Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-caed-1_13-cv-01659/USCOURTS-caed-1_13-cv-01659-10/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

EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

ESS’NN A. AUBERT, 

 Plaintiff,

 v.

E. MADRUGA, et al.,

 Defendants.

1:13-cv-01659-DAD-EPG (PC)

SCHEDULING ORDER FOLLOWING 

STATUS CONFERENCE HELD ON 

SEPTEMBER 28, 2016

Settlement Conference: November, 1, 2016, 

at 11:00 a.m. in Courtroom 10 (EPG)

Pretrial Conference: December 5, 2016, at 

1:30 p.m. in Courtroom 5 (DAD)

Jury Trial: January 31, 2017, at 8:30 a.m. 

in Courtroom 5 (DAD)

Ess’nn A. Aubert ("Plaintiff") is a state prisoner proceeding pro se with this civil rights 

action under 42 U.S.C. § 1983. Plaintiff filed the Complaint commencing this action on 

October 15, 2013. (ECF No. 1). This action now proceeds on Plaintiff's claims against

defendants E. Madruga and B. Hobbs. (ECF No. 11).

On September 28, 2016, the Court held a Scheduling Conference. Plaintiff and Counsel 

for Defendants appeared by phone. Pursuant to Fed. R. Civ. P. 16(b) (and as discussed at the 

Telephonic Status Conference), this Court now sets a schedule for this action.

Case 1:13-cv-01659-DAD-EPG Document 57 Filed 10/03/16 Page 1 of 7
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1. SETTLEMENT CONFERENCE

A settlement conference has been scheduled for November 1, 2016, at 11:00 a.m. in 

Courtroom 10 before Magistrate Judge Erica P. Grosjean. 

Unless otherwise permitted in advance by the Court, the attorneys who will try the case 

shall appear at the Settlement Conference. Additionally, the parties and the person or persons 

having full authority to negotiate and settle the case on any terms must be present at the 

Settlement Conference. Government entities may appear through litigation counsel only, but 

must have immediate access to the individual with settlement authority. The failure of any 

counsel, party or authorized person subject to this order to appear in person may result in the 

imposition of sanctions. Consideration of settlement is a serious matter that requires 

preparation prior to the Settlement Conference. Set forth below are the procedures the Court 

will employ when conducting the Settlement Conference.

Confidential Settlement Statements

At least seven (7) days prior to the settlement conference, each party shall submit a 

Confidential Settlement Conference Statement directly to the chambers of the judge who is 

conducting the settlement conference, and file a Notice of Submission of the Confidential 

Settlement Conference Statement with the Clerk of the Court (See L.R. 270(d)).1The 

statement shall not be filed on the docket or served on any other party. Each statement shall be 

clearly marked "confidential" with the date and time of the settlement conference clearly noted 

on the first page. The Confidential Settlement Conference Statement shall include the 

following:

A. A brief statement of the facts of the case.

B. A brief statement of the claims and defenses, i.e., statutory or other grounds 

 

1 The Minutes that were docketed on 09/28/16 state that “each party shall submit directly to 

Judge Grosjeans [sic] chambers at epgorders@caed.uscourts.gov, a confidential settlement conference statement.” 

The Court notes that Plaintiff has leave to mail his Confidential Settlement Conference Statement to: Chambers of 

Magistrate Judge Erica P. Grosjean, United States District Court, 2500 Tulare Street, Room 1501, Fresno, 

California 93721.

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upon which the claims are founded; a forthright evaluation of the parties' 

likelihood of prevailing on the claims and defenses; and a description of the 

major issues in dispute.

C. A summary of the proceedings to date.

D. An estimate of the cost and time to be expended for further discovery, pretrial 

and trial. 

E. The relief sought.

F. The party's position on settlement, including present demands and offers and a 

history of past settlement discussions, offers and demands. 

II. MAGISTRATE JUDGE JURISDICTION

The parties have declined the jurisdiction of a Magistrate Judge pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 

636(c). (ECF No. 31). 

III. PRETRIAL CONFERENCE

The Pretrial Conference is set for hearing on December 5, 2016, at 1:30 p.m., in 

Courtroom 5, before District Judge Dale A. Drozd. In addition to the matters already required 

to be addressed in the pretrial statement in accordance with Local Rule 281, Plaintiff will be 

required to make a particularized showing in order to obtain the attendance of witnesses. The 

procedures and requirements for making such a showing are outlined in detail below. Plaintiff 

is advised that failure to comply with the procedures set forth below may result in the 

preclusion of any or all witnesses named in his pretrial statement. 

At the trial of this case, Plaintiff must be prepared to introduce evidence to prove each 

of the alleged facts that support the claims raised in the lawsuit. In general, there are two kinds 

of trial evidence: (1) exhibits and (2) the testimony of witnesses. It is Plaintiff=s responsibility 

to produce all of the evidence to prove his case, whether that evidence is in the form of exhibits 

or witness testimony. If Plaintiff wants to call witnesses to testify, he must follow certain 

procedures to ensure that the witnesses will be at the trial and available to testify.

A. Procedures for Obtaining Attendance of Incarcerated Witnesses Who Agree to 

Testify Voluntarily - An incarcerated witness who agrees voluntarily to attend trial to give 

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testimony cannot come to Court unless this Court orders the warden or other custodian to 

permit the witness to be transported to Court. This Court will not issue such an order unless it 

is satisfied that: (a) the prospective witness is willing to attend; and (b) the prospective witness 

has actual knowledge of relevant facts.

A party intending to introduce the testimony of incarcerated witnesses who have agreed 

voluntarily to attend the trial must serve and file concurrent with the pretrial statement a written 

motion for a Court order requiring that such witnesses be brought to Court at the time of trial. 

