Document ID: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-cand-3_08-cv-00244/USCOURTS-cand-3_08-cv-00244-0/pdf.json

Parties Involved:
City and County of San Francisco
Defendant
Robert Cruz
Plaintiff
Darwin Dias
Plaintiff

Document Text:

United States District Court

For the Northern District of California

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IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

FOR THE NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

ROBERT CRUZ and DARWIN DIAS,

Plaintiff(s),

 vs.

CITY AND COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO,

et al.,

Defendant(s). /

No. C 08-0244 MEJ

CASE MANAGEMENT ORDER

Pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 16, the Court VACATES the April 24, 2008

Case Management Conference and ORDERS as follows:

A. ADR Program: 

The parties are referred to a settlement conference with another magistrate judge.

B. Jury or Court Trial:

The Court shall conduct a jury trial in this matter.

C. Pretrial Motions:

1. All pretrial motions shall be filed in accordance with Civil Local Rule 7. A motion shall be

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noticed pursuant to Civil Local Rule 7-2 without calling the Court. Civil law and motion is

heard on Thursday mornings at 10:00 a.m. 

D. Discovery: 

1. The parties shall abide by Judge James’ standing order regarding discovery and dispute

procedures.

E. Disclosure of Expert Witnesses: 

1. Any party wishing to present expert witness testimony with respect to a claim or defense

shall serve on all other parties the name, address, qualifications, resume, and a written report

which complies with Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 26(a)(2)(B) on or before October 20,

2008. 

2. This disclosure must be made with respect to a person who is either (a) specifically retained

or specially employed to provide expert testimony pursuant to Federal Rule of Evidence 702

or (b) a regular employee or agent or treating physician who may be called to provide expert

opinion testimony.

3. A party or counsel has a continuing duty to supplement the disclosure of expert 

witnesses when required under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 26(e)(1).

F. Rebuttal Expert Witnesses:

1. If the testimony of the expert is intended solely to contradict or rebut opinion testimony on

the same subject matter identified by another party, the party proffering a rebuttal expert

shall make the disclosures required by Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 26(a)(2)(B), no later

than October 30, 2008.

G. Limitation on Testimony by Expert Witnesses:

1. Unless the parties enter into a written stipulation otherwise, upon timely objection, an expert

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witness shall be precluded from testifying about any actions or opinions not disclosed prior

to the expert’s deposition. This is to ensure that all factual material upon which expert

opinion may be based and all tests and reports are completed prior to the expert deposition. 

2. Unless application is made prior to the close of expert discovery, each party is limited to

calling only one expert witness in each discipline involved in the case.

3. Any party objecting to the admissibility of the testimony of person disclosed as an expert

witness must file a written motion in limine to exclude the testimony no later than the

deadline set in this order for filing motions in limine.

H. Close of Discovery:

1. All discovery, including depositions of expert witnesses, must be completed by November

14, 2008.

2. Pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 16(b) and Civil Local Rule 26-2, a discovery

request or stipulation that calls for responses or depositions after the discovery cut-off date

are not enforceable except by order of the Court and upon a showing of good cause. 

3. Pursuant to Civil Local Rule 26-2, no motions to compel discovery may be filed later than 10

days after the discovery cut-off date. 

I. Dispositive Motions:

1. Pursuant to Civil Local Rule 7-2, all dispositive motions shall be filed, served and noticed by

December 11, 2008. The parties shall file a joint statement of undisputed facts pursuant to

Civil Local Rule 56-2(b) when filing a motion for summary judgment or summary

adjudication.

2. The Court shall hear dispositive motions on January 15, 2009 at 10:00 a.m. in Courtroom B,

15th Floor of the Federal Building, located at 450 Golden Gate Avenue, San Francisco,

California.

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J. Exchange and filing of Trial Papers:

1. By March 19, 2009, lead counsel who will try the case shall meet and confer with respect to

the preparation and content of the joint pretrial conference statement and shall exchange (but

not file or lodge) the papers described in paragraph 2 below.

2. By April 2, 2009, counsel shall file the papers described in Federal Rule of Civil Procedure

26(a)(3) and a joint pretrial conference statement including the following:

(A) Substance of the Action: A brief description of the substance of claims and defenses

which remain to be decided.

