Document ID: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-caed-2_09-cv-01174/USCOURTS-caed-2_09-cv-01174-4/pdf.json

Parties Involved:
Ramon P. Fazah
Defendant
ING Bank, FSB
Plaintiff

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IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

FOR THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

ING BANK, fsb,

Plaintiff, No. CIV S-09-1174 WBS EFB PS

vs.

RAMON P. FAZAH,

Defendant. STATUS (PRETRIAL SCHEDULING) ORDER

 /

This action was referred to the undersigned under Eastern District of California Local

Rule 302(c)(21), pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 636(b)(1). On January 20, 2010, the case was before

the undersigned for a status (pretrial scheduling) conference. Attorney Lawrence A. Callaghan

appeared on behalf of plaintiff; defendant appeared pro se. After hearing, and pursuant to the

parties’ status reports filed January 14 and 15, 2010, the court enters the following scheduling

order:

NATURE OF CASE

Plaintiff’s amended complaint, filed May 11, 2009, seeks declaratory relief under the

Truth in Lending Act (“TILA”), 15 U.S.C. §§ 1601 et seq., and alleges claims for breach of

contract and judicial foreclosure as a result of defendant’s alleged failure to pay the amounts due

on his loan with plaintiff. Dckt. No. 5. 

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 Any reference to “counsel” in this order includes parties appearing in propria persona.

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SERVICE OF PROCESS

Service of process is undisputed and defendant has answered. 

JOINDER OF PARTIES/AMENDMENTS

No further joinder of parties or amendments to pleadings is permitted except with leave

of court, good cause having been shown.

JURISDICTION/VENUE

Jurisdiction and venue are undisputed and are hereby found to be proper.

MOTION HEARING SCHEDULES

All law and motion, except as to discovery, shall be completed by October 27, 2010. The

word “completed” in this context means that all law and motion matters must be heard by the

above date. Counsel (and/or pro se parties)1 are cautioned to refer to the Local Rules regarding

the requirements for noticing such motions on the court’s regularly scheduled law and motion

calendar. This paragraph does not preclude motions for continuances, temporary restraining

orders or other emergency applications, and is subject to any special scheduling set forth in the

“MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS” paragraph below.

The parties should keep in mind that the purpose of law and motion is to narrow and

refine the legal issues raised by the case, and to dispose of by pretrial motion those issues that

are susceptible to resolution without trial. To accomplish that purpose, the parties need to

identify and fully research the issues presented by the case, and then examine those issues in

light of the evidence gleaned through discovery. If it appears to counsel after examining the

legal issues and facts that an issue can be resolved by pretrial motion, counsel are to file the

appropriate motion by the law and motion cutoff set forth above.

ALL PURELY LEGAL ISSUES ARE TO BE RESOLVED BY TIMELY PRETRIAL

MOTION. Counsel are reminded that motions in limine are procedural devices designed to

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address the admissibility of evidence. COUNSEL ARE CAUTIONED THAT THE COURT

WILL LOOK WITH DISFAVOR UPON SUBSTANTIVE MOTIONS PRESENTED IN THE

GUISE OF MOTIONS IN LIMINE AT THE TIME OF TRIAL. 

DISCOVERY

All discovery shall be completed by September 28, 2010. The word “completed” means

that all discovery shall have been conducted so that all depositions have been taken and any

disputes relative to discovery shall have been resolved by appropriate order if necessary and,

where discovery has been ordered, the order has been complied with. Motions to compel

discovery must be noticed on the undersigned’s calendar in accordance with the Local Rules and

must be heard not later than August 25, 2010. Initial disclosures shall be completed by March

19, 2010.

EXPERT DISCLOSURE

The parties are to designate in writing and file with the court, and serve upon all other

parties, the names of all experts they propose to tender at trial, pursuant to the following

schedule: initial expert disclosures shall be made on or before June 28, 2010; rebuttal expert

disclosures shall be made on or before July 28, 2010.

An expert witness not appearing on said lists will not be permitted to testify unless the

party offering the witness demonstrates: (a) that the necessity of the witness could not have been

reasonably anticipated at the time the lists were exchanged; (b) the court and opposing counsel

were promptly notified upon discovery of the witness; and (c) that the witness was promptly

proffered for deposition. Failure to provide the information required along with the expert

designation may lead to preclusion of the expert’s testimony or other appropriate sanctions.

For the purposes of this scheduling order, experts are defined as “percipient” and “Rule

26” experts. Both types of experts shall be listed. Percipient experts are persons who, because

of their expertise, have rendered expert opinions in the normal course of their work duties or

observations pertinent to the issues in the case. Another term for their opinions are “historical

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 The court is not interested in a designation of non-testifying Rule 26 experts.

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opinions.” Percipient experts are experts who, unless also designated as Rule 26 experts, are

limited to testifying to their historical opinions and the reasons for them. That is, they may be

asked to testify about their opinions given in the past and the whys and wherefores concerning

the development of those opinions. However, they may not be asked to render a current opinion

for the purposes of the litigation.

Rule 26 experts, who may be percipient experts as well, shall be specifically designated

by a party to be a testifying expert for the purposes of the litigation.2

 The Rule 26 expert may

express opinions formed for the purposes of the litigation. A party designating a Rule 26 expert

will be assumed to have acquired the express permission of the witness to be so listed. 

