Document ID: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-caed-2_16-cv-02023/USCOURTS-caed-2_16-cv-02023-0/pdf.json

Parties Involved:
Amtrak National Railroad Passenger Corporation
Defendant
Elnora Collins
Plaintiff

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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

----oo0oo----

ELNORA COLLINS,

 Plaintiff,

v.

AMTRAK NATIONAL RAILROAD 

PASSENGER CORPORATION and 

DOES 1 through 10, inclusive,

 Defendant.

CIV. NO. 2:16-2023 WBS EFB

----oo0oo----

STATUS (PRETRIAL SCHEDULING) ORDER

After reviewing the parties’ Joint Status Report, the 

court hereby vacates the Status (Pretrial Scheduling) Conference 

scheduled for January 3, 2017, and makes the following findings 

and orders without needing to consult with the parties any 

further.

I. SERVICE OF PROCESS

The named defendant has been served, and no further 

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service is permitted without leave of court, good cause having 

been shown under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 16(b).

II. JOINDER OF PARTIES/AMENDMENTS

No further joinder of parties or amendments to 

pleadings will be permitted by any party except with leave of 

court, good cause having been shown under Federal Rule of Civil 

Procedure 16(b). See Johnson v. Mammoth Recreations, Inc., 975 

F.2d 604 (9th Cir. 1992).

III. JURISDICTION/VENUE

Jurisdiction is predicated upon federal question 

jurisdiction, 28 U.S.C. § 1331, and 28 U.S.C. § 1349.

1 Venue is 

undisputed and hereby found to be proper.

IV. DISCOVERY

The parties shall serve the initial disclosures 

required by Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 26(a)(1) by no later 

than February 3, 2017.

The parties shall disclose experts and produce reports 

in accordance with Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 26(a)(2) by no 

later than June 2, 2017. With regard to expert testimony 

 

1 28 U.S.C. § 1349 provides that district courts “shall 

not have jurisdiction of any civil action by or against any 

corporation upon the ground that it was incorporated by or under 

an Act of Congress, unless the United States is the owner of more 

than one-half of its capital stock.” 28 U.S.C. § 1349.

“Congress incorporated the National Railroad Passenger 

Corporation (‘Amtrak’) in 1970. Because a majority of the 

capital stock of Amtrak is owned by the United States, the 

federal courts have subject matter jurisdiction over any action 

involving Amtrak.” Hollus v. Amtrak Ne. Corridor, 937 F. Supp. 

1110, 1113 (D.N.J. 1996) (internal citations omitted); see also

Chiwewe v. Burlington N. & Santa Fe Ry. Co., No. 02-0397 JP/LFGACE, 2002 WL 31924776, at *2 (D.N.M. Aug. 21, 2002) (same); 

Estate of Wright By & Through Johnson v. Illinois Cent. R. Co., 

831 F. Supp. 574, 574 (S.D. Miss. 1993) (same).

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intended solely for rebuttal, those experts shall be disclosed 

and reports produced in accordance with Federal Rule of Civil 

Procedure 26(a)(2) on or July 5, 2017.

All other discovery, including depositions for 

preservation of testimony, is left open, save and except that it 

shall be so conducted as to be completed by November 3, 2017. 

The word “completed” means that all discovery shall have been 

conducted so that all depositions have been taken and any 

disputes relevant to discovery shall have been resolved by 

appropriate order if necessary and, where discovery has been 

ordered, the order has been obeyed. All motions to compel 

discovery must be noticed on the magistrate judge’s calendar in 

accordance with the local rules of this court and so that such 

motions may be heard (and any resulting orders obeyed) not later 

than November 3, 2017.

V. MOTION HEARING SCHEDULE

All motions, except motions for continuances, temporary 

restraining orders, or other emergency applications, shall be 

filed on or before December 4, 2017. All motions shall be 

noticed for the next available hearing date. Counsel are 

cautioned to refer to the local rules regarding the requirements 

for noticing and opposing such motions on the court’s regularly 

scheduled law and motion calendar.

VI. FINAL PRETRIAL CONFERENCE

The Final Pretrial Conference is set for February 12, 

2018, at 1:30 p.m. in Courtroom No. 5. The conference shall be 

attended by at least one of the attorneys who will conduct the 

trial for each of the parties and by any unrepresented parties. 

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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 witnesses for 

oral testimony. Counsel shall file separate pretrial statements, 

and are referred to Local Rules 281 and 282 relating to the

contents of and time for filing those statements. In addition to 

those subjects listed in Local Rule 281(b), the parties are to 

provide the court with: (1) a plain, concise statement which 

identifies every non-discovery motion which has been made to the 

court, and its resolution; (2) a list of the remaining claims as 

against each defendant; and (3) the estimated number of trial 

days.

In providing the plain, concise statements of 

undisputed facts and disputed factual issues contemplated by 

Local Rule 281(b)(3)-(4), the parties shall emphasize the claims 

that remain at issue, and any remaining affirmatively pled 

defenses thereto. If the case is to be tried to a jury, the 

parties shall also prepare a succinct statement of the case, 

which is appropriate for the court to read to the jury.

VII. TRIAL SETTING

A jury trial is set for April 10, 2018 at 9:00 a.m. 

The parties estimate that trial will last five to seven days.

VIII. SETTLEMENT CONFERENCE

A Settlement Conference will be set at the time of the 

Pretrial Conference. All parties should be prepared to advise 

the court whether they will stipulate to the trial judge acting 

as settlement judge and waive disqualification by virtue thereof.

Counsel are instructed to have a principal with full 

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settlement authority present at the Settlement Conference or to 

be fully authorized to settle the matter on any terms. At least 

seven calendar days before the Settlement Conference counsel for 

each party shall submit a confidential Settlement Conference 

Statement for review by the settlement judge. If the settlement 

judge is not the trial judge, the Settlement Conference 

Statements shall not be filed and will not otherwise be disclosed 

to the trial judge.

IX. MODIFICATIONS TO SCHEDULING ORDER

Any requests to modify the dates or terms of this 

Scheduling Order, except requests to change the date of the 

trial, may be heard and decided by the assigned Magistrate Judge. 

All requests to change the trial date shall be heard and decided 

only by the undersigned judge.

Dated: December 28, 2016

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