The motion must: (1) state the name, address, and prison identification number of each such 

witness; and (2) be accompanied by declarations showing that each witness is willing to testify 

and that each witness has actual knowledge of relevant facts. The motion should be entitled 

AMotion for Attendance of Incarcerated Witnesses.@

The willingness of the prospective witness can be shown in one of two ways: (1) the 

party himself can swear by declaration under penalty of perjury that the prospective witness has 

informed the party that he or she is willing to testify voluntarily without being subpoenaed, in 

which declaration the party must state when and where the prospective witness informed the 

party of this willingness; or (2) the party can serve and file a declaration, signed under penalty 

of perjury by the prospective witness, in which the witness states that he or she is willing to 

testify without being subpoenaed.

The prospective witness=s actual knowledge of relevant facts can be shown in one of 

two ways: (1) if the party has actual firsthand knowledge that the prospective witness was an 

eyewitness or an ear-witness to the relevant facts (i.e., if an incident occurred in plaintiff=s cell 

and, at the time, plaintiff saw that a cellmate was present and observed the incident, plaintiff 

may swear to the cellmate=s ability to testify), the party himself can swear by declaration under 

penalty of perjury that the prospective witness has actual knowledge; or (2) the party can serve 

and file a declaration signed under penalty of perjury by the prospective witness in which the 

witness describes the relevant facts to which the prospective witness was an eye- or 

ear-witness. Whether the declaration is made by the party or by the prospective witness, it 

must be specific about the incident, when and where it occurred, who was present, and how the 

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prospective witness happened to be in a position to see or to hear what occurred at the time it 

occurred.

The Court will review and rule on the motion for attendance of incarcerated witnesses, 

specifying which prospective witnesses must be brought to Court. Subsequently, the Court will 

issue the order necessary to cause the witness’s custodian to bring the witness to Court. 

Motions for the attendance of incarcerated witnesses, if any, must be filed on or 

before November 1, 2016. Oppositions, if any, must be filed on or before December 1, 

2016. 

B. Procedures for Obtaining Attendance of Incarcerated Witnesses Who Refuse to 

Testify Voluntarily - If a party seeks to obtain the attendance of incarcerated witnesses who 

refuse to testify voluntarily, the party should submit with his pre-trial statement a motion for 

the attendance of such witnesses. Such motion should be in the form described above. In 

addition, the party must indicate in the motion that the incarcerated witnesses are not willing to 

testify voluntarily.

C. Procedures for Obtaining Attendance of Unincarcerated Witnesses Who Agree 

to Testify Voluntarily - It is the responsibility of the party who has secured an unincarcerated 

witness=s voluntary attendance to notify the witness of the time and date of trial. No action 

need be sought or obtained from the Court.

D. Procedures for Obtaining Attendance of Unincarcerated Witnesses Who Refuse 

to Testify Voluntarily - If a prospective witness is not incarcerated, and he or she refuses to 

testify voluntarily, the witness must be served with a subpoena. Fed. R. Civ. P. 45. In addition, 

the party seeking the witness=s presence must tender an appropriate sum of money for the 

witness. Id. In the case of an unincarcerated witness, the appropriate sum of money is the 

daily witness fee of $40.00 plus the witness=s travel expenses. 28 U.S.C. ' 1821. 

If Plaintiff wishes to obtain the attendance of one or more unincarcerated witnesses who 

refuse to testify voluntarily, Plaintiff must first notify the Court in writing of the name and 

location of each unincarcerated witness. The Court will calculate the travel expense for each 

unincarcerated witness and notify Plaintiff of the amount(s). Plaintiff must then, for each 

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witness, submit a money order made payable to the witness for the full amount of the witness=s 

travel expenses plus the daily witness fee of $40.00. The subpoena will not be served upon the 

unincarcerated witness by the United States Marshal unless the money order is tendered to the 

Court. Because no statute authorizes the use of public funds for these expenses in civil cases, 

the tendering of witness fees and travel expenses is required even if the party was granted leave 

to proceed in forma pauperis.

If Plaintiff wishes to have the Marshal serve any unincarcerated witnesses who 

refuse to testify voluntarily, Plaintiff must submit the money orders to the court no later 

than December 1, 2016. In order to ensure timely submission of the money orders, 

Plaintiff must notify the Court of the names and locations of his witnesses, in compliance 

with step D above, no later than November 1, 2016. 

The parties are advised that failure to file pre-trial statements as required by this order 

may result in the imposition of appropriate sanctions, which may include dismissal of the 

action or entry of default.

IV. TRIAL DATE

The Trial is set for January 31, 2017, at 8:30 a.m. in Courtroom 5, before District Judge 

Dale A. Drozd. As the Court noted at the Telephonic Status Conference, Judge Dale A. Drozd 

has several other trials set on the same day. If one or more of those trials proceed, instead of 

this trial being canceled, this trial will trail the other trial(s).

V. EFFECT OF THIS ORDER

This order represents the Court and the parties’ best estimated schedule to complete this 

case. Any party unable to comply with the dates outlined in this order shall immediately file an 

appropriate motion or stipulation identifying the requested modification(s).

The dates set in this Order are considered to be firm and will not be modified absent a 

showing of good cause, even if a stipulation to modify is filed. Due to the impacted nature of 

the civil case docket, this Court disfavors requests to modify established dates.

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Failure to comply with this order shall result in the imposition of sanctions.

IT IS SO ORDERED.

Dated: October 3, 2016 /s/

UNITED STATES MAGISTRATE JUDGE

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