Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-caed-1_05-cv-01226/USCOURTS-caed-1_05-cv-01226-1/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 450
Nature of Suit: Interstate Commerce
Cause of Action: 28:1331 Fed. Question: Interstate Commerce Act

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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

WESTSIDE FINANCE, LLC., etc., )

)

Plaintiff, )

)

v. )

)

ROADWAY EXPRESS, et al., )

)

Defendant. )

)

)

No. 1:05-cv-1226-OWW DLB 

ORDER REFERRING CASE TO

EARLY NEUTRAL

EVALUATION PROGRAM 

DATE: March 13, 2006 

TIME: 8:30 a.m.

COURTROOM Nine

Magistrate Judge Dennis L.

Beck 

Upon review of the complaint, or pursuant to request by

the parties, the Court finds that this action meets the criteria

for inclusion in the court's Early Neutral Evaluation Program

(ENE).

IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that the parties shall appear 

before the U.S. Magistrate Judge for an ENE Scheduling

Conference, as set forth above. The Scheduling Conference Order 

issued in this matter shall govern the schedule for the action. 

Attendance at the ENE Scheduling Conference is mandatory upon all

counsel. As a Scheduling Order has been issued in this matter,

parties need only comply with paragraph eight of Exhibit "A"

attached hereto. This supplemental report shall be submitted to

the Court one full week prior to the conference. Counsel whose

office is more that 50 miles from the courthouse may make prior

arrangements with the Magistrate Judge's courtroom clerk to

appear telephonically.

 The purpose of the ENE Program is to reduce the cost of

litigation. Toward this end, the program gives litigants an early

opportunity to present their case to a neutral attorney with

considerable experience in the relevant subject area, to see a

comparable presentation by their opponent, to receive an

objective evaluation of the relative strengths and weaknesses of

the parties' positions, to discuss early settlement, and, if no

settlement can be reached, to develop a streamlined discovery

plan that will produce efficiently the information the parties

need to explore the possibility of settlement more thoroughly 

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 There are a few important points that should be highlighted regarding the ENE Program.

 1. Lead trial counsel and their client, or an authorized

representative with settlement authority, will be required to

attend the evaluation session in person.

 2. There is no charge of any kind for the service this

program provides.

 3. You should limit your pre-evaluation discovery to

matters essential to making the evaluation session meaningful.

One of the purposes of ENE is to save the parties some of the

costs of discovery.

 4. You will be required to submit a written statement to

the evaluator (and send a copy to opposing counsel) no less than

(7) calendar days prior to the evaluation session. Such 

statements may not exceed ten pages and shall conform to the

following guidelines:

 (1) Give a brief statement of the facts;

 (2) Identify the pertinent principles of law;

 (3) Identify the legal and factual issues in dispute;

 (4) Address whether there are any legal or factual 

 issues whose early resolution might reduce the

 scope of the dispute or contribute significantly

 to the productivity of settlement discussions;

 (5) Identify the discovery that promises to contribute

 most to meaningful settlement negotiations;

 (6) Identify the person(s) in addition to counsel

 who will attend the session as that party's

 representative with settlement authority.

 5. At the evaluation session you and/or your client will

be expected to make a short (perhaps 15-30 minutes) informal 

presentation of your side of the case, supporting your position

with documents to the extent practicable.

 6. All written and oral statements made in connection

with the evaluation session are absolutely confidential and

cannot be used in any aspect of the case for any purpose. The

evaluator will not communicate with the assigned judge about the

merits of the case or about what occurred at the evaluation

session.

 7. After the parties present their case and answer

questions, the evaluator will explore settlement by caucusing

Case 1:05-cv-01226-OWW -DLB Document 16 Filed 02/01/06 Page 2 of 5
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with the parties, communicating offers and counter offers, and

utilizing mediation techniques to focus the parties and their

attorneys on their chances of success on legal and factual

issues, to quantify that chance of success, and to assess the

costs of continuing to litigate unresolved issues.

 8. If settlement efforts fail, the evaluator will give

his/her opinion of each party's chance of success, the range of

damages, and his/her opinion of the probable outcome if the case

were tried.

 9. The evaluator's assessments and recommendations will

be purely advisory; they will not be communicated to the court

and can have no binding effect on discovery, motion practice, or

other aspects of preparation for trial. Only the assigned judge

can control these matters.

SO ORDERED

Oliver W. Wanger

United States District Judge

By /s/ Greg Lucas

Courtroom Deputy

 

EXHIBIT "A"

At least twenty (20) days before the ENE Scheduling

Conference, the actual trial counsel for all parties shall

conduct and conclude a conference at a time and place arranged by

counsel for the Plaintiff. This conference shall be preferably a

personal conference between counsel, but due to the distances

involved in this District, a telephonic conference call involving

all counsel is permissible. The Joint ENE Scheduling Conference

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Statement shall be filed one week prior to the conference with

the date, time and courtroom of the conference designated on the

title page, and shall respond to the following items by

corresponding number paragraphs:

1. Summary of the factual and legal contentions set

forth in the pleadings of each party, including the relief sought

by any party presently before the Court.

2. Any proposed amendment to the pleadings presently on

file shall be filed by its proponent contemporaneously with the

Scheduling Conference Report. If the matter cannot be resolved

at the Scheduling Conference, the matter will be set as a Motion

to Amend in accordance with the Rules of Practice of the Eastern

District of California.

3. A summary detailing the uncontested and contested

facts.

4. A summary of the legal issues as to which there is

no dispute, i.e., jurisdiction, venue, applicable federal or

state law, etc., as well as a summary of the disputed legal

issues.

5. If any party or parties believe that the case should

not be considered for inclusion in the Early Neutral Evaluation

(ENE) Project, then a statement of reasons in opposition to

and/or in support of inclusion in ENE shall be included.

6. The status of all matters which are presently set

before the Court, i.e., hearing all motions, etc.

7. A discovery plan detailing the discovery necessary

prior to the ENE session, including a firm cut-off date for such

discovery, and a proposed date for disclosure of expert witnesses

if appropriate.

8. Dates agreed to by all counsel for:

(a) Filing the parties' written evaluation

statements (statements must be filed at least

seven (7) calendar days prior to the ENE

session. 

(b) ENE Session date, (the parties are required to

attend and a representative of a corporate or other entity must

possess reasonable settlement authority, as well as authority to

enter into stipulations. Attendance of the attorney expected to

be primarily responsible for the case is also required.

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9. At the conference referred to above, counsel are

encouraged to discuss settlement, and the Court will expect a

statement in the Joint Scheduling Report as to the possibility of

settlement. Counsel shall indicate whether they feel a

settlement conference is desired, and when it should occur, i.e.,

before further discover, after discovery, after pre-trial

motions, etc.

10. A statement as to whether the case is a jury or nonjury case.

11. An estimate of the number of trial days required. 

When counsel cannot agree, each party shall give his or her

estimate.

12. Whether either party requests bifurcation of trial

or has any other suggestion for shortening trial. It should be

noted that all federal tort Claims cases are bifurcated as a

matter of course.

13. Whether this matter is related to any matter pending

in this court or any other court, including any bankruptcy court.

FAILURE TO COMPLY WITH THIS ORDER AND/OR TO APPEAR AT THE

SCHEDULING CONFERENCE WILL RESULT IN THE IMPOSITION OF SANCTIONS

INCLUDING DISMISSAL, STRIKING PLEADINGS AND DEFAULT.

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