SERVED : JANUAR Y 5,201 0 

### DEF TOFI^-V'SPORWIO N U.S . DEPARTMEN T O FTRANSPORTATIO N

OFFIC E O FHEARING S WASHINGTON , D C IN TH E MATTE RO F WILLIA M A . LUKER , JR . FA A DOCKE T NO . CP09SW000 8 (Civi l Penalty Action ) DM S NO . FAA-2009-104 4

ORDE RO FCHIE FADMINISTRATIV E LA WJUDG E Thi s proceedin g £irise s from acomplain t serve dNovembe r

5 , 2009 , allegin g violatio n o f th e Federal Aviatio n Act/Regulations , an dth e Respondent' s reques t for hearin g date dOctobe r

15 , 2009 . Th e undersigne dadministrativ e la w judg e wa s assigne dt o thi s proceedin g b y Notic e serve d Januar y 5 , 2010 . Th e Rule s o f

Practic e for

thi s proceedin g ar e se t

fort h i n Par t 13 , Subpart

G , o f th e Federal Aviatio n Regulation s (1 4 C.F.R . § § 13.201-13.23 5 (2009)) . Thos e rule s provide , inte r alia , that th e Responden t

mus t file awritte n answe r

o r motio n withi n 3 0 day s after servic e o f

th e complain t ( § 13.209(a)) ; tha t

agenera l denia l i s deeme dafailur e t o file an answe r ( § 13.209(e)) ; that

failure t o file an answe r

withou t goo dcaus e i s deeme da

n admissio n o f

eac h allegatio n i n th e complain t ( § 13.209(f)) , an dtha t

aparty seekin g an extensio n o f tim e mus t

file awritte n motio n at

leas t seve n day s before th e documen t i s due , absen t

agreemen t

o f th e partie s o r

goo dcaus e show n ( § 13.213(a ) an d(b)) .T o expedit e th e hearin g i n thi s matter , Complainan t an dth e Respondent , o n o r before February 5 , 2010 , shal l file (1 ) an y amendmen t o f th e complain t

o r answer; ' (2 ) a

n agree do r separat e propose dprocedura l schedules , includin g propose ddates (/. e. , specifi c dates , no t merel y number s or

day s befor e th e hearing ) fo r (a ) filing stipulations , alis t o f witnesses , asummar

y of thei r propose dtestimony , an dfor (b ) exchangin g exhibit s an ddiscovery , i f any ; (3 ) astatemen t concernin g th e statu s o f

settlemen t

efforts ; an d(4 ) apropose dhearin g sit e and , absen t agreemen t o f th e parties , ajustificatio n o f th e propose dsite . Se e 1 4 C.F.R . § 13.217 . Under FA A Orde r

2150.3 B (Oct . 1 , 2007 ) an dth e Rule s governin g thes e proceedings . Complainan t

an dth e Responden t

shoul dcontinu e t o conside r th e possibilit y o f

settlemen t

an d compromis e o f

thi s matter . I n connectio n with suc h discussions , th e partie s shoul dnot e tha t FA A Order 2150.3B , whic h establishe s standard s fo r th e Complainant' s conduc t an dsettlemen t

o f thi s proceeding , i s availabl e o n th e Internet. ^ See , i n particular , chapte r 6 (Lega l Enforcemen t

Action s an dLegal Counse l Responsibilities) ; an deithe r (a ) Appendi x B (Tabl e o f Sanctions) , page s B-1 — B 8 (Par t On e - Abbreviation s an dDefinitions ) an dthos e portion s o f Part Tw o - Sanctio n Guidanc e Tables , whic h appl y t o particular allegation s not

involvin g hazardou s materials , o r (b ) Appendi x C , whic h pertain s t o hazardou s material s cases . Upo n reques t o f Respondent , Complainan t

shal l provid e Responden t acop y o f

th e applicabl e reference dprovisions .

