Document ID: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-caed-1_09-cv-00107/USCOURTS-caed-1_09-cv-00107-4/pdf.json

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

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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

January 15, 2010.

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

January 15, 2010, the Court agreed to extend the time permitted for the Plaintiff to challenge FDA's

withholdings until February 16, 2010. Plaintiff and Defendants now need another eight weeks, that is,

until April 13, 2010, to discuss Plaintiff’s remaining concerns about the documents and to allow

Plaintiff to decide, based on Defendants’ response, whether to formally challenge Defendants’

PARTIES’ STIPULATION TO STAY ACTION UNTIL DECEMBER 18, 2009, AND RESET STATUS CONFERENCE Page 1

Case 1:09-cv-00107-LJO-DLB Document 18 Filed 02/19/10 Page 1 of 3
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withholdings. Should the decision be not to challenge the withholdings, there would be nothing left to

litigate, and the parties should be able to stipulate dismissal.

The parties will not know the case status until April 13, 2010, which is after the status

conference set for March 17, 2010, at 9:30 a.m. before Judge Beck. To serve judicial efficiency,

the parties request that the status conference be continued until May 19, 2010 at 9:30 am 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 one hundred and seventy-five (175) 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

April 13, 2010, to challenge Defendants’ withholdings, consistent with the terms set forth in this

stipulation, and to reset the status conference currently scheduled for March 17, 2010 at 9:30 am to

May 19, 2010 at 9:30 before Judge Beck.

Dated: February 2 , 2010 /s/ C. Brooks Cutter

C. BROOKS CUTTER

Dated: February 2 , 2010 BENJAMIN B. WAGNER

United States Attorney

By: /s/ Y H T Himel 

YOSHINORI H. T. HIMEL

Assistant U.S. Attorney

Of Counsel:

PARTIES’ STIPULATION TO STAY ACTION UNTIL DECEMBER 18, 2009, AND RESET STATUS CONFERENCE Page 2

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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 April 13, 2010. The status conference presently set for 9:30 a.m. on March 17, 2010, is

CONTINUED until 9:30 am on May 19, 2010, before Judge Beck.

IT IS SO ORDERED.

Dated: February 19, 2010 /s/ Dennis L. Beck

3b142a UNITED STATES MAGISTRATE JUDGE

PARTIES’ STIPULATION TO STAY ACTION UNTIL DECEMBER 18, 2009, AND RESET STATUS CONFERENCE Page 3

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