Document ID: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-caed-1_09-cv-00107/USCOURTS-caed-1_09-cv-00107-5/pdf.json

Parties Involved:
C. Brooks Cutter
Plaintiff
Department of Health and Human Services
Defendant
Food and Drug Administration
Defendant

Document Text:

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

BENJAMIN B. WAGNER

United States Attorney

YOSHINORI H. T. HIMEL #66194

Assistant U. S. Attorney

501 I Street, Suite 10-100

Sacramento, California 95814

Telephone: (916) 554-2760

Facsimile: (916) 554-2900

Email: yoshinori.himel@usdoj.gov

Attorneys for Defendants

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE

EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

C. BROOKS CUTTER,

Plaintiff,

v.

FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION and

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND

HUMAN SERVICES,

Defendants.

No. 1:09-cv-00107-LJO-DLB

PARTIES’ STIPULATION TO EXTEND

PROTEST DATE AND RESET STATUS

CONFERENCE

Defendants, the United States Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”) and Department of

Health and Human Services, by and through their attorneys, Benjamin B. Wagner, United States

Attorney, and Yoshinori H. T. Himel, Assistant United States Attorney; and Plaintiff, C. Brooks

Cutter, respectfully request that this Court modify the schedule set forth in the Court's Order dated

February 19, 2010.

In the "Parties’ Stipulation to Extend Protest Date, and Reset Status Conference" approved

February 19, 2010, the Court extended the time in which the Plaintiff may challenge FDA's

withholdings until April 13, 2010. 

In the time since the Court’s February 19th Order, the parties have made significant progress

in narrowing the remaining issues and moving toward a resolution of this case. On March 25, 2010,

Plaintiff sent FDA a list of about one thousand specific withholdings from FDA’s November 2009

PARTIES’ STIPULATION TO EXTEND PROTEST DATE AND RESET STATUS CONFERENCE Page 1

Case 1:09-cv-00107-LJO-DLB Document 20 Filed 04/14/10 Page 1 of 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

document production about which he had concerns. A list this specific gives the parties a useful tool

to find out what is and is not at issue. FDA is reviewing the list and intends to restore some of the

information that Plaintiff requested. 

FDA estimates that it will take approximately two months to restore the information and to

produce the revised versions of those documents to Plaintiff. FDA has agreed to produce the revised

versions of the documents to Plaintiff on or before June 14, 2010. The parties have agreed that

Plaintiff will have thirty days, until July 14, 2010, to review the revised documents and to determine

whether to formally challenge FDA’s withholdings. Should Plaintiff decide not to challenge the

withholdings, there would be nothing left to litigate, and the parties should be able to stipulate

dismissal. If Plaintiff decides to challenge FDA’s withholdings, the issues remaining for the Court to

resolve would likely be narrowed.

The parties will not know the case status until July 14, 2010, which is after the status

conference set for May 19, 2010, at 9:30 a.m., before Judge Beck. To serve judicial efficiency,

the parties request that the status conference be continued until August 11, 2010, at 9:30 a.m. before

Judge Beck.

The parties previously agreed that FDA will not prepare a Vaughn index of redacted

information at this time. If Plaintiff decides to challenge FDA's withholdings, FDA agrees to produce

a Vaughn index within thirty (30) calendar days after Plaintiff gives defense counsel of record and

FDA counsel a notice of his intent to challenge the withholdings.

The time period for Plaintiff’s deadline to challenge Defendants’ withholdings has already

been extended a total of two hundred and thirty-one (231) days, from August 25, 2009, to allow the

parties to continue their ongoing efforts to reach a mutually agreeable resolution to this matter.

Based upon the foregoing, the parties move this Court to enter an order granting Plaintiff until

July 14, 2010, to challenge Defendants’ withholdings, consistent with the terms set forth in this

stipulation, and to reset the status conference currently scheduled for May 19, 2010 at 9:30 am to

August 11, 2010, at 9:30 a.m. before Judge Beck.

PARTIES’ STIPULATION TO EXTEND PROTEST DATE AND RESET STATUS CONFERENCE Page 2

Case 1:09-cv-00107-LJO-DLB Document 20 Filed 04/14/10 Page 2 of 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

Dated: April 12, 2010 /s/ C. Brooks Cutter 

C. BROOKS CUTTER

Dated: April 13, 2010 BENJAMIN B. WAGNER

United States Attorney

By: /s/ Y H T Himel 

YOSHINORI H. T. HIMEL

Assistant U.S. Attorney

Of Counsel:

DAVID S. CADE

Acting General Counsel

RALPH S. TYLER

Associate General Counsel

Food and Drug Division

ERIC M. BLUMBERG

Deputy Chief Counsel, Litigation

MICHAEL HELBING

Assistant Chief Counsel, Litigation

U.S. Dept. of Health & Human Services

Office of the General Counsel

5600 Fishers Lane

Rockville, MD 20857

ORDER

Good cause appearing, Plaintiff’s deadline for challenging Defendant’s withholdings is

extended until July 14, 2010. The status conference presently set for 9:30 a.m. on May 19, 2010, is

CONTINUED until 9:30 a.m. on August 11, 2010, before Judge Beck.

IT IS SO ORDERED.

Dated: April 13, 2010 /s/ Dennis L. Beck 

3b142a UNITED STATES MAGISTRATE JUDGE

PARTIES’ STIPULATION TO EXTEND PROTEST DATE AND RESET STATUS CONFERENCE Page 3

Case 1:09-cv-00107-LJO-DLB Document 20 Filed 04/14/10 Page 3 of 3