Document ID: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-caed-2_14-cv-00469/USCOURTS-caed-2_14-cv-00469-0/pdf.json

Parties Involved:
IHOP #649
Defendant
Michael McCune
Plaintiff
Sells Financial Services, Inc.
Defendant
T & S Business Corporation
Defendant

Document Text:

1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

7 

8 

9 

10 

11 

12 

13 

14 

15 

16 

17 

18 

19 

20 

21 

22 

23 

24 

25 

26 

27 

28 

1 

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT 

EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA 

MICHAEL McCUNE, 

Plaintiff, 

v. 

T & S BUSINESS CORPORATION 

dba IHOP #649, et al., 

Defendants. 

No. CIV 14-469 LKK/AC 

STATUS (PRETRIAL SCHEDULING) CONFERENCE 

READ THIS ORDER CAREFULLY. IT CONTAINS IMPORTANT DATES 

WHICH THE COURT WILL STRICTLY ENFORCE AND WITH WHICH ALL COUNSEL 

AND 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 in chambers on April 28, 2014. Scottlynn J. 

Hubbard, IV appeared telephonically as counsel for plaintiff; 

Michael Welch appeared as counsel for defendant T & S Business 

Case 2:14-cv-00469-JAM-AC Document 14 Filed 05/02/14 Page 1 of 10
1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

7 

8 

9 

10 

11 

12 

13 

14 

15 

16 

17 

18 

19 

20 

21 

22 

23 

24 

25 

26 

27 

28 

2 

Corporation; Cris C. Vaughan appeared telephonically as counsel 

for defendant Sells Financial Services, Inc. After hearing, the 

court makes the following findings and orders: 

SERVICE OF PROCESS 

All parties have been served and no further service is 

permitted except with leave of court, good cause having been 

shown. 

JOINDER OF PARTIES/AMENDMENTS 

No further joinder of parties or amendments to pleadings is 

permitted except with leave of court, good cause having been 

shown. See Johnson v. Mammoth Recreations, Inc., 975 F.2d 604 

(9th Cir. 1992). 

JURISDICTION/VENUE 

Jurisdiction is predicated upon 28 U.S.C. §§ 1331, 1343 & 

1367, is undisputed, and is hereby found to be proper, as is 

venue. 

MOTION HEARING SCHEDULES 

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

July 28, 2015. The word "completed" in this context means that 

all law and motion matters must be heard by the above date. 

Because this date is not necessarily a date previously set aside 

for law and motion hearings, it is incumbent upon counsel to 

contact this court's courtroom deputy, Ana Rivas at (916) 930-

4133, sufficiently in advance so as to ascertain the dates upon 

which law and motion will be heard and to properly notice its 

motion for hearing before that date. Counsel are cautioned to 

refer to Local Rule 230 regarding the requirements for noticing 

Case 2:14-cv-00469-JAM-AC Document 14 Filed 05/02/14 Page 2 of 10
1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

7 

8 

9 

10 

11 

12 

13 

14 

15 

16 

17 

18 

19 

20 

21 

22 

23 

24 

25 

26 

27 

28 

3 

such motions on the court's regularly scheduled law and motion 

calendar. Opposition or statement of non-opposition to all 

motions shall be filed not later than 4:30 p.m. fourteen (14) 

days preceding the hearing date, or by proof of service by mail 

not less than seventeen (17) days preceding the hearing date. 

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. 

At the time of filing a motion, opposition, or reply, 

counsel are directed to email a copy in word processing format to 

lkk-pleadings@caed.uscourts.gov. 

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 

to counsel after examining the legal issues and facts that an 

issue can be resolved by pretrial motion, counsel are to file the 

appropriate motion by the law and motion cutoff set forth supra. 

Unless prior permission has been granted, memoranda of law 

in support of and in opposition to motions are limited to thirty 

(30) pages, and reply memoranda are limited to fifteen (15) 

pages. The parties are also cautioned against filing multiple 

briefs to circumvent this rule. 

Where the parties bring motions for summary judgment, the 

Case 2:14-cv-00469-JAM-AC Document 14 Filed 05/02/14 Page 3 of 10
1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

7 

8 

9 

10 

11 

12 

13 

14 

15 

16 

17 

18 

19 

20 

21 

22 

23 

24 

25 

26 

27 

28 

4 

court will deem facts which are apparently undisputed as 

undisputed under Fed. R. Civ. P. 56(e), unless specifically 

reserved and that party tenders evidence to support the 

reservation. 