' Further amendment s ar e no t

anticipate dabsent

goo dcaus e shown . Thoug h 1 4 C.F.R . § 13.214(b)(1 ) permit s amendment s a

t any tim e more than 1 5 day s befor e ahearing , utilizatio n o f

tha t provisio n woul dpreven t

orderl y preparatig n fo

r ahearin g an dcoul dpreven t any hearin g at

all , becaus e notic e o f

ahearin g mus t

b e give n 6 0 day s i

n advance . § 13.221(a) . A

n amendmen t

that might b e filed1 5 day s prio r

t o th e hearin g woul dentitl e th e other part y u p t o 2 0 day s in whic h t o repl y ( § 13.214(c)) , an dcoul dgenerate ane w roun do f schedule s ( § 13.217) , motion s ( § 13.218) , and discover y ( § 13.220) , necessitatin g apostponement o f th e hearing , ane w 60-da

y notice , et

ceter aa dinfinitum . ^ Se e Lind aJoyc e Goodman , FA A Docke t No . CP89WP0061 , DM S No . FAA-2004-18292 , a t 1 1 (Ma y 30 , 1989) , availabl e a t

www.regulations.go v (concludin g that "th e prosecutin g agenc y attorne y mus t conside r settlemen t an dthat th e Rule s d o no t

permi t th e Chie f

Counse l t o exercis e polic y contro l or decisionmakin g in thi s cas e or i n civi l penalty case s generall y s o a s t o den y prosecutoria l discretio n with respec t t o settlemen t

an dcompromis e t o th e agenc y attorne y a s define di n th e rules")

- Se e als o Exec . Orde r No . 12,988 , 6 1 Fed . Reg . 472 9 (Feb . 5 , 1996) , whic h refer s t o facilitatin g th e jus t

an defficien t

resolutio n o f

civi l claim s involvin g th e Unite dState s Governmen t an dwhic h direct s Federa l agencie s an dthei r litigatio n counse l to , "a s soo n a s practicabl e afte r ascertainin g th e natur e o f adisput e in litigation , an dthroughou t th e litigation,.. . evaluat e settlemen t possibilitie s an dmak e reasonabl e effort s t o settl e th e litigation. " Se e als o FA A Orde r 2150.3 B a t

paragrap h 6-2 . ^ Accesse dat

http://rgl.faa.go v b y selectin g "Orders/Notices, " the n "Curren t Orders ; B y Number. " - 2 -Submission s sen t t o th e stree t

addres s o f

th e U.S . Departmen t

o f Transportation , Offic e o f Hearings , b y regular

mai l may b e delaye du p t o four week s du e t o posta l screenin g an dmay b e "irradiated, " whic h may resul t i n page s bein g fiasedtogether . Accordingly , partie s wh o serv e submission s o n th e Judg e b y regular mai l shoul dals o fax , expres s carrier , o r personall y delive r thos e submissions . Th e certificat e o f servic e shoul dreflec t

th e manne r

o f service. Compromis e may b e effecte dwith o r withou t afinding o f

violatio n ( § 13.16(n)) . Eac h party' s filing shal l includ e atelephon e numbe r wher e th e part y ca n b e reache db y th e Judg e fo r prehearin g telephon e conferences . S O ORDERED .

Rormi e A . Yode r Chie f Administrativ e L a Attachmen t

- Servic e Lis t

-3 -FA A Docke t No . CP09SW000 8 (Civi l Penalty Action ) SERVIC E LIS T ORIGINA L i

& ON E COP Y Federal Aviatio n Administratio n 80 0 Independenc e Avenue , S.W . Washington , D C 2059 1 Attention : Hearin g Docke t Clerk , AGC-43 0 Wilbu r Wrigh t Buildin g - Suite 2W1000' '

ON E COP Y WilliamA . Luker , Jr. , Responden t 1190 7 Winterthu r

Lane , Apt . PH 3 Reston, V A 20191-193 7 TEL : 571-271-218 4 Elly n Ponton , Complainant' s Counse l Attorney , Offic e o f

th e Regiona l Counsel , ASW-7G 5 Federal Aviatio n Administratio n 260 1 MeachamBoulevar d For t Worth , T X 76137-429 8 TEL : 817-222-508 9 FAX : 817-222-509 2 Th e Honorabl e Ronnie A . Yoder , Chie f Administrativ e La w Judg e U.S . Departmen t

o f Transportatio n Offic e o f Hearings , M-20 , Roo mE12-32 0 1200 New Jerse y Avenue , S.E . Washington , D C 2059 0 TEL : 202-366-214 2 FAX : 202-366-753 6

• * Servic e wa s b y U.S . Mail . Fo r servic e i n perso n o r

b y expedite dcourier , us e th e followin g address : Federa l Aviatio n Administration , 60 0 Independenc e Avenue , S.W. , Wilbu r Wrigh t Buildin g - Suite 2W1000 , Washington , D C 20591 , Attention : Hearin g Docke t Clerk , AGC-430 .