U N I T E D S T A T E S C OU R T O F A P P E A LS

F O R T H E N I N T H C I R C U IT

J O S E P H P E R E Z

, o n b eh a lf o f h i m s e l f a nd

o t h e rs s i m i l a

r l y s i t ua t e d,

P l a i n t i ff

- A p pe l l a n t,

v.

S A F E L I T E G R O U P I N C,

D e f en d an t

- A pp e ll e e. N o

. 1 2

- 5 5 6 57

D

. C. N o

. 2 : 1 0

- CV

- 0 8 6 5 3

- RG KF FM

C en t r a l D i s t ri c t o f C a lif

o r n i a

, L o s A ng e l es

O R D ER A M E N D NG

M E M O RA N D U M D I S P O S I T I ON

A N D D E N Y I N G P E T I T I O N F OR

R E H E A R I N G A ND

R E H E A R I N G E N BA NC

B e f o r e : D

. W

. N E L S ON

, W A R D L A W

, an d R A W L I N S O N

, C i r cu i t J u d ge s.

T he M e m o r a n d u m

D i s p o s it i on f

i l e d J a n u a

r y 2 1

, 20 1 4

, i s a m en d e d as

f o ll o w s:

A t p a g e t w o

, t he f

i rst s e n t e n c e o f t h e s e c o n d p a r a g r a p h i s d e l e t e d a n d t h e f

o l l o w i ng

i s i n s e rt e d i n it s p l a c e:

T he d i s t r i c t c ou r t’ s d e n i a l o f P e r ez ’ s e x t e n s i o n o f t i m e r e q u es t s as

w e ll a s i t s f

a il u r e t o s e t a n i n i t i a l s c h e du l i n g c o n f e r en c e e f f ec t i v e l y d e n i ed

P e r e z t h e o p p o r t u n it y t o en g a g e i n p r e ce r ti f i c a ti o n d i s c o ve r y

, w h i ch

c o n s tit u t e s an a

b u s e o f d i s c r e t i o n.

“ F ir s t

, ” t h e be g i n n i n g w o r d o f t h e se c o n d se n t e nc e o f t h e sa m e pa r ag r a p h is

d e l e t ed

, a n d t h e s en t e n ce n o w b e g i n s w i t h : 

# F I L ED

M A R 07 2014

M O L L Y C

. D W YE R

, C L E RK

U

. S. C O U R T O F A PPEA LST he

A t pa g e t h r ee

, t h e fir s t w o r d o f t he f i r s t f u l l s e n t e n ce

, “ S ec o n d

, ” i s de l e t e d a nd

r e p l a ce d w i t h:

F u r t h er

W it h t h es e a m e n d m e n t s , t he me m bers of the panel that decided this case

voted unanimously to deny the petition for rehearing

. Judges Wardlaw and

Rawlinson voted to deny the petition for rehearing en banc

. Judge Nelson

reco m mended denial of the petition for rehearing en banc

.

The full court has been advised of the petition for rehearing en banc and no

judge has requested a vote on whether to rehear the matter en banc

. Fed

. R

. App

. P.

35.

The peti t ion for rehearing

, and the petition for rehearing en banc

, are

DEN I ED.

N o f u r t h er p e t i ti o n s s h a l l b e e n t e r t a i n e d.N O T F O R P U B L I C A T I ON

U N I T E D S T A T E S C OU R T O F A P P E A LS

F O R T H E N I N T H C I R C U IT

J O S E P H P E R E Z

, o n b eh a lf o f h i m s e l f a nd

o t h e rs s i m i l a

r l y s i t ua t e d,

P l a i n t i ff

- A p pe l l a n t,

v.

S A F E L I T E G R O U P I N C,

D e f en d an t

- A pp e ll e e. N o

. 1 2

- 5 5 6 57

D

. C. N o

. 2 : 1 0

- CV

- 0 8 6 5 3

- RG KF FM

A M E N D E D M E M O R A N D UM *

A pp e a l f r o m t he U n it e d S t a t e s D i s tr i c t C o u rt

f o r t h e C e n tr a l D i s tr i c t o f C a l if o r n ia

R

. G a r y K l a u s n e r

, D i s t

r i c t J u d g e

, P r e s i d i ng

A r g u e d a n d S u b m i t t e d D e c e m be r 5

, 2 0 13

P a s a de n a

, C a l if

o r n ia

B e f o r e : D

. W

. N E L S ON

, W A R D L A W

, an d R A W L I N S O N

, C i r cu i t J u d ge s.

J o se p h P e r e z a p p ea l s fr o m t h e d i s t ri c t co u rt ’ s d e n i a l o f h i s c l a s s c e r t ifi c a t i on

m o ti o n

. W e h av e j u r i s d i c t i o n u n d e r 2 8 U

. S

. C

. § 1 2 91

, an d w e v ac a t e t h e d e n i a l of

c l as s c e r tif

i ca t i o n an d r e m a n d f

o r f u r t h e r p r o c e ed i n g s. 