ALL PURELY LEGAL ISSUES ARE TO BE RESOLVED BY TIMELY 

PRETRIAL MOTION AND A FAILURE TO MAKE SUCH A MOTION WILL 

ORDINARILY BE VIEWED AS A WAIVER AT THE TIME OF PRETRIAL. 

COUNSEL ARE CAUTIONED THAT IF ANY LEGAL ISSUE THAT SHOULD HAVE 

BEEN TENDERED TO THE COURT BY PRETRIAL MOTION MUST BE RESOLVED BY 

THE COURT AFTER LAW AND MOTION CUTOFF, FOR INSTANCE WHERE THE 

ISSUE IS JURISDICTION, SUBSTANTIAL SANCTIONS WILL BE LEVIED 

AGAINST COUNSEL WHO FAIL TO TIMELY FILE AN APPROPRIATE MOTION. 

Counsel are further reminded that motions in limine are 

procedural devices designed to address the admissibility of 

evidence. COUNSEL 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. 

DISCOVERY 

No modifications of the discovery requirements found in the 

Federal Rules is ordered. 

All discovery is left open, save and except that it shall be 

so conducted as to be completed by May 28, 2015. The word 

"completed" means that all discovery shall have been conducted so 

that all depositions have been 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. Motions to compel discovery must be noticed 

on the magistrate judge's calendar in accordance with the local 

Case 2:14-cv-00469-JAM-AC Document 14 Filed 05/02/14 Page 4 of 10
1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

7 

8 

9 

10 

11 

12 

13 

14 

15 

16 

17 

18 

19 

20 

21 

22 

23 

24 

25 

26 

27 

28 

5 

rules of this court and so that such motions will be heard not 

later than April 28, 2015. In this regard, all counsel are to 

designate in writing and file with the court and serve upon all 

other parties a final list of the names of all experts that they 

propose to tender at trial not later than ninety (90) days before 

the close of discovery herein established. All designated 

experts shall submit written reports which counsel shall exchange 

at the time of designation. The contents of the report must 

comply with Fed. R. Civ. P. 26 (a)(2)(B). 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 appearing on said lists will not be 

permitted to testify unless the party offering the witness 

demonstrates: (a) that 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) that the witness 

was promptly proffered for deposition. 

MID-LITIGATION STATEMENTS 

Not later than fourteen (14) days prior to the close of 

discovery, all parties shall file with the court and serve on all 

other parties a brief statement summarizing all law and motion 

practice heard by the court as of the date of the filing of the 

statement, whether the court has disposed of the motion at the 

Case 2:14-cv-00469-JAM-AC Document 14 Filed 05/02/14 Page 5 of 10
1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

7 

8 

9 

10 

11 

12 

13 

14 

15 

16 

17 

18 

19 

20 

21 

22 

23 

24 

25 

26 

27 

28 

6 

time the statement is filed and served, and the likelihood that 

any further motions will be noticed prior to the close of law and 

motion. The filing of this statement shall not relieve the 

parties or counsel of their obligation to timely notice all 

appropriate motions as set forth above. 

FINAL PRETRIAL CONFERENCE 

The Final Pretrial Conference is SET for October 26, 2015, 

at 1:30 p.m. Counsel are cautioned that counsel appearing for 

Pretrial will in fact try the matter. 

Counsel for all 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. Counsel are referred to Local Rules 280 and 281 

relating to the contents of and time for filing Pretrial 

Statements. In addition to those subjects listed in Local Rule 

281(b), the parties are to provide the court with a plain, 

concise statement which identifies every non-discovery motion 

tendered to the court, and its resolution. A FAILURE TO COMPLY 

WITH LOCAL RULES 280 AND 281 WILL BE GROUNDS FOR SANCTIONS. 

The parties shall file Separate Pretrial Statements, the 

contents and timing of which are set forth in Local Rule 281, 

except that the parties are to prepare a JOINT STATEMENT with 

respect to the undisputed facts and disputed factual issues of 

the case. See Local Rule 281(b)(3), (4), and (6). The parties 

are reminded to include in their joint statement all disputed and 

undisputed special factual information as required by Local Rule 

281(b)(6). Notwithstanding the provisions of Local Rule 281, the 

Joint Statement of Undisputed Facts and Disputed Factual Issues 

Case 2:14-cv-00469-JAM-AC Document 14 Filed 05/02/14 Page 6 of 10
1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

7 

8 

9 

10 

11 

12 

13 

14 

15 

16 

17 

18 

19 

20 

21 

22 

23 

24 

25 

26 

27 

28 

7 

is to be filed with the court concurrently with the filing of 

plaintiff's Pretrial Statement. 

