Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-caed-2_04-cv-00697/USCOURTS-caed-2_04-cv-00697-17/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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IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

FOR THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

TOMMY ROY KEETON,

Plaintiff, No. CIV S-04-0697 ALA P

vs.

SERGEANT CAROLL, et al.,

Defendants. REVISED SCHEDULING ORDER

____________________________/

Pursuant to Rule 16(b) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, the court will, by this

order, set a revised schedule for this litigation.

At the trial of this case, the 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 the 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 the 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.

I. Procedures for Obtaining Attendance of Incarcerated Witnesses Who Agree to Testify

Voluntarily. An incarcerated witness who agrees voluntarily to attend trial to give 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:

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1. The prospective witness is willing to attend; and

2. The prospective witness has actual knowledge of relevant facts.

With the pretrial statement, a party intending to introduce the testimony of incarcerated

witnesses who have agreed voluntarily to attend the trial must serve and file 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, CDC Identification number, and address of each such witness; 

and

2. Be accompanied by affidavits showing that each witness is willing to testify

and that each witness has actual knowledge of relevant facts.

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

1. The party himself can swear by affidavit that the prospective witness has

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

subpoenaed. The party must state in the affidavit when and where the prospective

witness informed the party of this willingness; or 

2. The party can serve and file an affidavit sworn to by the prospective witness,

in which the witness states that he or she is willing to testify without being

subpoenaed.

The prospective witness’ actual knowledge of relevant facts can be shown in one of two

ways:

1. The party himself can swear by affidavit that the prospective witness has

actual knowledge. However, this can be done only if the party has actual

firsthand knowledge that the prospective witness was an eyewitness or an

ear-witness to the relevant facts. For example, if an incident occurred in the

plaintiff’s cell and, at the time, the plaintiff saw that a cellmate was present and

observed the incident, the plaintiff may swear to the cellmate’s ability to testify.

Or

2. The party can serve and file an affidavit sworn to 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 affidavit is made by the plaintiff or by

the prospective witness, it must be specific about what the incident was, when and

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where it occurred, who was present, and how the 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’ 

custodian to bring the witness to court. 

II. 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 pretrial 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.

III. 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’ voluntary attendance to notify the witness of the time and date of trial. No action need

be sought or obtained from the court.

IV. 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, not earlier than four weeks and not later than two weeks before trial, the party must

prepare and submit to the United States Marshal a subpoena for service by the Marshal upon the

witness. (Blank subpoena forms may be obtained from the Clerk of the Court.) Also, the party

seeking the witness’ presence must tender an appropriate sum of money to the witness through

the United States Marshal. In the case of an unincarcerated witness, the appropriate sum of

money is the daily witness fee of $40.00 plus the witness’ travel expenses.

A subpoena will not be served by the United States Marshal upon an unincarcerated

witness unless the subpoena is accompanied by a money order made payable to the witness for

the full amount of the witness’ travel expenses plus the daily witness fee of $40.00, and a copy

of the court’s order granting plaintiff in forma pauperis status. As noted earlier, 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.

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/////

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Good cause appearing, pursuant to Rule 16(b) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure,

THIS COURT ORDERS THAT this matter is set for jury trial before the Honorable Arthur L.

Alarcón on July 8, 2008 at 9:00 a.m. in Courtroom to be determined.

/////

DATED: December 11, 2008

/s/ Arthur L. Alarcón 

 UNITED STATES CIRCUIT JUDGE

Sitting by Designation

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