Document ID: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-caed-1_09-cv-01900/USCOURTS-caed-1_09-cv-01900-2/pdf.json

Parties Involved:
Lion Raisins, Inc.
Plaintiff
United States Department of Agriculture
Defendant
United States Department of Justice
Defendant

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BENJAMIN B. WAGNER

United States Attorney

BENJAMIN E. HALL (SBN 219924)

Assistant United States Attorney

United States Courthouse

2500 Tulare Street, Suite 4401

Fresno, California 93721

Telephone: (559) 497-4000

Facsimile: (559) 497-4099

Attorneys for Defendants

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

LION RAISINS, INC., )

)

Plaintiff, )

)

vs. )

)

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF )

AGRICULTURE; UNITED STATES )

DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE, )

)

)

Defendants. )

 )

1:09-cv-01900-OWW-SMS

DEFENDANTS’ RESPONSE TO

REQUEST FOR DISMISSAL AND

ORDER

Defendants, United States Department of Agriculture (“USDA”)

and United States Department of Justice (“DOJ”), file this

response to the Request for Dismissal (Doc. 18) filed by

Plaintiff, Lion Raisins, Inc. (“Lion”). As Lion noted in its

request, Lion has entered into a global settlement agreement

under which the USDA’s allegations against Lion, relating to

forgery and alteration of USDA raisin inspection certificates,

have been resolved. The settlement agreement provides that

“[u]pon execution of this Agreement, Lion agrees to dismiss,

without prejudice, all pending administrative, state, and federal

court litigation, including: . . . Lion Raisins, Inc. v. USDA and

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DEFENDANTS’ RESPONSE TO REQUEST FOR DISMISSAL AND ORDER

Case 1:09-cv-01900-OWW -SMS Document 20 Filed 07/09/10 Page 1 of 2
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DOJ, Case No. 1:09-CV-01900-OWW-SMS (E.D. Cal) . . ..” The

settlement agreement contains no reservation or exception that

would allow Lion to seek only a partial dismissal and continue

this litigation against USDA components Office of Inspector

General and Office of General Counsel or against DOJ. 

Accordingly, Defendants have notified Lion that its proposed

partial dismissal is improper and that the agreement requires a

complete dismissal of this action. Lion has refused to stipulate

to a complete dismissal.

Defendants intend to file by July 23, 2010, their motion to

enforce the settlement agreement and to dismiss this action in

its entirety pursuant to the express terms of that agreement. 

DEFENDANTS THEREFORE REQUEST that the Court vacate the hearing

and briefing schedule on summary judgment (Scheduling Conference

Order, Doc. 14) pending the Court’s ruling on enforcement of the

settlement agreement.

Respectfully submitted,

Dated: July 8, 2010. BENJAMIN B. WAGNER

United States Attorney

By: /s/ Benjamin E. Hall 

BENJAMIN E. HALL

Assistant U.S. Attorney

Attorneys for Defendants

ORDER

IT IS SO ORDERED.

Dated: July 8, 2010 /s/ OLIVER W. WANGER

UNITED STATES DISTRICT JUDGE

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DEFENDANTS’ RESPONSE TO REQUEST FOR DISMISSAL AND ORDER

Case 1:09-cv-01900-OWW -SMS Document 20 Filed 07/09/10 Page 2 of 2