JOINT STIPULATION TO CONTINUE SETTLEMENT CONFERENCE; [PROPOSED] ORDER

(Doc. 69)

JENNIFER L. THURSTON, Magistrate Judge.

This Stipulation is entered into by and between Plaintiffs MELISSA M. NEYLON and Defendants COUNTY OF INYO; WILLIAM R. LUTZE; RALPH DOUGLAS RICHARDS; and MICHAEL DURBIN, through counsel of record. The Parties have conferred and agree to continue the Settlement Conference, from March 19, 2018, to July 16, 2018 or to a date convenient to the Court after Defendants' Motion for Summary Judgment has been decided.

The parties have engaged in meet and confer efforts regarding Defendants' forthcoming Motion for Summary Judgment but have been unable to narrow the issues in dispute at this time. Defendants are preparing to file this motion which they believe is dispositive. Plaintiff disagrees that this motion will be dispositive.

The parties have conducted preliminary settlement discussions in preparing for the upcoming Settlement Conference and maintain vastly divergent views on both liability and damages in this case. Defendants believe that the Court's ruling on Defendants' anticipated Motion for Summary Judgment will be greatly helpful in narrowing and/or solidifying the issues in dispute, if any, and furthering settlement discussions. Indeed, based on the preliminary settlement discussions, the settlement conference may not be very fruitful because of the issues on the anticipated Motion for Summary Judgment. Therefore, the parties submit there exists good cause to continue the Settlement Conference to July 16, 2018 or to a date convenient to the Court after Defendants' Motion for Summary Judgment has been decided.

The parties are mindful of the Court's Order dated February 26, 2018 which continued the expert discovery deadline in this case to May 8, 2018 and further ordered that no other amendments to the case schedule are authorized. The parties respectfully submit that it does not affect the case calendar to move the Settlement Conference to a more fruitful date after the parties have fully briefed and the Court has heard/ruled on Defendants' dispositive motion. The parties seek to avoid unnecessary expenditure of the Court's time and resources to conduct a Settlement Conference before a realistic possibility of settlement exists.

Accordingly, the parties stipulate to continue the Settlement Conference, from March 19, 2018, to July 16, 2018 or to a date convenient to the court.

IT IS SO STIPULATED.

[PROPOSED] ORDER

Based upon the Stipulation of the parties, and good cause shown:

IT IS SO ORDERED.