Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-caed-2_03-cv-00166/USCOURTS-caed-2_03-cv-00166-0/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 710
Nature of Suit: Fair Labor Standards Act
Cause of Action: 28:1331 Fed. Question: Fair Labor Standards

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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

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JAIME HUGHES, MARY CORONADO, 

AUDREY MILLS, VIRGINIA

CARDOZA, KAREN DELUCCHI,

JOLENE GIBSON, BARBARA

HEDRICK, SUZANNE HENNING, WILL

JOHNSON, LINDA MAGER, MARIA

MACIAS, CARL MORROW, CANDICE

PRICE, VIRGINIA RUIZ, CARMEN

SIMMONS, TREASA TREDWELL,

MARINA TORRES, SHEILA WALL,

LORIE WEISS and KATHI LYNN

CORONADO,

NO. CIV. S 03-0166 MCE DAD

Plaintiffs,

v. ORDER

CITY OF STOCKTON and DOES 1

through 100, in their

individual capacities,

Defendants.

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The Court’s Final Pretrial Order of May 17, 2005 provided

that the issue of liability and damages in this case will be

bifurcated and tried separately. Defendant City of Stockton now

objects to that portion of the Final Pretrial Order and asks the

Case 2:03-cv-00166-MCE -DAD Document 136 Filed 05/31/05 Page 1 of 2
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Court to permit a single trial. Defendant argues that because

questions of liability and damage are intertwined, judicial

efficiency is promoted by determining both issues in a single

proceeding.

Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 42(b) allows bifurcation “in

furtherance of convenience or to avoid prejudice, or when

separate trials will be conducive to expedition and economy.” 

Whether to bifurcate a trial into liability and damages phases is

committed to the sound discretion of the trial court (Union

Carbide v. Montell N.V., 28 F. Supp. 2d 833, 837 (S.D.N.Y.

1998)), and the court’s decision in that regard may be disturbed

only upon a showing of clear abuse. Alexander v. Fulton County,

Ga., 207 F.3d 1303, 1325 (11 Cir. 2000). th

Defendant’s objection is overruled. Following further

reflection, and after carefully considering the parties’

arguments, the Court continues to find that bifurcation is

appropriate in this case. Assessing the threshold liability

question of whether Defendant’s method in compensating overtime

was proper should be determined before issues pertaining to the

individual damage claims asserted by the twenty (20) different

Plaintiffs are even considered. 

IT IS SO ORDERED.

DATED: May 27, 2005

___________________________________

MORRISON C. ENGLAND, JR

UNITED STATES DISTRICT JUDGE

Case 2:03-cv-00166-MCE -DAD Document 136 Filed 05/31/05 Page 2 of 2