Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-caed-1_13-cv-01229/USCOURTS-caed-1_13-cv-01229-22/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 550
Nature of Suit: Prisoner - Civil Rights (U.S. defendant)
Cause of Action: 42:1983 Civil Rights Act

---

1

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

Plaintiff Larry William Cortinas is appearing pro se and in forma pauperis in this civil rights 

action pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 1983. 

This case is presently set for an evidentiary hearing on May 13, 2015, at 2:00 p.m. to address 

the issue of exhaustion of the administrative remedies. 

On April 20, 2015, Plaintiff filed “objections” to the Court‟s March 19, 2015, order denying 

his request to expand order setting an evidentiary hearing relating to the issue of exhaustion of the 

administrative remedies. (ECF No. 80.) The Court construes Plaintiff‟s “objections” as a motion for 

reconsideration.

Reconsideration motions are committed to the discretion of the trial court. Rodgers v. Watt, 

711 F.2d 456, 460 (9th Cir. 1983); Combs v. Nick Garin Trucking, 825 F.2d 437, 441 (D.C. Cir.

1987). A party seeking reconsideration must set forth facts or law of a strongly convincing nature to 

induce the court to reverse a prior decision. See, e.g., Kern-Tulare Water Dist. v. City of Bakersfield, 

LARRY WILLIAM CORTINAS,

 Plaintiff,

v.

M. PORTILLO, et al.,

Defendants.

)

)

)

)

)

)

)

)

)

)

Case No.: 1:13-cv-01229-AWI-SAB (PC)

ORDER DENYING PLAINTIFF‟S MOTION FOR 

RECONSIDERATION OF THE COURT‟S 

MARCH 19, 2015, ORDER DENYING REQUEST 

TO EXPAND EVIDENTIARY HEARING

[ECF No. 80]

Case 1:13-cv-01229-AWI-SAB Document 81 Filed 04/24/15 Page 1 of 3
2

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

634 F.Supp. 656, 665 (E.D. Cal. 1986), aff‟d in part and rev‟d in part on other grounds, 828 F.2d 514 

(9th Cir. 1987). 

This Court reviews a motion to reconsider a Magistrate Judge‟s ruling under the “clearly 

erroneous or contrary to law” standard set forth in 28 U.S.C. § 636(b)(1)(A) and Federal Rule of Civil 

Procedure 72(a). As such, the court may only set aside those portions of a Magistrate Judge‟s order 

that are either clearly erroneous or contrary to law. Fed. R. Civ. P. 72(a); see also Grimes v. City and 

County of San Francisco, 951 F.2d 236, 240 (9th Cir.1991) (discovery sanctions are non-dispositive 

pretrial matters that are reviewed for clear error under Fed. R. Civ. P. 72(a)). 

A magistrate judge‟s factual findings are “clearly erroneous” when the district court is left with 

the definite and firm conviction that a mistake has been committed. Security Farms v. International 

Bhd. of Teamsters, 124 F.3d 999, 1014 (9th Cir. 1997); Green v. Baca, 219 F.R.D. 485, 489 (C.D. Cal. 

2003). The “„clearly erroneous‟ standard is significantly deferential.” Concrete Pipe and Products of 

California, Inc. v. Construction Laborers Pension Trust for Southern California, 508 U.S. 602, 623

(1993).

The “contrary to law” standard allows independent, plenary review of purely legal 

determinations by the magistrate judge. See Haines v. Liggett Group, Inc., 975 F.2d 81, 91 (3rd 

Cir.1992); Green, 219 F.R.D. at 489; see also Osband v. Woodford, 290 F.3d 1036, 1041 (9th Cir. 

2002). “An order is contrary to law when it fails to apply or misapplies relevant statutes, case law, or 

rules of procedure.” Knutson v. Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Minn., 254 F.R.D. 553, 556 (D. Minn. 

2008); Rathgaber v. Town of Oyster Bay, 492 F.Supp.2d 130, 137 (E.D.N.Y. 2007); Surles v. Air 

France, 210 F.Supp.2d 501, 502 (S.D.N.Y. 2001); Adolph Coors Co. v. Wallace, 570 F.Supp. 202, 205 

(N.D. Cal. 1983).

In the present motion, Plaintiff merely repeats the allegations set forth in his previous motion, 

which does not present a valid basis for reconsideration. In addition, to the extent Plaintiff is seeking 

discovery of certain documentation, he is again advised the Court granted his request to conduct 

discovery on the limited issue of exhaustion of the administrative remedies on March 27, 2015. (ECF 

No. 67.) Furthermore, as Plaintiff was advised in the Court‟s March 19, 2015, order, he may present 

Case 1:13-cv-01229-AWI-SAB Document 81 Filed 04/24/15 Page 2 of 3
3

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

any evidence, subject to objection by Defendants, as to the two relevant issues framed by the Court to 

be addressed and resolved at the evidentiary hearing. (ECF No. 61.)

Based on the foregoing, Plaintiff‟s motion for reconsideration of the Court‟s March 19, 2015, 

order is DENIED. 

IT IS SO ORDERED.

Dated: April 24, 2015 

UNITED STATES MAGISTRATE JUDGE

Case 1:13-cv-01229-AWI-SAB Document 81 Filed 04/24/15 Page 3 of 3