The undisputed facts and disputed factual issues are to be 

set forth in two separate sections. In each section, the parties 

should identify first the general facts relevant to all causes of 

action. After identifying the general facts, the parties should 

then 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. Each individual disputed fact or factual issue shall 

include the following introductory language: "Whether or not . . 

. ." The parties should keep in mind that, in general, each fact 

should relate or correspond to an element of the relevant cause 

of action. 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; defendants' 

exhibits shall be listed alphabetically. In the event that the 

alphabet is exhausted, defendants' exhibits shall be marked "2ACase 2:14-cv-00469-JAM-AC Document 14 Filed 05/02/14 Page 7 of 10
1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

7 

8 

9 

10 

11 

12 

13 

14 

15 

16 

17 

18 

19 

20 

21 

22 

23 

24 

25 

26 

27 

28 

8 

2Z, 3A-3Z, etc." 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. 

Pursuant to Local Rule 281(b)(12), a party is required to 

provide a list of all answers to interrogatories and responses to 

requests for admission that the party expects to offer at trial. 

This list should include only those documents or portions thereof 

which the party expects to offer in its case-in-chief. Unless 

otherwise barred by a rule of evidence or order of this court, 

the parties remain free to tender appropriate discovery documents 

during trial for such purposes as, but not limited to, 

impeachment or memory refreshment. 

Pursuant to Local Rule 281(b)(8), the parties' Pretrial 

Statements shall contain a "statement of legal theory, etc." 

Each party shall commence this section by specifying as to each 

claim whether federal or state law governs, and if state law, the 

state whose law is applicable. 

Counsel 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. Counsel must prepare 

their Pretrial Statements, and participate in good faith at the 

Pretrial Conference, with these aims in mind. A FAILURE TO DO SO 

Case 2:14-cv-00469-JAM-AC Document 14 Filed 05/02/14 Page 8 of 10
1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

7 

8 

9 

10 

11 

12 

13 

14 

15 

16 

17 

18 

19 

20 

21 

22 

23 

24 

25 

26 

27 

28 

9 

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 for January 26, 2016, at 10:30 a.m. Trial will 

be by jury. The parties represent in good faith that the trial 

will take approximately three (3) days. 

SETTLEMENT CONFERENCE 

A Settlement Conference will be set before a judge other 

than the trial judge at the time of the Pretrial Conference. 

Counsel are cautioned to have a principal capable of 

disposition present at the Settlement Conference or to be fully 

authorized to settle the matter on any terms and at the 

Settlement Conference. 

MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS 

The parties are reminded that pursuant to Fed. R. Civ. P. 

16(b), the Status (pretrial scheduling) Order shall not be 

modified except by leave of court upon a showing of good cause. 

Counsel are cautioned that changes to any of the scheduled dates 

will necessarily result in changes to all other dates. Thus, 

even where good cause has been shown, the court will not grant a 

request to change the discovery cutoff date without modifying the 

pretrial and trial dates. 

Agreement by the parties pursuant to stipulation does not 

constitute good cause. Nor does the unavailability of witnesses 

or counsel, except in extraordinary circumstances, constitute 

good cause. 

Case 2:14-cv-00469-JAM-AC Document 14 Filed 05/02/14 Page 9 of 10
1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

7 

8 

9 

10 

11 

12 

13 

14 

15 

16 

17 

18 

19 

20 

21 

22 

23 

24 

25 

26 

27 

28 

10 

The parties are reminded of their continuing obligation to 

supplement their statements relative to the identification of 

parent corporations and any publicly held company that owns 10% 

or more of the party's stock within a reasonable time of any 

change in the information. 

The parties are admonished that they are not to cite or 

refer to any of the quotations inscribed in the pavers on the 

front plaza of the United States Courthouse in any written or 

oral presentation to the court or a jury. 

There appear to be no other matters presently pending before 

the court that will aid the just and expeditious disposition of 

this matter. 

IT IS SO ORDERED. 

DATED: May 1, 2014. 

Case 2:14-cv-00469-JAM-AC Document 14 Filed 05/02/14 Page 10 of 10