

be allowed to publicly share them. That way, Plaintiffs would have 

been able to review the documents before potentially unnecessarily 

involving the Court.

(Id. at 7.) Without commenting on the parties’ specific dispute, the procedure described by 

defendants is consistent with the undersigned’s experience when dealing with such documents. 

Accordingly, IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that:

1. Defendants’ April 13, 2020 motion for protective order (ECF No. 21) is denied without 

prejudice to renewal; and 

2. The June 19, 2020 hearing is vacated. 

DATED: June 16, 2020 /s/ DEBORAH BARNES 

UNITED STATES MAGISTRATE JUDGE

1 The parties are advised that title pages, tables of contents, tables of citations, etc., all count 

toward the twenty-five-page limit. 

Case 2:19-cv-02441-TLN-DB Document 24 Filed 06/16/20 Page 2 of 2