Document ID: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-cand-3_14-cv-02555/USCOURTS-cand-3_14-cv-02555-1/pdf.json

Parties Involved:
Shoshana Bernie
Plaintiff
County of Sonoma
Defendant
Steve Freitas
Defendant
Pitlan
Defendant
Williams
Defendant

Document Text:

REQUEST TO EXCUSE PERSONAL ATTENDANCE 

AT SETTLEMENT CONFERENCE; ORDER 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

BRUCE D. GOLDSTEIN, State Bar No. 135970 

County Counsel 

PETRA BRUGGISSER, State Bar No. 241173 

Deputy County Counsel 

Office of the Sonoma County Counsel 

575 Administration Drive, Room 105A 

Santa Rosa, CA 95403-2815 

Telephone: (707) 565-2421 

Facsimile: (707) 565-2624 

E-mail: Petra.Brussigger@sonoma-county.org 

Attorneys for Defendants 

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT 

NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA 

SHOSHANA BERNIE 

 Plaintiff, 

 vs. 

COUNTY OF SONOMA, a public entity, 

SONOMA COUNTY SHERIFF STEVE 

FREITAS, in his individual and official 

capacities, SONOMA COUNTY 

SHERIFF’S SERGEANT PITLAN, 

SONOMA COUNTY SHERIFF’S 

LIEUTENANT WILLIAMS, individually, 

and DOES 1 through 10, jointly and 

severally, 

 Defendants. 

Case No. CV 14-2555 NC 

REQUEST BY DEFENDANTS SONOMA 

COUNTY SHERIFF FREITAS AND SGT. 

WILLIAMS TO EXCUSE THEIR 

PERSONAL ATTENDANCE AT THE 

SETTLEMENT CONFERENCE; AND 

[PROPOSED] ORDER 

Date: January 30, 2015 

Time: 11:00 a.m. 

Dept.: United States District Court 

 Courtroom 4, 3rd Floor 

 450 Golden Gate Avenue 

 Oakland, CA 94102 

Settlement Judge: 

Hon. Magistrate Judge Kandis A. Westmore 

Defendants SONOMA COUNTY SHERIFF STEVE FREITAS and SERGEANT 

WILLIAMS hereby respectfully request the Court to excuse their personal attendance at the 

Settlement Conference on January 30, 2015. 

Good cause exists to excuse the personal attendance of these two Defendants. Sgt. Williams 

has retired from the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office and is now living in the State of Washington. 

Sheriff Freitas has no personal knowledge about the issues underlying this civil action and his 

Case 3:14-cv-02555-NC Document 28 Filed 01/05/15 Page 1 of 4
REQUEST TO EXCUSE PERSONAL ATTENDANCE 

AT SETTLEMENT CONFERENCE; ORDER 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

personal attendance is not necessary to advance potential settlement negotiations. Defendants will 

ensure the attendance of several individuals at the settlement conference with personal knowledge 

about the subject the incident, the Electronic Monitoring Program, the Sheriff Office’s policies, and 

with full authority to negotiate a settlement. 

Plaintiff, through her pro bono counsel, has indicated that she has no objection to 

Defendants’ requests. 

 ARGUMENT 

The Court requires the personal attendance of each party. Personal attendance may be 

excused only upon written authorization from the Court if the party demonstrates extraordinary 

hardship. (Court’s Settlement Conference Standing Order, ¶ 4). 

According to the ADR Local Rules, a government agency typically satisfies personal 

attendance requirement if the agency is represented by a person (in addition to counsel of record) 

who has, to the greatest extent feasible, authority to settle, and who is knowledgeable about the facts 

of the case, the agency’s position, and the procedures and policies under which the agency decides 

whether to accept proposed settlements. (ADR Local Rules 7-4 (b). 

In accordance with these mandates, Defendants Sheriff Freitas and Sgt. Williams respectfully 

request the Court’s authorization to be excused from having to personally attend the Settlement 

Conference on January 30, 2015, for the following reasons. 