The parties shall comply with the information disclosure provisions of Federal Rule of

Civil Procedure 26(a)(2) for any expert, who is in whole or in part designated as a Rule 26

expert. This information is due at the time of designation. Failure to supply the required

information may result in the Rule 26 expert being stricken. All Rule 26 experts are to be fully

prepared to render an informed opinion at the time of designation so that they may fully

participate in any deposition taken by the opposing party. Rule 26 experts will not be permitted

to testify at trial as to any information gathered or evaluated, or opinion formed, which should

have been reasonably available at the time of designation. The court will closely scrutinize for

discovery abuse deposition opinions which differ markedly in nature and/or in bases from those

expressed in the mandatory information disclosure.

FINAL PRETRIAL CONFERENCE

The final pretrial conference is set before Judge William B. Shubb on January 24, 2011,

at 2:00 p.m., in Courtroom No. 5. Counsel are cautioned that counsel appearing for pretrial will

in fact try the matter. Counsel for all parties are to be fully prepared for trial at the time of the

pretrial conference, with no matters remaining to be accomplished except production of

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 However, with respect to the listing of undisputed facts, the court will accept

agreements as to evidentiary facts. 

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witnesses for oral testimony. Counsel are referred to Local Rules 281 and 282 relating to pretrial

statements and conferences. A FAILURE TO COMPLY WITH LOCAL RULES 281 AND 282

WILL BE GROUNDS FOR SANCTIONS. 

Notwithstanding Local Rule 281, the parties shall submit a joint pretrial statement not

later than fourteen days prior to the pretrial conference. The joint pretrial statement shall

conform with the requirements of Local Rule 281(b). The undisputed facts and disputed factual

issues shall be set forth in two separate sections. The parties should identify those facts which

are relevant to each separate cause of action. In this regard, the parties are to number each

individual fact or factual issues. Where the parties are unable to agree as to what factual issues

are properly before the court for trial, they should nevertheless list in the section on “DISPUTED

FACTUAL ISSUES” all issues asserted by any of the parties and explain by parenthetical the

controversy concerning each issue. The parties should keep in mind that, in general, each fact

should relate or correspond to an element of the relevant cause of action. The parties should also

keep in mind that the purpose of listing the disputed factual issues is to apprise the court and all

parties about the precise issues that will be litigated at trial. The court is not interested in a

listing of all evidentiary facts underlying the issues that are in dispute.3

 The joint statement of

undisputed facts and disputed factual issues is to be filed with the court concurrently with the

filing of the joint pretrial statement. 

Pursuant to Local Rule 281(b), the parties are required to provide in their pretrial

statement a list of witnesses and exhibits that they propose to proffer at trial, no matter for what

purpose. These lists shall not be contained in the pretrial statement itself, but shall be attached as

separate documents to be used as addenda to the final pretrial order. Plaintiff’s exhibits shall be

listed numerically; defendant’s exhibits shall be listed alphabetically. The pretrial order will

contain a stringent standard for the proffering of witnesses and exhibits at trial not listed in the

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pretrial order. Counsel are cautioned that the standard will be strictly applied. On the other

hand, the listing of exhibits or witnesses which counsel do not intend or use will be viewed as an

abuse of the court’s processes. 

Counsel are reminded that, pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 16, it will be their

duty at the pretrial conference to aid the court in (a) formulation and simplification of issues and

the elimination of meritless claims or defenses; (b) settling of facts which should be properly

admitted; and (c) avoidance of unnecessary proof and cumulative evidence. The parties must

prepare their joint pretrial statement, and participate in good faith at the pretrial conference, with

these aims in mind. A FAILURE TO DO SO MAY RESULT IN THE IMPOSITION OF

SANCTIONS which may include monetary sanctions, orders precluding proof, eliminations of

claims or defenses, or such other sanctions as the court deems appropriate. 

TRIAL SETTING

A jury trial is set to commence before Judge William B. Shubb on March 29, 2011 at

9:00 a.m., in Courtroom No. 5. The parties anticipate that the trial will take approximately five

days. 

SETTLEMENT CONFERENCE

No settlement conference is set at this time. If the parties conclude that an early

settlement conference would likely resolve the case, and are willing to stipulate to a settlement

conference before the undersigned, they may contact the undersigned’s clerk to request that one

be scheduled. Each side shall also file a waiver of the trial judge acting as settlement judge prior

to the settlement conference.

SUMMARY OF ORDER

THE COURT SUMMARIZES THE SCHEDULING ORDER AS FOLLOWS:

1. The parties may conduct discovery until September 28, 2010. Motions to compel

discovery are to be noticed for hearing no later than August 25, 2010, as more specifically

described in this order. 

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2. The parties shall make their initial expert disclosures on or before June 28, 2010, and

their rebuttal expert disclosures on or before July 28, 2010, as described herein.

3. All pretrial motions, except motions to compel discovery, shall be completed as

described herein on or before October 27, 2010.

4. The final pretrial conference is set before Judge William B. Shubb on January 24,

2011 at 2:00 p.m., in Courtroom No. 5. Pretrial statements shall be filed in accordance with

Local Rules 281 and 282, and the requirements set forth herein.

5. A jury trial is set to commence before Judge William B. Shubb on March 29, 2011 at

9:00 a.m., in Courtroom No. 5. 

IT IS SO ORDERED.

DATED: February 19, 2010.

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