# F I L ED

M A R 07 2014

M O L L Y C

. D W YE R

, C L E RK

U

. S. C O U R T O F A PPEA LS

* T h i s d i s p o s it i o n i s n o t a p p r o p ri a t e f o r p u b l i c a ti o n a n d i s n o t p r ec e d e nt

e x c e p t a s p r o v i d e d b y 9 t h C i r

. R. 3 6

- 3.P e r e z

, w i s h i n g t o e n g a g e i n d i s co v e r y p r i o r t o c l a ss c e rt i fi c a t i on

, s t i p u l a t ed

w it h S a f e li t e t o e x t e n d t h e c l a s s c e rti f i c a ti o n d e a d li n e

. T h e d i s tr i c t c o u r t d e n i e d t he

s t i p u l a t i o n w i t h o u t r e as o n i ng

. P e r ez t h e n m o v e d t o c o n t i n u e t h e c l a s s c e rti f i c a ti on

d e a d li n e i n o r de r t o en g a g e i n p r ec e rt i fi ca t i on d i s c ov e r y

. T h e d i s tri c t c o u r t d e n i ed

t h e m o ti o n w i t h o u t r e a s on i n g

. P e r e z t h e n f il e d a ti m e l y m o t i o n t o ce r ti f y t h e c l a s s,

a n d a g a i n s t a t e d t h a t p r e c e r t ifi c a t i o n d i s c o v e r y w a s a p p r o p ri a t e

. T h e d i s t ri c t c o u rt

d e n i ed t h e c l a ss c e rt i fi c a ti o n m o t i o n b e c au s e t h e r e w as i n s u f fi c i e n t ev i de n ce to

e s t a b li s h t h e j o b d u ti e s pe r f

o r m e d b y c l a s s m e m be r s o t h e r t h an P e r e z

. T h e d i s tri ct

c o u r t d i d n o t a d d r e s s t h e n e e d f o r p r e ce r tif

i c a ti o n d i s c o ve r y.

T he d i s t r i c t c ou r t’ s d en i a l o f P e r ez ’ s ex t en s i o n o f t i m e r e qu e s t s a s w e ll a s i ts

f a il u r e t o s e t a n i n i t i a l s ch e d u li n g c o n f e r e n ce e f f ec t i v e l y d e n i e d P e r e z t he

o p p o rt u n i t y t o e n g a g e i n p r ec e rt i fi c a t i o n d i sc o v e r y , w h i c h c o n s t it u t e s a n a b u s e of

d i sc r e t i on

. T h e p l a i n t iff i n a c l a s s ac t i o n “b e a r s t he b u r d e n o f

. . . s h o w i n g t ha t

. . .

d i s c ov e r y i s li k e l y t o p r od u c e s u b s t an t i a ti o n o f t he c l as s a ll e ga t i o n s .” M an t o l e t e v.

B o l g er

, 7 6 7 F

. 2 d 1 4 1 6

, 1 4 2 4 ( 9 t h C ir

. 19 8 5 )

. O n ce t h i s s ho w i n g i s m ad e

, i t i s an

a b u s e o f d i s c r e t i o n t o d e ny p r e c e r t ifi c a t i o n d i s c o v e r y. I d. ( c i ti n g D on i n g er v

. P a c.

N w

. B e l l

, I n c.

, 5 6 4 F

. 2 d 1 3 0 4

, 13 1 3 ( 9 t h C ir

. 1 9 7 7 ))

. P e r ez s u b m itt ed

d o c u m e n t a ti o n a n d t e s t i m o n y c o n c e r n i n g h i s e m p l o y m en t w i t h S a f e l i t e

, a n d has

m e t h i s b u r de n t o s h o w t h a t d i s c o ve r y i s l i ke l y t o s u b s t a n ti a t e t h e c l a ss a ll e g a t i o ns

2b y s h o w i n g t h a t P e r e z ’ s e x p e r i en c e s a r e c o mm o n t o t h o se o f o t h e r e m p l o ye e s w i th

t h e sa m e j o b ti t l e

. F u r t h e r

, f a il i n g t o a l l o w p r e ce r ti f

i c a ti o n d i s co v e r y w h e r e i t is

n e ce s s a r y t o d e t e r m i n e t h e ex i s t e n c e o f a c l as s i s an a b u s e o f d i s c r e ti o n. K

a m m v.

C a l

. C it y D e v

. C o.

, 5 0 9 F

. 2 d 2 0 5

, 2 1 0 ( 9 t h C ir

. 1 9 7 5 )

. T h e d i s t r i c t c o u rt d e n i ed

c l as s c e r t ifi c a t i o n b ec a u s e P e r ez d i d n o t h a v e e v i d e n ce a b o u t o t h e r e m p l o y e es w ith

h i s j o b tit l e

, w h i c h s h o w s t ha t d i s c o v e r y i s ne c es s a r y t o de t e r m i n e t h e e x i s t e n ce of

a c l as s i n t h i s c as e

. P e r ez i s t h e r e f o r e e n tit l e d t o p r e ce r ti f

i c a ti o n d i s c o ve r y on

r e m a n d.

P e r e z ’s c h a l l en g e t o C e n tr a l D i s tri c t o f C a l if o r n i a L o ca l R u l e 2 3

- 3 i s w it h o ut

m e r i t b e c au s e t h e t i m i ng o f c l a s s ce r tif i c a t i on i s c o mm itt e d t o t h e d i sc r e t i on o f t he

d i s t r i c t j ud g e a n d

R u l e 2 3

- 3 a l l o w s e x t e n s i o n o f t he 9 0

- d a y c e r t ifi c a t i o n d e a d l i ne

b y o r d e r o f t h e c o u rt. S e e P i t t s v

. T e rr i b l e H er b s t

, I n c.

, 6 5 3 F

. 3 d 10 8 1

, 1 0 9 2

- 94

( 9 t h C ir

. 2 0 1 1 ).

V A C A T ED a nd R E M A N D E D.

3