Document ID: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-caed-2_14-cv-01853/USCOURTS-caed-2_14-cv-01853-3/pdf.json

Parties Involved:
Heaton
Defendant
Theron Kenneth Holston
Plaintiff

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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT 

FOR THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA 

THERON KENNETH HOLSTON, 

Plaintiff, 

v. 

HEATON, 

Defendant. 

No. 2:14-cv-1853-TLN-EFB P 

ORDER SETTING SETTLEMENT 

CONFERENCE 

Plaintiff is a prisoner proceeding without counsel in an action brought under 42 U.S.C. 

§ 1983. The court has determined that this case will benefit from a settlement conference. 

Therefore, this case will be referred to Magistrate Judge Carolyn K. Delaney to conduct a 

settlement conference at the El Dorado County Jail, 300 Forni Road, Placerville, California 95667 

on March 18, 2016 at 10:00 a.m. The court further orders that all deadlines in this matter shall be 

stayed pending the outcome of the settlement conference. 

In accordance with the above, IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that: 

1. This case is set for a settlement conference before Magistrate Judge Carolyn K. 

Delaney on March 18, 2016 at 10:00 a.m. at the El Dorado County Jail, 300 Forni 

Road, Placerville, California 95667. 

2. Parties are instructed to have a principal with full settlement authority present at the 

Settlement Conference or to be fully authorized to settle the matter on any terms. The 

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individual with full authority to settle must also have “unfettered discretion and 

authority” to change the settlement position of the party, if appropriate. The purpose 

behind requiring the attendance of a person with full settlement authority is that the 

parties’ view of the case may be altered during the face to face conference. An 

authorization to settle for a limited dollar amount or sum certain can be found not to 

comply with the requirement of full authority to settle1

. 

3. Parties are directed to submit confidential settlement statements no later than March 

11, 2016 to ckdorders@caed.uscourts.gov. Plaintiff shall mail his confidential 

settlement statement to Sujean Park, ADR Division, 501 I Street, Suite 4-200, 

Sacramento, California 95814 so it arrives no later than March 11, 2016. If a party 

desires to share additional confidential information with the Court, they may do so 

pursuant to the provisions of Local Rule 270(d) and (e). Parties are also directed to 

file a “Notice of Submission of Confidential Settlement Statement” (See L.R. 270(d)). 

Settlement statements should not be filed with the Clerk of the Court nor served on 

any other party. Settlement statements shall be clearly marked “confidential” with 

the date and time of the settlement conference indicated prominently thereon. 

 1 While	the	exercise	of	its	authority	is	subject	to	abuse	of	discretion	review,	“the	district	court	has	the	

authority	to	order	parties,	including	the	federal	government,	to	participate	in	mandatory	settlement	

conferences...	.”	United	States	v.	United	States	District	Court	for	the	Northern	Mariana	Islands,	694	F.3d	1051,	

1053,	1057,	1059	(9th	Cir.	2012)(“the	district	court	has	broad	authority	to	compel	participation	in	mandatory	

settlement	conference[s].”).		The	term	“full	authority	to	settle”	means	that	the	individuals	attending	the	

mediation	conference	must	be	authorized	to	fully	explore	settlement	options	and	to	agree	at	that	time	to	any	

settlement	terms	acceptable	to	the	parties.		G.	Heileman	Brewing	Co.,	Inc.	v.	Joseph	Oat	Corp.,	871	F.2d	648,	

653	(7th	Cir.	1989),	cited	with	approval	in	Official	Airline	Guides,	Inc.	v.	Goss,	6	F.3d	1385,	1396	(9th	Cir.	1993).		

The	individual	with	full	authority	to	settle	must	also	have	“unfettered	discretion	and	authority”	to	change	the	

settlement	position	of	the	party,	if	appropriate.		Pitman	v.	Brinker	Int’l.,	Inc.,	216	F.R.D.	481,	485‐86	(D.	Ariz.	

2003),	amended	on	recon.	in	part,	Pitman	v.	Brinker	Int’l.,	Inc.,	2003	WL	23353478	(D.	Ariz.	2003).		The	

purpose	behind	requiring	the	attendance	of	a	person	with	full	settlement	authority	is	that	the	parties’	view	of	

the	case	may	be	altered	during	the	face	to	face	conference.		Pitman,	216	F.R.D.	at	486.		An	authorization	to	

settle	for	a	limited	dollar	amount	or	sum	certain	can	be	found	not	to	comply	with	the	requirement	of	full	

authority	to	settle.		Nick	v.	Morgan’s	Foods,	Inc.,	270	F.3d	590,	596‐97	(8th	Cir.	2001).	

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The confidential settlement statement shall be no longer than five pages in length, 

typed or neatly printed, and include the following: 

a. A brief statement of the facts of the case. 

b. A brief statement of the claims and defenses, i.e., statutory or other grounds upon 

which the claims are founded; a forthright evaluation of the parties’ likelihood of 

prevailing on the claims and defenses; and a description of the major issues in 

dispute. 

c. A summary of the proceedings to date. 

d. An estimate of the cost and time to be expended for further discovery, pretrial, and 

trial. 

e. The relief sought. 

f. The party’s position on settlement, including present demands and offers and a 

history of past settlement discussions, offers, and demands. 

g. A brief statement of each party’s expectations and goals for the settlement 

conference. 

4. The Clerk of the Court is directed to serve a copy of this order on the Sheriff, El 

Dorado County, 300 Fair Lane, Placerville, California 95667. 

5. All deadlines in this matter are stayed pending the outcome of the settlement 

conference. If the parties are unable to settle this matter, the court will issue an order 

setting new deadlines. 

DATED: February 24, 2016. 

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