Sgt. Kimber Williams 

Sgt. Kimber Williams has retired from the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office and has moved 

to the State of Washington, where she now permanently resides. Sgt. Williams has pre-arranged 

travel plans for the weekend of January 31 / February 1, 2015. Requiring Sgt. Williams to travel to 

the Bay Area from Washington to attend the Settlement Conference on January 30, 2015, and back 

to Washington the same day, would place an undue hardship on her. In addition, Sgt. Williams’ 

personal attendance is not necessary to advance potential settlement discussions. Defendant Sgt. 

Pitkin, who has personal knowledge about the subject incident, will attend the settlement conference. 

In the unlikely event that additional questions should arise which Sgt. Pitkin cannot answer, Sgt. 

Case 3:14-cv-02555-NC Document 28 Filed 01/05/15 Page 2 of 4
REQUEST TO EXCUSE PERSONAL ATTENDANCE 

AT SETTLEMENT CONFERENCE; ORDER 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

Williams will be available via telephonic standby to answer any questions the Court may have. In 

addition, somebody from the Sonoma County Sheriff’s detention division with specific knowledge 

about the County’s Electronic Monitoring Program, as well as the Sheriff’s Office policies, will 

attend the settlement conference. Defendants will further be represented by a County representative 

with full authority to negotiate a settlement on behalf of all Defendants, including Sgt. Williams. 

In sum, given that Sgt. Williams’ personal attendance is not necessary to advance potential 

settlement negotiations and to avoid an undue hardship by requiring her to travel from the State of 

Washington to attend the settlement conference, Sgt. Williams respectfully ask the Court to excuse 

her personal attendance at the settlement conference on January 30, 2015. 

Sheriff Steve Freitas 

Similarly, the personal attendance of Sheriff Steve Freitas is not necessary to advance 

settlement negotiations. Sheriff Freitas has no personal knowledge about the subject incident. 

Although he is overall in charge of the operations of the Sheriff’s Office, he is not personally 

involved in the direct oversight of the detention division and/or the County’s Electronic Monitoring 

Program. These specific functions are fulfilled by correctional management staff of the Sheriff 

Office’s detention division, and Defendants will ensure that somebody from the detention division 

with specific knowledge about the County’s Electronic Monitoring Program, as well as the Sheriff’s 

Office policies, will attend the settlement conference to answer any questions the Court may have. 

Further, as indicated above, Defendants will be adequately represented by a County representative 

with full authority to negotiate a settlement on behalf of all Defendants, including Sheriff Freitas. 

Therefore, Sheriff Freitas’ personal attendance at the settlement conference is not necessary 

to provide any pertinent information about any material issues that are the subject of this civil action 

and/or to advance potential settlement discussions. 

No Objection by Plaintiff 

In accordance with the Court’s standing order for Settlement Conferences, defense counsel 

contacted Plaintiff’s pro bono counsel, Amy E. Hayden, to inform Plaintiff in advance about 

Defendants’ request to excuse Sgt. Williams and Sheriff Freitas from having to personally appear at 

Case 3:14-cv-02555-NC Document 28 Filed 01/05/15 Page 3 of 4
REQUEST TO EXCUSE PERSONAL ATTENDANCE 

AT SETTLEMENT CONFERENCE; ORDER 4 

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

the settlement conference. Plaintiff, through her pro bono counsel, indicated that she has no 

objection to Defendants’ requests. 

As such, Defendants respectfully asks the Court to grant their unopposed request and to 

excuse the personal attendance of Sgt. Williams and Sheriff Freitas at the Settlement Conference on 

January 30, 2015. 

Dated: December ___, 2014 BRUCE D. GOLDSTEIN, County Counsel 

 By: /s/

 PETRA BRUGGISSER 

 Deputy County Counsel 

 

ORDER 

 The Court, having reviewed Defendants’ request to excuse the personal attendance of Sgt. 

Williams and Sheriff Freitas at the Settlement Conference on January 30, 2015, and good cause 

appearing for such request, hereby GRANTS Defendants’ request. 

 Sgt. Williams and Sheriff Freitas are excused from personally attending the Settlement 

Conference on January 30, 2015. 

IT IS SO ORDERED. 

Dated: _____________________ _________________________________________ 

 Magistrate Judge Kandis A. Westmore 

1/5/15

Case 3:14-cv-02555-NC Document 28 Filed 01/05/15 Page 4 of 4