(B) Relief Prayed: A detailed statement of all the relief claimed, particularly itemizing all

elements of damages claimed as well as witnesses, documents or other evidentiary material

to be presented concerning the amount of damages.

(C) Undisputed Facts: A plain and concise statement of all relevant facts not reasonably

disputable, as well as which facts parties will stipulate for incorporation into the trial record

without the necessity of supporting testimony or exhibits.

(D) Disputed Factual Issues: A plain and concise statement of all disputed factual issues

which remain to be decided.

(E) Agreed Statement: A statement assessing whether all or part of the action may be

presented upon an agreed statement of facts.

(F) Stipulations: A statement of stipulations requested or proposed for pretrial or trial

purposes.

(G) Witness list: A list of all witnesses to be called for trial. The parties shall submit a pagelength detailed summary of the substance of the proposed testimony of each witness, which

shall also specify to which disputed fact the testimony relates and an estimate of the time

required for direct and cross examination of each prospective witness. 

(H) Exhibit list: A list of all exhibits to be offered at trial. The exhibit list shall list each

proposed exhibit by its number or alphabetical letter, description and sponsoring witness. All

documents shall be authenticated prior to trial.

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(I) Estimated Time of Trial: An estimate of the number of hours needed for the presentation

of each party’s case.

(J) Settlement: A statement summarizing the status of the parties’ settlement negotiations.

No party shall be permitted to offer any witness or exhibit in its case in chief that is not 

disclosed in its witness or exhibit list without leave of the Court for good cause 

shown.

3. Motions in limine: Counsel are directed to meet and confer to resolve any evidentiary 

disputes prior to filing motions in limine. Any motions in limine shall be filed by April 2,

2009. Any Opposition to motions in limine shall be filed by April 9, 2009. These matters

will be deemed submitted on the papers without oral argument, unless the Court orders

otherwise.

4. Trial Briefs: Counsel shall file trial briefs setting forth the applicable legal standard,

pursuant to Ninth Circuit authority, all significant disputed issues of law, including

foreseeable procedural and evidentiary issues by April 17, 2009. 

5. Joint Proposed Voir Dire (Jury Trial Only): Counsel should submit a joint set of requested

voir dire to be posed by the Court by April 17, 2009. Any voir dire questions on which

counsel cannot agree shall be submitted separately by April 17, 2009. Counsel will be

allowed brief follow-up voir dire after the Court’s questioning.

6. Joint Proposed Jury Instructions (Jury Trial Only): Jury instructions § 1.01 through § 2.02

and § 3.01 through § 3.15 from the Manual of Model Civil Jury Instructions for the Ninth

Circuit will be given absent objection. Counsel shall submit a joint set of additional

proposed jury instructions by April 17, 2009. The instructions shall be ordered in a logical

sequence, together with a table of contents. Any instruction on which counsel cannot agree

shall be marked as “disputed,” and shall be included within the jointly submitted instructions

and accompanying table of contents, in the place where the party proposing the instruction

believes it should be given. Argument and authority for and against each disputed

instruction shall be included as part of the joint submission, on separate sheets directly

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following the disputed instruction. The Court prefers that all jury instructions conform to the

Manual of Model Civil Jury Instructions for the Ninth Circuit.

If possible, counsel shall deliver to the Courtroom Deputy a copy of their joint proposed jury

instructions on a computer disk in WordPerfect format. The disk label shall include the

name of the parties, the case number and be entitled “Proposed Jury Instructions.”

At the close of Defendant’s case in chief, the Court shall hear oral argument on the disputed

jury instructions and will then render its rulings. 

7. Proposed Verdict Forms, Joint or Separate (Jury Trial Only): Counsel shall submit any joint

proposed verdict forms and shall submit their separate verdict forms by April 17, 2009. 

Whenever possible, counsel shall deliver to the Courtroom Deputy a copy of their joint

proposed verdict forms on a computer disk in WordPerfect. The disk label shall include the

name of the parties, the case number and be entitled “Proposed Verdict Forms.”

