Document ID: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-caed-1_20-cv-00093/USCOURTS-caed-1_20-cv-00093-2/pdf.json

Parties Involved:
Rufina Hilario Garcia
Plaintiff
United States of America
Defendant

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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

I. Magistrate Judge Consent: Notice of Congested Docket and Court Policy of Trailing

Due to the District Judges’ heavy caseload, the adopted policy of the Fresno Division of the 

1 The Court finds sufficient information provided by the parties in their Joint Scheduling Report and worksheet 

(Doc. 25) to schedule the matter without a hearing. Thus, the scheduling conference set for April 15, 2020 is VACATED.

RUFINA HILARIO GARCIA, et al.,

 Plaintiffs,

v.

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,

Defendants.

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Case No.: 1:20-cv-00093 NONE JLT

SCHEDULING ORDER1(Fed. R. Civ. P. 16)

Pleading Amendment Deadline: 10/5/2020

Discovery Deadlines:

Initial Disclosures: 7/31/2020

Non-Expert: 2/18/2021

Liability Expert: 5/10/2021

 Damages Expert: 12/17/2021

Mid-Discovery Status Conference: 

 10/5/2020 at 8:30 a.m.

Non-Dispositive Motion Deadlines:

Filing: 1/11/2022

Hearing: 2/8/2022

Dispositive Motion re: Liability Deadlines: 

Filing: 6/19/2021

Hearing: 7/20/21

Pre-Trial Conference:

6/22/2022 at 8:30 a.m.

Courtroom 4 

Case 1:20-cv-00093-DAD-JLT Document 26 Filed 04/13/20 Page 1 of 6
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Eastern District is to trail all civil cases. The parties are hereby notified that for a trial before a District 

Judge, the parties will trail indefinitely behind any higher priority criminal or older civil case set on the 

same date until a courtroom becomes available. 

The Magistrate Judges’ availability is far more realistic and accommodating to parties than that 

of the U.S. District Judges who carry the heaviest caseloads in the nation and who must prioritize 

criminal and older civil cases over more recently filed civil cases. A United States Magistrate Judge 

may conduct trials, including entry of final judgment, pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 636(c), Federal Rule of 

Civil Procedure 73, and Local Rule 305. Any appeal from a judgment entered by a United States 

Magistrate Judge is taken directly to the United States Court of Appeal for the Ninth Circuit. 

The Fresno Division of the Eastern District of California, whenever possible, is utilizing United 

States Article III District Court Judges from throughout the nation as Visiting Judges. Pursuant to the 

Local Rules, Appendix A, reassignments will be random, and the parties will receive no advance notice 

before their case is reassigned to an Article III District Court Judge from outside of the Eastern District 

of California. 

Therefore, the parties are directed to consider consenting to Magistrate Judge jurisdiction to 

conduct all further proceedings, including trial. Within 10 days of the date of this order, counsel 

SHALL file a consent/decline form (provided by the Court at the inception of this case) indicating 

whether they will consent to the jurisdiction of the Magistrate Judge.

II. Pleading Amendment Deadline

Any requested pleading amendments are ordered to be filed, either through a stipulation or 

motion to amend, no later than October 5, 2020.

III. Discovery Plan and Cut-Off Date

The parties are ordered to exchange the initial disclosures required by Fed. R. Civ. P. 26(a)(1) 

on or before July 31, 2020.

The parties are ordered to complete all discovery pertaining to non-experts on or before 

February 18, 2021. All discovery pertaining to liability experts SHALL be completed on or before 

May 10, 2021; and all discovery pertaining to damages experts SHALL be completed on or before 

December 17, 2021.

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The parties are directed to disclose all expert witnesses related to issues of liability2, in writing, 

on or before March 15, 2021, and to disclose all rebuttal liability experts on or before April 12, 2020. 

The parties shall disclose all expert witnesses related to damages, in writing, on or before October 8, 

2021, and disclose all rebuttal damages experts on or before November 19, 2021. 

The written designation of retained and non-retained experts shall be made pursuant to Fed. 

R. Civ. P. Rule 26(a)(2), (A), (B), and (C) and shall include all information required thereunder. 

Failure to designate experts in compliance with this order may result in the Court excluding the 

testimony or other evidence offered through such experts that are not disclosed pursuant to this order.

The provisions of Fed. R. Civ. P. 26(b)(4) and (5) shall apply to all discovery relating to experts 

and their opinions. Experts must be fully prepared to be examined on all subjects and opinions 

included in the designation. Failure to comply will result in the imposition of sanctions, which may

include striking the expert designation and preclusion of expert testimony.

The provisions of Fed. R. Civ. P. 26(e) regarding a party's duty to timely supplement 

disclosures and responses to discovery requests will be strictly enforced.

The mid-discovery status conference is scheduled for October 5, 2020 at 8:30 a.m. before the 

Honorable Jennifer L. Thurston, U.S. Magistrate Judge, located at 510 19th Street, Bakersfield, 

California. Counsel SHALL file a joint mid-discovery status conference report one week before the

conference. Counsel also SHALL lodge the status report via e-mail to JLTorders@caed.uscourts.gov. 

The joint statement SHALL outline the discovery counsel have completed and that which needs to be 

completed as well as any impediments to completing the discovery within the deadlines set forth in this 

order. Counsel SHALL discuss settlement and certify that they have done so. Counsel may appear via 

teleconference by dialing (888) 557-8511 and entering Access Code 1652736, provided the Magistrate 

Judge's Courtroom Deputy Clerk receives a written notice of the intent to appear telephonically no later 

than five court days before the noticed hearing date.

