Document ID: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-caed-1_15-cv-01118/USCOURTS-caed-1_15-cv-01118-4/pdf.json

Parties Involved:
S. Honnold
Defendant
Vance Edward Johnson
Plaintiff

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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

VANCE EDWARD JOHNSON,

Plaintiff,

v.

S. HONNOLD,

Defendant.

1:15-cv-01118-LJO-MJS (PC)

TRIAL SCHEDULING ORDER

Telephonic Trial Confirmation

Hearing: March 7, 2019, at 10:00 a.m.

in Courtroom 6 (MJS)

Jury Trial: April 23, 2019, at 8:30 a.m. in 

Courtroom 4 (LJO)

CLERK TO SEND LOCAL RULE 281 TO 

PLAINTIFF

Plaintiff is a state prisoner proceeding pro se and in forma pauperis in this civil 

rights action brought pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 1983. The action proceeds on Plaintiff’s 

complaint against Defendant S. Honnold for medical indifference in violation of the 

Eighth Amendment to the United States Constitution.

The matter has been assigned to United States District Judge Lawrence J. 

O’Neill. To facilitate the efficient resolution of prisoner civil rights cases, Judge O’Neill 

requires that all such cases be set for trial on a date approximately three years from 

Defendant’s first appearance. Accordingly, pursuant to Rule 16(b) of the Federal Rules 

of Civil Procedure, the Court herein sets a schedule for trial of this matter.

The parties are advised that nothing herein supersedes the provisions of the 

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Court’s prior discovery and scheduling order. To the contrary, the parties are required to 

abide by that order and to pursue any discovery, amendments, or motions with diligence. 

In all such matters, the parties should manage their efforts so that they are prepared to 

proceed to trial as scheduled. The parties are warned that a continuance of the trial date 

is unlikely, and will only be granted upon a showing of good cause and a determination 

that, despite the parties’ best efforts, proceeding to trial as scheduled is impracticable. 

The parties are required to file pretrial statements in accordance with Local Rule 

281 and the schedule set forth herein. In addition, Plaintiff must make a particularized 

showing to obtain the attendance of witnesses at trial. The procedures and requirements 

for doing so are outlined in detail below.

Failure to comply with the provisions of this Order may result in the 

imposition of sanctions which could include dismissal of the action or entry of 

default.

I. SPECIAL PROCEDURES FOR PLAINTIFF’S WITNESSES 

At the trial of this case, Plaintiff must be prepared to introduce evidence to prove 

each of the alleged facts that support claims made in the lawsuit. In general, there are 

two kinds of trial evidence: (1) exhibits and (2) testimony of witnesses. It is Plaintiff’s 

responsibility to produce all of the evidence to prove his case, whether that evidence is 

in the form of exhibits or testimony from witnesses. If Plaintiff wants to call witnesses to 

testify, he must comply with the following procedures to ensure that the witnesses will 

appear at trial and be available to testify.1 Failure to comply with the procedures set 

forth below may result in the Court precluding testimony from Plaintiff’s witnesses.

A. Procedures for Obtaining Attendance of Incarcerated Witnesses Who 

Agree to Testify Voluntarily 

An incarcerated witness who agrees to come to court and testify at trial can only 

do so if the Court orders the warden or other custodian to allow him or her to be 

 

1 Notwithstanding the requirements set forth herein, it is within the Court’s discretion to grant a motion for 

the attendance of incarcerated witnesses if the moving party has shown the witnesses have relevant 

information and the Court determines the witnesses’ presence will substantially further the resolution of the 

case. Wiggins v. County of Alameda, 717 F.2d 466, 468 n.1 (9th Cir. 1983).

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transported to court. The Court will not issue such an order unless it is satisfied that: (a) 

the prospective witness is willing to attend; and (b) he or she has actual knowledge of 

relevant facts.

If Plaintiff wants to call such witnesses, Plaintiff must serve and file with the 

pretrial statement a written motion for a court order directing that the witnesses be 

brought to trial. The motion must: (1) state the name, address, and prison identification 

number of each such witness; and (2) include declarations showing that each witness is

willing to testify and that each witness has actual knowledge of relevant facts. The 

motion should be entitled “Motion for Attendance of Incarcerated Witnesses.”

The willingness of the prospective witness to come and testify can be shown in 

one of two ways: (a) the Plaintiff can swear under penalty of perjury that the prospective 

witness has informed him that he or she is willing to testify voluntarily without being 

subpoenaed; if so, the declaration must state when and where the witness so advised 

the Plaintiff; or (b) Plaintiff can serve and file a declaration, signed under penalty of 

perjury by the prospective witness, in which the witness states he or she is willing to 

testify without being subpoenaed.

The prospective witness’s actual knowledge of relevant facts also can be shown 

in one of two ways: (a) if Plaintiff has actual firsthand knowledge that the prospective 

witness was an eyewitness or an ear-witness to the relevant facts (for example, if the 

incident occurred in Plaintiff’s cell and Plaintiff saw that a cellmate was present at the 

time and observed the incident), Plaintiff can swear by declaration under penalty of 

perjury that the prospective witness has actual knowledge; or (b) Plaintiff can serve and 

file a declaration signed under penalty of perjury by the prospective witness in which the 

witness describes the relevant facts to which he or she was an eye- or ear-witness. 

