Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-caed-2_06-cv-00854/USCOURTS-caed-2_06-cv-00854-2/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 820
Nature of Suit: Copyright
Cause of Action: 17:101 Copyright Infringement

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1

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

FOR THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

DONOVAN FORD, Pro Se, dba Weld Pro )

Instructional Video, )

) 2:06-cv-854-GEB-GGH-PS

Plaintiff and Cross-Defendant, )

)

v. ) FINAL PRETRIAL ORDER

)

DARRIUS NELSON, aka a-aaaproductions, )

aka Red Eclipse Productions, )

)

Defendant and Cross-Complainant. )

)

A final pretrial conference was held on August 13, 2007,

at which each party appeared in propria persona. After hearing,

the Court makes the following Order.

I. JURY/NON-JURY

All issues shall be tried to a jury, except for equitable

issues.

II. DISPUTED FACTUAL ISSUES

Mr. Nelson asserts this lawsuit involves a dispute over

whether he is the fifty percent owner of a welding DVD or video. 

Mr. Nelson also argues that Mr. Ford has sold Mr. Nelson’s created

DVD without paying Mr. Nelson his share of the proceeds.

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1 This portion of the Order does not affect the parties’

obligations to timely comply with witness disclosure requirements

provided in the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, the Local Rules,

or by Order of this Court.

2

Mr. Ford asserts Mr. Nelson has wrongfully copied some of

Mr. Ford’s welding instructional DVD, and that Mr. Nelson has

fraudulently sought copyright registration of those portions of Mr.

Ford’s welding DVD and sold the DVD on eBay.

III. WITNESSES1

A. Plaintiff and cross-defendant (“Plaintiff”)

anticipates calling the witnesses listed in section 10 of

Plaintiff’s pretrial statement.

B. Defendant and cross-complainant (“Defendant”)

anticipates calling the witnesses listed in the Witness List

attached to Defendant’s pretrial statement.

C. Each party may call a witness designated by the

other.

D. No person, other than those named on these witness

lists, will be permitted to testify unless:

(1) The party offering the witness demonstrates that

the witness is for the purpose of rebutting evidence which could

not reasonably be anticipated at the pretrial conference; or

(2) The witness was discovered after the pretrial

conference and the proffering party makes the showing required in

“E”, below.

E. If a witness is discovered after the pretrial

conference, the party offering the witness shall promptly inform

the Court and opposing party of the existence of the unlisted

witness so that the Court may consider at trial whether the witness

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2 This portion of the Order does not affect the parties’

obligations to timely comply with disclosure requirements provided

in the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, the Local Rules, or by

Order of this Court.

3

shall be permitted to testify. The witness will be not be

permitted to testify unless:

(1) The witness could not reasonably have been

discovered prior to pretrial;

(2) The Court and opposing party were promptly

notified upon discovery of the witness;

(3) If time permitted, the party offered the witness

for deposition; and

(4) If time did not permit, a reasonable summary of

the witness’ testimony was provided to the opposing party.

IV. EXHIBITS2

A. Plaintiff anticipates offering the exhibits listed in

section 11 of Plaintiff’s pretrial statement.

B. Defendant anticipates offering the exhibits listed in

the Exhibit List attached to Defendant’s pretrial statement.

C. No other exhibits will be permitted to be introduced

unless:

(1) The party seeking to use the unlisted exhibit

demonstrates that the exhibit is being used to rebut evidence which

could not reasonably have been anticipated at the pretrial

conference; or

(2) The unlisted exhibit was discovered after the

pretrial conference and the offering party makes the showing

required in paragraph “D”, below.

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28 3 The parties have leave to file joint exhibits. The above

(continued...)

4

D. Any party proposing to introduce an exhibit which was

discovered after the pretrial conference shall promptly notify the

Court and opposing party of the existence of such exhibit. The

Court will not permit any such exhibit to be introduced unless it

finds:

(1) That the exhibit could not reasonably have been

discovered prior to the pretrial conference;

(2) The Court and opposing party were promptly

informed of the exhibit’s existence; and

(3) That the offering party has delivered a copy of

the exhibit to the opposing party, or, if the exhibit may not be

copied, that the offering party has made the exhibit reasonably

available for inspection by the opposing party. 

E. Plaintiff's exhibits shall be numbered and marked

with colored stickers provided by the Court while Defendant's

exhibits shall be designated by alphabetical letter also marked

with colored stickers provided by the Court. To obtain stickers,

parties should contact the Clerk of Court at (916) 930-4000.

