Document ID: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-caed-2_13-cv-01356/USCOURTS-caed-2_13-cv-01356-0/pdf.json

Parties Involved:
Buona Vita, Inc.
Defendant
Valley Fine Foods Company, Inc.
Plaintiff

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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

FOR THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

VALLEY FINE FOODS COMPANY, 

INC.,

Plaintiff,

v.

BUONA VITA, INC.,

Defendant.

No. 2:13-cv-1356 CKD

ORDER

STATUS (PRETRIAL SCHEDULING) ORDER

READ THIS ORDER CAREFULLY. IT CONTAINS IMPORTANT DATES WHICH 

THE COURT WILL STRICTLY ENFORCE AND WITH WHICH ALL PARTIES MUST 

COMPLY. A FAILURE TO COMPLY WITH THE TERMS OF THIS ORDER MAY RESULT 

IN THE IMPOSITION OF MONETARY AND ALL OTHER SANCTIONS WITHIN THE 

POWER OF THE COURT, INCLUDING DISMISSAL OR AN ORDER OF JUDGMENT.

Pursuant to court order, a Status (Pretrial Scheduling) Conference was held on November 

14, 2013. George Rosenstock appeared for plaintiff. J. Michael McGuire and Todd Jones 

appeared for defendant.

After hearing, the court makes the following findings and orders:

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SERVICE OF PROCESS

Defendant has been served and has filed an answer. 

JOINDER OF PARTIES/AMENDMENTS

Any motion to join additional parties or to amend the pleadings shall be filed no later than 

June 4, 2014. The parties may stipulate to joinder of parties or amendments to pleadings without 

motion practice.

JURISDICTION/VENUE

Jurisdiction is undisputed and is hereby found to be proper, as is venue.

DISCOVERY

The parties shall make initial disclosures under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 26 no 

later than January 15, 2014. 

Plaintiff shall designate in writing and file with the court and serve upon the opposing 

party the names of any experts that plaintiff proposes to tender at trial no later than March 23, 

2015. Defendant shall designate in writing and file with the court and serve upon the opposing 

party the names of any experts that defendant proposes to tender at trial no later than April 2, 

2015. Rebuttal experts shall be disclosed no later than April 10, 2015. All experts so designated 

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 the trial as to any information gathered or evaluated, or opinion formed, after deposition 

taken subsequent to designation. An expert witness not listed in the party’s designation of 

witnesses will not be permitted to testify unless the party offering the witness demonstrates that: 

(a) 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) the witness was promptly proffered for deposition. 

All non-expert discovery is left open, save and except that it shall be so conducted as to be 

completed by March 11, 2015. Expert discovery shall be completed by April 29, 2015. The word 

“completed” means that all discovery shall have been conducted so that all depositions have been 

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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. 

MOTION HEARING SCHEDULE

All law and motion except as to discovery is left open, save and except that it shall be 

conducted so as to be completed by May 13, 2015. The word “completed” in this context means 

that all law and motion matters must be heard by the above date. The parties 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 after examining the legal issues and facts that 

an issue can be resolved by pretrial motion, the parties are to file the appropriate motion by the 

law and motion cutoff set forth supra.

ALL PURELY LEGAL ISSUES ARE TO BE RESOLVED BY TIMELY PRETRIAL 

MOTION. The parties are reminded that motions in limine are procedural devices designed to 

address the admissibility of evidence. THE PARTIES 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 for July 8, 2015 at 11:00 a.m. in courtroom no. 24 

before the undersigned.

The 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. The 

parties are referred to Local Rules 281 and 282 relating to the contents of and time for filing 

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Pretrial Statements. A FAILURE TO COMPLY WITH LOCAL RULES 281 AND 282 WILL 

BE GROUNDS FOR SANCTIONS.

Notwithstanding the provisions of Local Rule 281, which contemplates the filing of 

separate Pretrial Statements by plaintiffs and defendants, the parties are to prepare a JOINT 

STATEMENT with respect to the undisputed facts and disputed factual issues of the case. The 

undisputed facts and disputed factual issues are to 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 issue. 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. However, with respect to the listing of undisputed facts, the court will accept 

agreements as to evidentiary facts. The joint statement of undisputed facts and disputed factual 

issues is to be filed with the court concurrently with the filing of plaintiff’s Pretrial Statement. If

the case is tried to a jury, the undisputed facts will be read to the jury.

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

Pretrial Statements 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; defendant’s 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 to call or use 

will be viewed as an abuse of the court’s processes.

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The parties are also reminded that, pursuant to Fed. R. Civ. P. 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 frivolous claims or defenses; (b) settling of facts which should be properly 

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

prepare their Pretrial Statements, 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 

SANCTIONS which may include monetary sanctions, orders precluding proof, eliminations of 

claims or defenses, or such other sanctions as the court deems appropriate.

TRIAL SETTING

Trial is set on September 14, 2015 in courtroom no. 24 before the undersigned. Trial will 

be by jury. The court expects the trial will take approximately six days.

SETTLEMENT CONFERENCE

If the parties determine a settlement conference would be beneficial, the courtroom deputy 

may be contacted to arrange a date for the settlement conference. In absence of a waiver of 

disqualification of the undersigned, the settlement conference will be set before another 

magistrate judge. 

MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS

There appear to be no other matters presently pending before the court that will aid the 

just and expeditious disposition of this matter.

Pursuant to Fed. R. Civ. P. 16(b), THE COURT SUMMARIZES THE SCHEDULING 

ORDER AS FOLLOWS:

1. Initial disclosures shall be made no later than January 15, 2014.

2. Motions to amend shall be completed by June 4, 2014. 

3. Non-expert discovery shall be completed by March 11, 2015. 

4. Plaintiff’s expert disclosures shall be made no later than March 23, 2015.

5. Defendant’s expert disclosures shall be made no later than April 2, 2015.

6. Rebuttal expert disclosures shall be made no later than April 10, 2015.

7. Expert discovery shall be completed by April 29, 2015.

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8. All pretrial motions, except motions to compel discovery, shall be completed by May 

13, 2015.

 9. Pretrial conference is set for July 8, 2015 at 11:00 a.m. in courtroom no. 24 before the 

undersigned.

10. This matter is set for jury trial on September 14, 2015 in courtroom no. 24 before the 

undersigned.

Dated: November 15, 2013

4 valleyfinefoods.oas

_____________________________________

CAROLYN K. DELANEY

UNITED STATES MAGISTRATE JUDGE

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