Document ID: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-caed-2_17-cv-02186/USCOURTS-caed-2_17-cv-02186-2/pdf.json

Parties Involved:
Veer Bahadur Singh
Plaintiff
Target Corporation
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 

1 

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT 

FOR THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA 

VEER BAHADUR SINGH, 

Plaintiff, 

v. 

TARGET CORPORATION, 

Defendant. 

No. 2:17-cv-2186-JAM-EFB PS 

STATUS (PRETRIAL SCHEDULING) 

ORDER 

 This case was before the court on February 26, 2020, for a status (pretrial scheduling) 

conference.1

 Attorney Christin Lawler appeared on behalf of defendant; plaintiff appeared pro se. 

After hearing and pursuant to the parties’ joint status report (ECF No. 16), the court enters the 

following scheduling order: 

NATURE OF CASE 

 This action proceeds on plaintiff’s religious discrimination and retaliation claims under 

Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 against defendant Target Corporation (“Target”). 

Plaintiff, a former Target employee, claims that he was prohibited from working as a cashier 

because he is Sikh, and that his employment was terminated based on religious discrimination and 

in retaliation for participating in protected activities. 

1

 This case, in which plaintiff is proceeding in propria persona, was referred to the 

undersigned under Local Rule 302(c)(21). See 28 U.S.C. § 636(c). 

Case 2:17-cv-02186-JAM-JDP Document 20 Filed 03/03/20 Page 1 of 5
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 

2 

SERVICE OF PROCESS 

 Service of process is undisputed. 

JOINDER OF PARTIES/AMENDMENTS 

 No further joinder of parties or amendments to pleadings is permitted except with leave of 

court, good cause having been shown. 

JURISDICTION/VENUE 

 Jurisdiction and venue are not disputed. 

DISCOVERY 

 All discovery shall be completed by September 25, 2020. The word “completed” means 

that all discovery shall have been conducted so that all depositions have been taken and any 

disputes relative to discovery shall have been resolved by appropriate order if necessary and, 

where discovery has been ordered, the order has been complied with. Motions to compel 

discovery must be noticed on the undersigned’s calendar in accordance with the Local Rules and 

must be heard not later than July 27, 2020. 

EXPERT DISCLOSURE 

 The parties are to designate in writing, and serve upon all other parties, the names of all 

experts they propose to tender at trial in accordance with the following schedule: plaintiff’s expert 

disclosures shall be served on or before April 27, 2020; defendants’ expert disclosures shall be 

served on or before May 4, 2020; any rebuttal disclosures shall be served on or before May 18, 

2020. The parties shall disclose any witness who will be offered for purposes of rendering an 

expert opinion, regardless of whether that witness will also render percipient testimony. 

 An expert witness not appearing on said lists will not be permitted to testify unless the 

party offering the witness demonstrates: (a) that the necessity of the witness could not have been 

reasonably anticipated at the time the lists were exchanged; (b) the court and opposing counsel 

were promptly notified upon discovery of the witness; and (c) that the witness was promptly 

proffered for deposition. Failure to provide the information required along with the expert 

designation may lead to preclusion of the expert’s testimony or other appropriate sanctions. 

///// 

Case 2:17-cv-02186-JAM-JDP Document 20 Filed 03/03/20 Page 2 of 5
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 

3 

 The parties shall comply with the information disclosure provisions of Federal Rule of 

Civil Procedure 26(a)(2) for any expert, who is in whole or in part designated as a Rule 26 expert. 

This information is due at the time of designation. Failure to supply the required information may 

result in the expert being stricken. All experts are to be fully prepared to render an informed 

opinion at the time of designation so that they may fully participate in any deposition taken by the 

opposing party. Experts will not be permitted to testify at trial as to any information gathered or 

evaluated, or opinion formed, which should have been reasonably available at the time of 

designation. The court will closely scrutinize for discovery abuse deposition opinions which 

differ markedly in nature and/or in bases from those expressed in the mandatory information 

disclosure. 

MOTION HEARING SCHEDULES 

 All law and motion, except as to discovery, shall be completed by February 17, 2021. The 

word “completed” in this context means that all law and motion matters must be heard by the 

above date. Counsel (and/or pro se parties)2 are cautioned to refer to the Local Rules regarding 

the requirements for noticing such motions on the court’s regularly scheduled law and motion 

calendar. This paragraph does not preclude motions for continuances, temporary restraining 

orders or other emergency applications, and is subject to any special scheduling set forth in the 

“Miscellaneous Provisions” paragraph below. 

