Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-caed-2_09-cv-02342/USCOURTS-caed-2_09-cv-02342-24/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

FOR THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

WILLIAM TOWNSEND, JR.,

Plaintiff,

v.

D.K. SISTO, et al.,

Defendants.

No. 2:09-cv-2342 CKD P

NOTICE OF THIS COURT’S EXPEDITED 

TRIAL SETTING PROCEDURES UPON 

CONSENT OF ALL PARTIES

Due to the extraordinarily high case load of the district court judges in this district, trials 

in civil rights actions concerning prison conditions are often conducted by United States 

Magistrate Judges with the consent of all the parties. A trial conducted by a magistrate judge is 

far more likely to proceed on a scheduled trial date. Presently, when a civil trial is set before a 

district judge, any criminal trial which conflicts with the civil trial will take priority, even if the 

civil trial date was set first. Thus, a civil trial set before a district judge is often trailed day to day 

or week to week until the completion of the matter occupying the district court. Consenting to the 

jurisdiction of a magistrate judge for all purposes will generally expedite the resolution of an 

action. 

The parties are therefore reminded of the availability of a United States Magistrate Judge 

to conduct all proceedings in this action. A United States Magistrate Judge is available to 

conduct trials, including entry of final judgment, pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 636(c), Federal Rule of 

Case 2:09-cv-02342-CKD Document 107 Filed 10/15/15 Page 1 of 2
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Civil Procedure 73, and Local Rule 305. Any appeal from a judgment entered by a United States 

Magistrate Judge is taken directly to the United States Court of Appeal for the Ninth Circuit. 

Plaintiff has already consented to magistrate judge jurisdiction. ECF No. 7. If defendants 

also consent, this Court will immediately schedule a trial setting hearing and set a trial date within 

six months. At the trial setting hearing, the court will take all necessary action to facilitate trial 

by the established trial date. Defendants are hereby ordered to notify the court within 14 days 

whether they consent to magistrate judge jurisdiction in this matter. 

Consistent with the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure and the Local Rules of the Eastern 

District, if the matter proceeds to trial under this process, the Court will handle the trial just as 

any other civil case which comes before the Court. 

Withholding consent or declining jurisdiction of a United States Magistrate Judge for all 

purposes will have no effect on the merits of a party’s case or have any adverse substantive 

consequences. If defendants decline consent, the court will most likely order that amended 

pretrial statements be filed, issue a pretrial order and then the case will be handed off to the 

assigned district court judge for trial.

Dated: October 15, 2015

_____________________________________

CAROLYN K. DELANEY

UNITED STATES MAGISTRATE JUDGE

Case 2:09-cv-02342-CKD Document 107 Filed 10/15/15 Page 2 of 2