Whether the declaration is made by the Plaintiff or by the prospective witness, it 

must be specific about the incident, when and where it occurred, who was present, and 

how the prospective witness happened to be in a position to see or hear what occurred.

The Court has discretion to grant a motion for the attendance of incarcerated 

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witnesses if the moving party shows that the witnesses have relevant information and 

the Court finds that the witnesses’ presence will substantially further the resolution of the 

case. Wiggins, 717 F.2d at 468 n.1. The Court will review and rule on the motion for 

attendance of incarcerated witnesses, specifying which will be brought to court. 

Subsequently, the Court will order the witness’s custodian to bring the witness to court.

Motions for the attendance of incarcerated witnesses, if any, must be filed 

on or before January 10, 2019. Oppositions, if any, must be filed on or before 

February 7, 2019. 

B. Procedures for Obtaining Attendance of Incarcerated Witnesses Who 

Refuse to Testify Voluntarily 

If Plaintiff seeks to obtain the attendance of incarcerated witnesses who refuse to 

testify voluntarily, Plaintiff should submit, by January 10, 2019, a motion for the 

attendance of such witnesses. Such motion should be in the form described above. In 

addition, the party must indicate in the motion that the incarcerated witnesses are not 

willing to testify voluntarily.

C. Procedures for Obtaining Attendance of Unincarcerated Witnesses Who 

Agree to Testify Voluntarily 

Plaintiff does not need Court permission or a Court Order to have unincarcerated 

witnesses appear and testify if the witnesses are willing to do so voluntarily (and Plaintiff 

has properly identified the witnesses in his Pretrial Statement). It is Plaintiff’s sole 

responsibility to notify the witness of the time and date of trial and arrange for his or her 

presence. The Court need not be involved.

D. Procedures for Obtaining Attendance of Unincarcerated Witnesses Who 

Refuse to Testify Voluntarily 

If a prospective witness is not incarcerated, and he or she refuses to testify 

voluntarily, the witness must be served with a subpoena. Fed. R. Civ. P. 45. In addition, 

the party seeking the witness’s presence must deposit fees for the witness in advance of 

subpoenaing the witness. Id. In the case of an unincarcerated witness, the fee that must 

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be deposited is the daily witness fee of $40.00 plus the witness’s travel expenses. 28 

U.S.C. § 1821.

If Plaintiff wishes to obtain the attendance of one or more unincarcerated 

witnesses who refuse to testify voluntarily, Plaintiff must first notify the Court in writing of 

the name and location of each unincarcerated witness. Plaintiff is to notify the Court of 

the names and locations of such witnesses on or before January 10, 2019. 

The Court will calculate the travel expense for each such witness and notify 

Plaintiff of the amount(s) to be deposited for each. Plaintiff must then, for each witness, 

submit a money order made payable to the witness for the full amount of the witness’s 

travel expenses plus the daily witness fee of $40.00. The subpoena will not be served on 

the unincarcerated witness by the United States Marshal unless the money order is 

tendered to the Court. There is no legal basis for using public funds to cover such 

expenses in civil cases even for parties proceeding in forma pauperis.

If Plaintiff wishes to have the Marshal serve any unincarcerated witnesses who 

refuse to testify voluntarily, Plaintiff must submit the money orders to the Court on or 

before February 21, 2019. 

II. SCHEDULING ORDER

With regard to further litigation and trial of this matter, the Court HEREBY 

ORDERS as follows:

1. This matter is set for a telephonic trial confirmation hearing before the 

undersigned on March 7, 2019, at 10:00 a.m. in Courtroom 6;

2. This matter is set for jury trial before the Honorable Lawrence J. O’Neill on 

April 23, 2019, at 8:30 a.m. in Courtroom 4;

3. Counsel for Defendant is required to arrange for the participation of Plaintiff in 

the telephonic trial confirmation hearing;

4. The parties may participate in the hearing by calling (888) 294-5984 and 

entering access code 4446176#;

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5. Plaintiff shall file and serve a pretrial statement as described in this Order on 

or before January 10, 2019;

6. Defendant shall file and serve a pretrial statement as described in this Order 

on or before February 7, 2019;

7. In addition to electronically filing his pretrial statement, Defendant shall e-mail 

his pretrial statement to: mjsorders@caed.uscourts.gov;

8. If Plaintiff intends to call incarcerated witnesses at trial, Plaintiff shall file and 

serve a motion for attendance of incarcerated witnesses as described in this 

Order on or before January 10, 2019;

9. Opposition to the motion for the attendance of incarcerated witness, if any, 

shall be filed and served on or before February 7, 2019;

10.If Plaintiff wishes to obtain the attendance of unincarcerated witnesses who 

refuse to testify voluntarily, Plaintiff must notify the Court of their names and 

locations on or before January 10, 2019, and Plaintiff must submit the money 

orders, as described in section I subsection D of this Order, on or before 

February 21, 2019; and 

11.The Clerk’s Office shall send Plaintiff a copy of Local Rule 281.

IT IS SO ORDERED.

Dated: July 8, 2016 /s/Michael J. Seng 

UNITED STATES MAGISTRATE JUDGE

 

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