The parties are directed to exchange with each other, at

least twenty (20) court days prior to the date on which trial

commences, copies of all of their respective exhibits, marked with

exhibit stickers provided by the Court. Within five (5) court days

after receipt and examination of the exhibits, each party shall

file with the Court and serve upon the opposing party objections,

if any, to the exhibits, referencing the exhibits as marked by

exhibit sticker and specifying the basis for each objection.3

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28 3

(...continued)

procedure is designed for separate exhibits.

5

Failure to exchange exhibits as ordered could result in the exhibit

not being used at trial and/or the imposition of sanctions. The

failure to make objections in the manner prescribed by this section

shall constitute a waiver of objections. A party seeking to admit

into evidence an exhibit to which no objection was made must

identify said exhibit for the record and then move it into

evidence. 

Each party shall produce all exhibits to the Clerk's

Office no later than 4:00 p.m. on the Friday before the date on

which trial is scheduled to commence. At that time, the parties

shall also furnish the Court with a copy of each exhibit, unless

the exhibit is physically incapable of being reproduced. Failure

to produce exhibits as ordered could result in waiver of the right

to offer those exhibits. Each party submitting exhibits shall

furnish a list to the Court, the courtroom deputy and the opposing

party itemizing the exhibits. 

V. FURTHER DISCOVERY OR MOTIONS

Pursuant to the Court’s Pretrial Scheduling Order, all

discovery and law and motion was to have been completed prior to

the date of the final pretrial conference. That order is

confirmed. The parties are, of course, free to conduct any

additional discovery they desire pursuant to informal agreement. 

However, any such agreement will not be enforceable in this Court.

VI. SETTLEMENT NEGOTIATIONS

No settlement conference is scheduled in this matter. If

the parties believe that a settlement conference would be

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4 As explained in United States v. Blouin, 666 F.2d 796,

798 (2d Cir. 1981), “the goal of the ‘struck jury’ system is to

whittle down an initially selected group . . . [to the amount of

jurors] who will serve as the petit jury.” The selected group

consists of the jurors who will hear the case, plus the number of

jurors required to enable the parties to use the combined number of

peremptory challenges allotted to both sides for striking jurors

from the group. Typically extra jurors are included in the select

group in the event the minimum amount of jurors required for the

“struck system” is reduced “for cause” or some other reason.

6

productive and facilitate resolution of this case, the parties may

contact the Court. If the Court schedules a settlement conference

at the request of the parties, each party would be directed to have

a principal with authority to settle the case on any terms present

at the settlement conference. 

In addition, each party would have to submit a settlement

conference statement directly to the chambers of the settlement

judge, five (5) court days prior to the settlement conference. 

Such statements would not have to be filed with the clerk nor

served on the opposing party. However, each would be required to

notify the other party or parties that the statement was submitted

to the judge's chambers.

VII. JURY INSTRUCTIONS AND TRIAL BRIEFS

Trial briefs and proposed jury instructions are to be

filed as stated in the Local Rules of this Court.

VIII. USE OF STRUCK JURY SELECTION SYSTEM

Eight jurors will be impaneled. The “struck jury” system

will be used to select the jury.4 At the beginning of the voir

dire process, approximately eighteen prospective jurors, randomly

selected by the Jury Administrator, will be seated for voir dire. 

The order of the jurors’ random selection is reflected by the order

in which they will be seated. The first randomly selected juror

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7

will be in jury seat number one, which is at the extreme right-hand

side of the jury box in the top row as the jury box is viewed from

the well of the courtroom. The eighth juror will be in the eighth

seat. The ninth selected juror will occupy the seat located at the

extreme right-hand side of the jury box in the bottom row. The

fifteenth seat will be in the left-hand side of that row. Three

chairs will be placed in front of the jury box. The sixteenth

juror will occupy the seat on the right and the eighteenth juror

will occupy the seat on the left. The first eight jurors on a

list, which shall be given to the parties, will constitute the

petit jury unless one or more of those eight is excused for some

reason. Assuming that the first and fifth jurors on the list are

excused, the second listed juror becomes the first, and the other

jurors’ numbers are changed accordingly, with the ninth juror on

the list becoming seventh on the list; however, the jurors continue

to be identified by their original numbers.

Following the voir dire questioning, each side will take

turns exercising its three allotted peremptory strikes. If a side

elects to pass rather than exercise a particular peremptory

challenge, that challenge is waived.

IX. TRIAL DATE

Trial to a jury will commence on October 16, 2007. A

trial day will commence at 9:00 a.m. and will adjourn at

approximately 4:30 p.m. Each side has ten minutes within which to

make an opening statement to the jury and thirty minutes within

which to make a closing argument. Each party shall call Shani 

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Furstenau, Courtroom Deputy, at (916) 930-4114, one week prior to

trial to ascertain the status of the trial date.

IT IS SO ORDERED.

Dated: August 14, 2007

 

GARLAND E. BURRELL, JR.

United States District Judge

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