 The parties should keep in mind that the purpose of law and motion is to narrow and 

refine the legal issues raised by the case, and to dispose of by pretrial motion those issues that are 

susceptible to resolution without trial. To accomplish that purpose, the parties need to identify 

and fully research the issues presented by the case, and then examine those issues in light of the 

evidence gleaned through discovery. If it appears to counsel after examining the legal issues and 

facts that an issue can be resolved by pretrial motion, counsel are to file the appropriate motion by 

the law and motion cutoff set forth above. 

///// 

2

 Any reference to “counsel” in this order includes parties appearing in propria persona. 

Case 2:17-cv-02186-JAM-JDP Document 20 Filed 03/03/20 Page 3 of 5
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 

4 

All purely legal issues are to be resolved by timely pretrial motion. Counsel are reminded 

that motions in limine are procedural devices designed to address the admissibility of evidence. 

Counsel are cautioned that the court will look with disfavor upon substantive motions presented 

in the guise of motions in limine at the time of trial. 

FINAL PRETRIAL CONFERENCE 

 The final pretrial conference is set before the assigned district judge on June 18, 2021 at 

11:00 a.m., in Courtroom No. 6. Counsel are cautioned that counsel appearing at the pretrial 

conference will in fact try the matter. 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 are referred to Local Rules 281 and 282 

relating to pretrial statements and conferences. A failure to comply with Local Rules 281 and 282 

will be grounds for Sanctions. 

 Notwithstanding Local Rule 281, the parties shall submit a joint pretrial statement not 

later than fourteen (14) days prior to the pretrial conference. The joint pretrial statement shall 

conform with the requirements of Local Rule 281(b). The undisputed facts and disputed factual 

issues shall be set forth in two separate sections. The parties should identify those facts which are 

relevant to each separate cause of action. In this regard, the parties are to number each individual 

fact or factual issues. Where the parties are unable to agree as to what factual issues are properly 

before the court for trial, they should nevertheless list in the section on “Disputed Factual Issues” 

all issues asserted by any of the parties and explain by parenthetical the controversy concerning 

each issue. The parties should keep in mind that, in general, each fact should relate or correspond 

to an element of the relevant cause of action. The parties should also keep in mind that the 

purpose of listing the disputed factual issues is to apprise the court and all parties about the 

precise issues that will be litigated at trial. The court is not interested in a listing of all 

evidentiary facts underlying the issues that are in dispute. The joint statement of undisputed facts 

and disputed factual issues is to be filed with the court concurrently with the filing of the joint 

pretrial statement. 

///// 

Case 2:17-cv-02186-JAM-JDP Document 20 Filed 03/03/20 Page 4 of 5
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 

5 

 Pursuant to Local Rule 281(b)(10) and (11), the parties are required to provide in their 

pretrial statement a list of witnesses and exhibits that they propose to proffer at trial, no matter for 

what purpose. These lists shall not be contained in the pretrial statement itself, but shall be 

attached as separate documents to be used as addenda to the final pretrial order. Plaintiff’s 

exhibits shall be listed numerically; defendants’ exhibits shall be listed alphabetically. The 

pretrial order will contain a stringent standard for the proffering of witnesses and exhibits at trial 

not listed in the pretrial order. Counsel are cautioned that the standard will be strictly applied. 

On the other hand, the listing of exhibits or witnesses which counsel do not intend or use will be 

viewed as an abuse of the court’s processes. 

 Counsel are reminded that, pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 16, it will be their 

duty at the pretrial conference to aid the court in (a) formulation and simplification of issues and 

the elimination of meritless claims or defenses; (b) settling of facts which should be properly 

admitted; and (c) avoidance of unnecessary proof and cumulative evidence. The parties must 

prepare their joint pretrial statement, and participate in good faith at the pretrial conference, with 

these aims in mind. A failure to do so may result in the imposition of sanction which may include 

monetary sanctions, orders precluding proof, eliminations of claims or defenses, or such other 

sanctions as the court deems appropriate. 

TRIAL SETTING 

 A jury trial is set to commence before the assigned district judge on August 16, 2021 at 

9:00 a.m., in Courtroom No. 6. The parties anticipate the trial will take three to five days. 

SO ORDERED. 

DATED: March 2, 2020. 

Case 2:17-cv-02186-JAM-JDP Document 20 Filed 03/03/20 Page 5 of 5