IV. Pre-Trial Motion Schedule

All non-dispositive pre-trial motions, including any discovery motions, shall be filed no later 

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If an expert will offer opinions related to an independent medical or mental health evaluation, the examination 

SHALL occur sufficiently in advance of the disclosure deadline, so the expert’s report fully details the expert’s opinions in 

this regard.

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than January 11, 2022,

3 and heard on or before February 8, 2022. Non-dispositive motions are heard 

before the Honorable Jennifer L. Thurston, United States Magistrate Judge at the United States 

Courthouse in Bakersfield, California.

No motion to amend or stipulation to amend the case schedule will be entertained unless it 

is filed at least one week before the first deadline the parties wish to extend. Likewise, no written 

discovery motions shall be filed without the prior approval of the assigned Magistrate Judge. A party 

with a discovery dispute must first confer with the opposing party in a good faith effort to resolve by 

agreement the issues in dispute. If that good faith effort is unsuccessful, the moving party promptly 

shall seek a telephonic hearing with all involved parties and the Magistrate Judge. It shall be the 

obligation of the moving party to arrange and originate the conference call to the court. To schedule 

this telephonic hearing, the parties are ordered to contact the Courtroom Deputy Clerk, Susan Hall, at 

(661) 326-6620 or via email at SHall@caed.uscourts.gov. Counsel must comply with Local Rule 251 

with respect to discovery disputes or the motion will be denied without prejudice and dropped 

from the Court’s calendar.

Counsel may appear and argue non-dispositive motions via teleconference by dialing (888) 557-

8511 and entering Access Code 1652736, provided the Magistrate Judge's Courtroom Deputy Clerk 

receives a written notice of the intent to appear telephonically no later than five court days before the 

noticed hearing date. 

All dispositive pre-trial motions shall be filed no later than June 19, 2021, and heard no later 

than July 20, 2021, in Courtroom 4 at 8:30 a.m. In scheduling such motions, counsel shall comply 

with Fed. R. Civ. P. 56 and Local Rules 230 and 260.

V. Motions for Summary Judgment or Summary Adjudication

At least 21 days before filing a motion for summary judgment or motion for summary 

adjudication, the parties are ORDERED to meet, in person or by telephone, to confer about the issues 

to be raised in the motion.

The purpose of the meeting shall be to: 1) avoid filing motions for summary judgment where a 

3 Non-dispositive motions related to non-expert discovery SHALL be filed within a reasonable time of discovery of 

the dispute, but in no event later than 30 days after the expiration of the non-expert discovery deadline.

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question of fact exists; 2) determine whether the respondent agrees that the motion has merit in whole 

or in part; 3) discuss whether issues can be resolved without the necessity of briefing; 4) narrow the 

issues for review by the court; 5) explore the possibility of settlement before the parties incur the 

expense of briefing a motion; and 6) to develop a joint statement of undisputed facts.

The moving party SHALL initiate the meeting and SHALL provide a complete, proposed 

statement of undisputed facts at least five days before the conference. The finalized joint statement of 

undisputed facts SHALL include all facts that the parties agree, for purposes of the motion, may be 

deemed true. In addition to the requirements of Local Rule 260, the moving party shall file the joint 

statement of undisputed facts. 

In the notice of motion the moving party SHALL certify that the parties have met and conferred 

as ordered above, or set forth a statement of good cause for the failure to meet and confer. Failure to 

comply may result in the motion being stricken.

VI. Pre-Trial Conference Date

June 22, 2022 at 8:30 a.m. in Courtroom 4.

The parties are ordered to file a Joint Pretrial Statement pursuant to Local Rule 281(a)(2). 

The parties are further directed to submit a digital copy of their pretrial statement in Word format via

email at NONEorders@caed.uscourts.gov. 

Counsels' attention is directed to Rules 281 and 282 of the Local Rules of Practice for the 

Eastern District of California, as to the obligations of counsel in preparing for the pre-trial conference. 

The Court will insist upon strict compliance with those rules. In addition to the matters set forth in the 

Local Rules the Joint Pretrial Statement shall include a Joint Statement of the case to be used by the 

Court to explain the nature of the case to the jury during voir dire.

VII. Settlement Conference

The parties may request a settlement conference if they jointly believe that such a conference 

would be fruitful.

VIII. Request for Bifurcation, Appointment of Special Master, or other 

Techniques to Shorten Trial

Not applicabl.

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IX. Related Matters Pending

There are no pending related matters.

X. Compliance with Federal Procedure

All counsel SHALL familiarize themselves with the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure and the 

Local Rules of Practice of the Eastern District of California, and to keep abreast of any amendments 

thereto. The Court must insist upon compliance with these Rules if it is to efficiently handle its 

increasing case load and sanctions will be imposed for failure to follow both the Federal Rules of Civil 

Procedure and the Local Rules of Practice for the Eastern District of California.

XI. Effect of this Order

The foregoing order represents the best estimate of the court and counsel as to the agenda most 

suitable to dispose of this case. The trial date reserved is specifically reserved for this case. If the 

parties determine at any time that the schedule outlined in this order cannot be met, counsel are ordered 

to notify the court immediately of that fact so that adjustments may be made, either by stipulation or by 

subsequent status conference.

The dates set in this order are firm and will not be modified absent a showing of good 

cause even if the request to modify is made by stipulation. Stipulations extending the deadlines 

contained herein will not be considered unless they are accompanied by affidavits or 

declarations, and where appropriate attached exhibits, which establish good cause for granting 

the relief requested.

Failure to comply with this order may result in the imposition of sanctions. 

IT IS SO ORDERED.

Dated: April 12, 2020 /s/ Jennifer L. Thurston 

UNITED STATES MAGISTRATE JUDGE

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