8. Proposed Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law (Court Trial Only): Counsel shall submit

joint proposed findings of facts by April 17, 2009. Counsel shall submit separately a copy of

their disputed findings of fact and conclusions of law by April 17, 2009. Whenever possible,

counsel shall deliver to the Courtroom Deputy a copy of their joint proposed findings of fact

on a computer disk in WordPerfect. The disk label shall include the name of the parties, the

case number and be entitled “Joint Proposed Findings of Facts.”

K. Pretrial Conference:

1. On April 16, 2009 at 10:00 a.m., the Court shall hold a pretrial conference in Courtroom B,

15th Floor of the Federal Building, located at 450 Golden Gate Avenue, San Francisco,

California. Lead counsel who will try the case must attend the pretrial conference. The

purpose of the pretrial conference is for the Court to rule on any issues raised in the final

pretrial conference statement, motions in limine, and to discuss the trial of the case.

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L. Final Pretrial Conference:

1. On May 14, 2009 at 10:00 a.m., the Court shall hold a final pretrial conference to address

any outstanding trial issues.

M. Trial Date:

1. The trial shall commence [with jury selection taking place] on May 18, 2009 (Trial schedule:

Monday through Thursday, at 1:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.). The trial shall last four days. 

2. For any documents, including the deposition of a witness testifying at trial, which will be

shown presented to a witness but will not be admitted into evidence, counsel shall bring

the original plus three clean copies of the documents. The original document will be handed

to the Court during testimony, and the clean copies of the document will be given to the

witness during the examination and to opposing counsel. 

3. Counsel shall maintain their own exhibits during trial. Exhibits are to be premarked with

exhibit tags stapled to the upper lefthand corner. If a photo or chart is being used as an

exhibit, the exhibit tag should be placed on the back side of the exhibit. The Court will only

admit premarked exhibits which were listed on the earlier filed exhibit list.

Plaintiff shall mark the exhibits numerically; Defendant shall mark the exhibits

alphabetically. The exhibit markers shall each contain the name and number of the case, the

number or alphabetical letter of the exhibit, and blank spaces to accommodate the date

admitted and the Deputy Clerk’s initials. 

4. On the day of trial, counsel shall bring the original premarked exhibits, a copy of the

premarked exhibits for opposing counsel and two binders which contain a copy of each

side’s premarked exhibits for the Court. The premarked exhibit binders are to be

designated with label dividers. The premarked exhibit binders will be given to the

Courtroom Deputy on the morning of the trial.

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N. Jury Selection:

1. The Jury Commissioner will summon 20 to 25 prospective jurors. The Courtroom Deputy

will select their names at random and seat them in the courtroom in the order in which their

names are called.

Voir dire will be asked of sufficient venire persons that eight (or more for a lengthy

trial) will remain after all peremptory challenges and an anticipated number of hardship

dismissals and cause challenges have been made. 

The Court will then take cause challenges, and discuss hardship claims from the

individual jurors, at side bar. The Court will inform the attorneys which hardship claims and

cause challenges will be granted, but will not announce those dismissals until the process is

completed. Each attorney may then list in writing up to three peremptory challenges. The

attorneys will review each other’s lists and then submit them to the clerk.

Then, from the list of jurors in numerical order, the Court will strike the persons with

meritorious hardships, those excused for cause, and those challenged peremptorily. The

Court will then call the first eight people in numerical sequence remaining. These people

will be the jury. All jurors remaining at the close of the case will deliberate. There are no

alternates.

O. Sanctions:

Failure to comply with this Order is cause for sanctions under Federal Rule of Civil

Procedure 16(f).

P. Transcripts:

Counsel who wants to receive a daily transcript shall contact Debra Campbell, Supervisor

Court Reporting Services, at (415) 522-2079, at least ten days in advance of the trial date.

If any video or tape recording equipment or demonstrative devices will be used, a

signed order will need to be obtained at least ten days in advance of the trial date for the

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items to clear security.

Q. Questions:

All questions regarding these instructions should be directed to Brenda Tolbert, Courtroom

Deputy Clerk to Judge James, at (415) 522-4708.

IT IS SO ORDERED.

Dated: April 23, 2008 

MARIA-ELENA JAMES

United States Magistrate Judge

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