Document ID: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-caed-1_23-cv-01636/USCOURTS-caed-1_23-cv-01636-1/pdf.json

Parties Involved:
County of Fresno
Defendant
Anna M. Jones
Plaintiff
Unknown Fresno County Correctional Officers
Defendant
Unknown Medical Providers
Defendant
Unknown Mental Health Providers
Defendant
Wellpath
Defendant

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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

FOR THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

ANNA M. JONES, individually and as 

representative of the estate of and heir of 

Robert Wayne Jones,

Plaintiff,

v.

COUNTY OF FRESNO, UNKNOWN 

FRESNO COUNTY CORRECTIONAL 

OFFICERS, WELLPATH, UNKNOWN 

MENTAL HEALTH PROVIDERS, 

UNKNOWN MEDICAL PROVIDERS,

Defendants.

Case No. 1:23-cv-01636-KES-HBK

ORDER STAYING CASE IN ITS ENTIRETY

(Doc. No. 38)

This matter comes before the Court upon the parties’ joint status report incorporating 

therein a request that the case be stayed in its entirety because of Defendant Wellpath, LLC’s 

(“Wellpath”) pending bankruptcy proceeding. (Doc. No. 38). The Court grants the requested 

relief. 

On November 15, 2024, Defendant Wellpath filed a “Suggestion of Bankruptcy and 

Notice of Stay,” in this action advising that, on November 11, 2023, Wellpath filed a voluntary 

petition for relief under chapter 11 of title 11 of the United States Code (the “Bankruptcy Code”) 

in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas, Houston Division. 

(Doc. No. 36). Defendant Wellpath also asked that the Court take notice of the automatic stay 

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and stay all further action in this matter as to all parties. (Id.). On November 22, 2024, the Court 

granted Defendant Wellpath’s motion to stay only as to Defendant Wellpath, and ordered the 

remaining parties to file a status report indicating whether the matter should be stayed in its 

entirety, proceed under the deadlines in the case management scheduling order, or set for early 

settlement conference. (Doc. No. 37). On December 4, 2024, the parties filed a joint status report 

requesting that the Court stay the entire matter and vacate all deadlines in light of the November 

12, 2024 Amended Interim Order Enforcing the Automatic Stay entered by the United States 

Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas, Houston Division, which ordered that 

“Lawsuits are stayed in their entirety, including the plaintiff’s claims against the Non-Debtor 

Defendants, on an interim basis pursuant to section 62 of the Bankruptcy Code.” (Doc. No. 36-

2). 

“As a general rule, the automatic stay of section 362(a) protects only the debtor, property 

of the debtor or property of the estate. It does not protect non-debtor parties or their property.” In 

re Chugach Forest Prods., Inc., 23 F.3d 241, 246 (9th Cir. 1994). Moreover, the district court

lacks jurisdiction to extend the automatic stay to non-debtor Defendants; rather, “[i]n order to 

apply the automatic stay outlined in 11 U.S.C. § 362 to a non-debtor party, the bankruptcy court 

must issue an extension of the stay under its jurisdiction.” See Placido v. Prudential Ins. Co. of 

America, 2010 WL 334744 (N.D. Cal. Jan. 22, 2010) (citing Boucher v. Shaw, 572 F.3d 1087, 

1093 (9th Cir. 2009)). Here, the automatic stay under section 362(a) would generally apply only 

to claims against Defendant Wellpath and would not extend to Plaintiff’s claims against the nondebtor Defendants. However, as acknowledged by the parties, the Bankruptcy Court entered an 

Amended Interim Order Enforcing the Automatic Stay, including direction that lawsuits be 

“stayed in their entirety, including the plaintiffs’ claims against the Non-Debtor Defendants,” on 

an interim basis. (Doc. No. 36-2). Thus, the parties agree this matter should be stayed in its 

entirety and all deadlines vacated until the interim stay is lifted whether by Final Order of the 

Bankruptcy Court or further action taken by a party to lift the interim stay.

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1 The Court notes that nothing in this Order or the Amended Interim Order entered by the 

Bankruptcy Court prevents Plaintiff from prosecuting her case to the extent possible, including 

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Accordingly, it is ORDERED: 

1. The Court grants the requested relief (Doc. No. 38) and STAYS this action pending 

further Order by this Court and vacates all hearing dates and deadlines. 

2. Upon lifting of the extension of the automatic stay as to non-debtor Defendants, 

including upon Final Order by the Bankruptcy Court or further action taken by any

party, the parties shall promptly file a joint status report with the Court. 

Dated: December 16, 2024 

HELENA M. BARCH-KUCHTA

UNITED STATES MAGISTRATE JUDGE

filing objections to the Amended Interim Order before the Bankruptcy Court enter a Final Order 

(See Doc. No. 36-2 at 2), or filing a motion to lift the automatic stay as to this matter.

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