Document ID: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-caed-1_19-cv-01087/USCOURTS-caed-1_19-cv-01087-2/pdf.json

Parties Involved:
Antwaine Butler
Plaintiff
B. Johnson
Defendant

Document Text:

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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

Plaintiff Antwaine Butler is a state prisoner proceeding pro se in this civil rights action 

pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 1983. 

Because it takes years to get to trial, the Court has identified this case as an appropriate case 

for post-screening ADR (Alternative Dispute Resolution), which is an effort to resolve such cases 

more expeditiously and less expensively. No claims, defenses, or objections shall be waived by the 

parties’ participation. In appropriate cases, defense counsel from the California State Attorney 

General’s Office has agreed to participate in these early settlements.

As set forth in the e-service order, Plaintiff has stated a cognizable civil rights claim. 

However, stating a cognizable claim does not mean that Plaintiff will prevail at trial. Thus, the Court 

stays this action for a period of 70 days to allow the parties to investigate Plaintiff’s claims, meet and 

confer, and then participate in a settlement conference.

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ANTWAINE BUTLER,

 Plaintiff,

v.

B. JOHNSON,

Defendant.

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Case No.: 1:19-cv-01087-DAD-BAM (PC)

ORDER REFERRING CASE TO POSTSCREENING ADR AND STAYING CASE FOR 70

DAYS

Date: April 29, 2020

Time: 11:30 a.m.

Place: Courtroom 9 (SAB)

Before the Honorable Stanley A. Boone

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Therefore, this case will be referred to Magistrate Judge Stanley A. Boone to conduct a 

settlement conference at the United States Courthouse in Fresno, California on April 29, 2020, at 

11:30 a.m. The Court will issue the necessary transportation order in due course. 

In issuing this order, there is a presumption that this case will proceed to a settlement 

conference. However, if after investigating Plaintiff’s claims and speaking with Plaintiff, and after 

conferring with others, defense counsel in good faith finds that a settlement conference would be a 

waste of resources, defense counsel may move to opt out of this early settlement conference. A 

written notice to opt out must be filed within thirty (30) days of the date of the issuance of this order.

The parties shall each submit to Magistrate Judge Stanley A. Boone a confidential settlement 

conference statement, as described below, to arrive at least seven days (one week) prior to the 

conference. 

The Court puts the parties on notice that if Plaintiff has any outstanding criminal restitution 

obligation, fines and/or penalties, these settlement negotiations shall not be geared towards what the 

restitution obligation is, but what the value the of the case itself is to each side, irrespective of any 

outstanding restitution obligation.

In accordance with the above, IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that:

1. This action is STAYED for seventy (70) days to allow the parties an opportunity to 

settle their dispute before the discovery process begins. Except as provided herein or 

by subsequent court order, no other pleadings or other documents may be filed in this 

case during the stay of this action. The parties shall not engage in formal discovery, but 

may engage in informal discovery to prepare for the settlement conference.

2. This case is set for a settlement conference before Magistrate Judge Stanley A. Boone

on April 29, 2020, at 11:30 a.m., at the United States Courthouse located at 2500 

Tulare Street, Fresno, California 93721.

3. A representative with full and unlimited authority to negotiate and enter into a binding 

settlement shall attend in person.

4. Those in attendance must be prepared to discuss the claims, defenses, and damages. 

The failure or refusal of any counsel, party or authorized person subject to this order to 

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appear in person may result in the cancellation of the conference and the imposition of 

sanctions. The manner and timing of Plaintiff’s transportation to and from the 

conference is within the discretion of CDCR.

5. Defendant shall provide a confidential settlement statement to the following email 

address: saborders@caed.uscourts.gov. Plaintiff shall mail his confidential 

settlement statement to U.S. District Court, 2500 Tulare Street, Fresno, California, 

93721, “Attention: Magistrate Judge Stanley A. Boone.” The envelope shall be 

marked “Confidential Settlement Statement”. Settlement statements shall arrive no 

later than April 22, 2020. Parties shall also file a Notice of Submission of Confidential 

Settlement Statement. See Local Rule 270(d). Settlement statements should not be 

filed with the Clerk of the Court nor served on any other party. Settlement 

statements shall be clearly marked “confidential” with the date and time of the 

settlement conference indicated prominently thereon.

6. The confidential settlement statement shall be no longer than five pages in length, 

typed or neatly printed, and include the following:

a. A brief statement of the facts of the case.

b. A brief statement of the claims and defenses, i.e., statutory or other grounds 

upon which the claims are founded; a forthright evaluation of the parties’ 

likelihood of prevailing on the claims and defenses; and a description of the 

major issues in dispute.

c. An estimate of the cost and time to be expended for further discovery, pretrial, 

and trial.

d. The party’s position on settlement, including present demands and offers and a 

history of past settlement discussions, offers, and demands.

e. A brief statement of each party’s expectations and goals for the settlement 

conference, including how much a party is willing to accept and/or willing to 

pay.

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f. If the parties intend to discuss the joint settlement of any other actions or claims 

not in this suit, give a brief description of each action or claim as set forth 

above, including case number(s) if applicable. 

7. If a settlement is reached at any point during the stay of this action, the parties shall file 

a Notice of Settlement in accordance with Local Rule 160.

8. If defense counsel wishes to “opt-out” of this settlement conference for the reasons 

stated above, counsel must do so within thirty (30) days of this order by filing a 

“Notice of Opt-Out and Request to Vacate Settlement Conference.”

9. The parties remain obligated to keep the Court informed of their current address at all 

times during the stay and while the action is pending. Any change of address must be 

reported promptly to the Court in a separate document captioned for this case and 

entitled “Notice of Change of Address.” See Local Rule 182(f).

10. A failure to follow these procedures may result in the imposition of sanctions by the 

court.

IT IS SO ORDERED.

Dated: February 25, 2020 /s/ Barbara A. McAuliffe _

UNITED STATES MAGISTRATE JUDGE

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