Document ID: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-caed-2_09-cv-01377/USCOURTS-caed-2_09-cv-01377-4/pdf.json

Parties Involved:
Alaska Airlines, Inc.
Defendant
Ethan Blankenship
Plaintiff

Document Text:

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STIPULATION TO EXTEND DISCOVERY COMPLETION DATE; ORDER

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CHRISTOPHER E. GRELL, ESQ. (SBN 88498)

RICHARD F. RESCHO, ESQ. (SBN 108086) 

LAW OFFICES OF CHRISTOPHER E. GRELL 

The Leamington 

1814 Franklin Street, Suite 501 

Oakland, California 94612 

Telephone: (510) 832-2980 

Facsimile: (510) 832-2986 

Attorneys for Plaintiff 

ETHAN BLANKENSHIP 

 

ROBERT E. DAVIES, ESQ. / SBN 106810 

MARY A. STEWART, ESQ. / SBN 106758 

REBECCA WEINSTEIN-HAMILTON, ESQ. / SBN 162699 

CAULFIELD, DAVIES & DONAHUE, LLP 

P.O. BOX 277010 

Sacramento, CA 95827 

Telephone: (916) 817-2900 

Facsimile: (916) 817-2644 

Attorneys for Defendant 

ALASKA AIRLINES, INC. 

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT 

EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA 

-o0oETHAN BLANKENSHIP,

 

Plaintiff, 

v. 

ALASKA AIRLINES, INC., and Alaska 

Corporation, and DOES 1 through 100, 

inclusive, 

Defendants. 

Case No. 2:09-CV-01377-JAM-GGH

The Hon. John A. Mendez 

STIPULATION TO EXTEND DISCOVERY 

COMPLETION DATE; ORDER

IT IS HEREBY STIPULATED AND AGREED by and between Plaintiff, ETHAN 

BLANKENSHIP and Defendant ALASKA AIRLINES, INC., through their respective counsel 

to extend the date for completion of discovery currently set for August 20, 2010, to and 

including September 20, 2010. 

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Case 2:09-cv-01377-JAM-GGH Document 32 Filed 07/21/10 Page 1 of 5
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STIPULATION TO EXTEND DISCOVERY COMPLETION DATE; ORDER

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This stipulation is made by counsel for the parties, pursuant to the Honorable Judge 

John A. Mendez’s Pre-Trial Scheduling Order of July 14, 2009, Judge Mendez’s February 

26, 2010 Order Extending Dates for Expert Witness Disclosure and Discovery Completion 

Date, Judge Mendez’s June 3, 2010 Order Extending Dates for Discovery Completion, 

Dispositive Motions, Joint Pre-Trial Statement, Pre-Trial Conference and Jury Trial and 

U.S.D.C. Eastern District Local Rules, Rule 144 (formerly L.R. 6-144). There have been 

two prior Stipulations and Orders Extending the Discovery Completion Date in this case. 

There is good cause for the requested extension of the current discovery completion 

date. The parties, through their respective counsel, are in the process of conducting 

settlement negotiations and would like additional time to pursue these discussions, prior to 

incurring further costs and expenses in completing expert witness depositions. Both parties 

have agreed to mediate this case. However, the parties have not been able to schedule 

the Mediation date prior to the currently scheduled expert witness depositions and the 

discovery completion date of August 20, 2010. The parties are requesting an additional 

thirty day continuance of the Discovery Completion Date for the completion of Mediation 

and potential settlement of this case. 

Due to Plaintiff, Ethan Blankenship’s age of 91 years, the parties would like an 

opportunity to attempt to resolve this case through Mediation, in order to avoid the 

necessity of trial. Plaintiff’s action is for personal injury damages resulting from a fall in the 

security area of the Sacramento International Airport. 

The requested extension of the discovery completion date would not require an 

extension of the remaining dates set forth in Judge Mendez’s June 3, 2010 Order 

Extending Dates for Discovery Completion, Dispositive Motions, Joint Pre-Trial Statement, 

Pre-Trial Conference and Jury Trial. Despite the parties’ diligence in the completion and 

scheduling of considerable discovery in this matter, the requested extension is necessary. 

Plaintiff and Defendant have each served initial written discovery, including 

interrogatories, requests for production and requests for admissions. Plaintiff’s medical 

treatment records have been subpoenaed. Additionally, depositions have been taken of 

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STIPULATION TO EXTEND DISCOVERY COMPLETION DATE; ORDER

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the Plaintiff, Plaintiff’s treating orthopedic surgeon, Plaintiff’s treating physician, Plaintiff’s 

consulting orthopedic surgeon and of witnesses who were in Plaintiff’s traveling party. An 

Independent Medical Examination of the Plaintiff was completed on April 19, 2010. The 

depositions of the Transportation Security Administration employee witnesses identified by 

Plaintiff in discovery responses were taken on May 19, 2010. Plaintiff’s counsel is 

proceeding with depositions of certain of Defendant Alaska Airlines, Inc.’s personnel in 

early August. 

Expert Witness Disclosures have been filed with this Court and exchanged between 

the parties. The depositions of the disclosed expert witnesses have been scheduled by the 

parties to be completed during the weeks of August 9 and August 16, 2010, prior to the 

current Discovery Completion Date of August 20, 2010. These include the depositions of 

Plaintiff’s three retained experts and of Defendant’s retained medical expert. If the parties 

are required to proceed with these expert depositions prior to Mediation, each side will 

incur additional attorney’s fees, travel costs, expert witness deposition fees, and court 

reporter fees, which potentially could be avoided through Mediation. 

Both parties, through their respective counsel, have agreed that it would serve the 

interests of justice and judicial economy to extend the current Discovery Completion Date 

to September 20, 2010, as set forth above. The parties require the additional thirty day 

period to continue their settlement negotiations and complete Mediation prior to incurring 

the additional expert witness deposition expenses. 

WHEREFORE, the parties respectfully move this Honorable Court to extend the 

date for discovery completion as requested herein. 

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STIPULATION TO EXTEND DISCOVERY COMPLETION DATE; ORDER

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IT IS SO STIPULATED. 

Dated: July ___, 2010 LAW OFFICES OF CHRISTOPHER E. GRELL

 By: ________________________________ 

 Christopher E. Grell (SBN 88498) 

 Richard F. Rescho (SBN 108086) 

 Attorneys for Plaintiff, 

 ETHAN BLANKENSHIP 

 

Dated: July ___, 2010 CAULFIELD DAVIES & DONAHUE, LLP 

 By: __________________________________ 

 Robert E. Davies (SBN 106810) 

 Mary A. Stewart (SBN 106758) 

 Rebecca Weinstein-Hamilton (SBN 162699) 

 Attorneys for Defendant, 

ALASKA AIRLINES, INC. 

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STIPULATION TO EXTEND DISCOVERY COMPLETION DATE; ORDER

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ORDER EXTENDING DATE FOR DISCOVERY COMPLETION

IT IS HEREBY ORDERED, good cause appearing therefore, that the date for 

Completion of Discovery, currently set for August 20, 2010 is extended through September 

20, 2010. 

IT IS SO ORDERED. 

Dated: July 20, 2010 /s/ John A. Mendez________________

 THE HONORABLE JOHN A. MENDEZ 

 United States District Court Judge, 

 Eastern District of California 

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