SCHEDULING ORDER AND ORDER DIRECTING CLERK TO SEND PLAINTIFF A COPY OF LOCAL RULE 281(b)
ERICA P. GROSJEAN, Magistrate Judge.
This Court conducted a scheduling conference on March 14, 2018. Plaintiff Aylwin Johnson, Jr., telephonically appeared on his own behalf. Counsel Jerome Varanini telephonically appeared on behalf of Defendants. Pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 16(b), this Court now sets a schedule for this action.
I. DISCOVERY PROCEDURES
The parties are now granted leave to serve discovery in addition to that provided as part of initial disclosures. Pursuant to Federal Rules of Civil Procedure 1, 16, and 26-36, discovery shall proceed as follows:
1. Discovery requests shall be served by the parties pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 5 and Local Rule 135. Discovery requests and responses shall not be filed with the Court unless required by Local Rules 250.2, 250.3, or 250.4 (providing that discovery requests shall not be filed unless or until there is a proceeding in which the document or proof of service is at issue). A party may serve on any other party no more than 15 interrogatories, 15 requests for production of documents, and 10 requests for admission. On motion, these limits may be increased for good cause.
2. Responses to written discovery requests shall be due forty-five (45) days after the request is first served. Boilerplate objections are disfavored and may be summarily overruled by the Court. Responses to document requests shall include all documents within a party's possession, custody or control. Fed. R. Civ. P. 34(a)(1). Documents are deemed within a party's possession, custody, or control if the party has actual possession, custody, or control thereof, or the legal right to obtain the property on demand.1
3. If any party or third party withholds a document on the basis of privilege, that party or third party shall provide a privilege log to the requesting party identifying the date, author, recipients, general subject matter, and basis of the privilege within thirty (30) days after the date that responses are due. The privilege log shall also be filed with the Court. Failure to provide a privilege log within this time shall result in a waiver of the privilege. To the extent the requesting party disputes whether a document is privileged, it can raise that issue to the Court's attention via a motion to compel (see below). If a party or third party withholds a document on the basis of the official information privilege, the requesting party may request that the Court conduct an in camera review of such document so that the Court can balance the moving party's need for the document in the litigation against the reasons that are asserted in defending its confidentiality. In any such request for in camera review, the party requesting review shall identify, with specificity, the document(s) for which review is sought.
4. Pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 30(a)(2)(B), Defendant(s) may depose Plaintiff and any other witness confined in a prison on the condition that, at least fourteen (14) days before such a deposition, Defendant(s) serve all parties with the notice required by Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 30(b)(1). Plaintiff's failure to participate in a properly noticed deposition could result in sanctions against Plaintiff, including monetary sanctions and/or dismissal of this case. Pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 30(b)(4), the parties may take any deposition under this section by video conference without a further motion or order of the Court. Due to security concerns and institutional considerations not applicable to Defendant(s), Plaintiff must seek leave from the Court to depose incarcerated witnesses pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 30(a)(2). Nothing herein forecloses a party from bringing a motion for protective order pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 26(c)(1) if necessary.
5. With the Court's permission, Plaintiff may serve third party subpoenas, including on the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation and/or the Office of the Inspector General, if Plaintiff seeks documents from entities that are not presently defendants in this case. To issue a subpoena on these entities, or any other third parties, Plaintiff must file a request for the issuance of a subpoena duces tecum with the Court. If the Court approves the request, it may issue Plaintiff a subpoena duces tecum, commanding the production of documents from a non-party, and may command service of the subpoena by the United States Marshals Service. Fed. R. Civ. P. 45; 28 U.S.C. 1915(d). However, the Court will consider granting such a request only if the documents sought from the non-party are not equally available to Plaintiff and are not obtainable from Defendant(s) through a Rule 34 request for production of documents. In any request for a subpoena, Plaintiff must: (1) identify with specificity the documents sought and from whom; and (2) make a showing in the request that the records are only obtainable through that third party. The documents requested must also fall within the scope of discovery allowed in this action. See Fed. R. Civ. P. 26(b)(1).
6. The parties are required to act in good faith during the course of discovery and the failure to do so may result in the payment of expenses pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 37(a)(5) or other appropriate sanctions authorized by the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure or the Local Rules.
7. A discovery and status conference is set for September 26, 2018, at 3:00 p.m. Parties have leave to appear by phone. To join the conference, each party is directed to call the toll-free number (888) 251-2909 and use Access Code 1024453. Up until four weeks before the conference, the parties may file motions to compel further discovery responses. No later than two weeks before the conference, the responding party may file response(s) to motion(s) to compel. The motion should include a copy of the request(s) and any response to the request(s) at issue. Unless there is a need for discovery prior to the conference, motions to compel will not be considered until the conference. Motions to compel will not be permitted after the conference absent good cause. The parties should be prepared to address all discovery disputes at the conference.
8. Plaintiff shall make arrangements with staff at his or her institution of confinement for his or her attendance at the discovery and status conference. Plaintiff's institution of confinement shall make Plaintiff available for the conference at the date and time indicated above. To the extent possible, prior to the conference defense counsel shall confirm with Plaintiff's institution of confinement that arrangements have been made for Plaintiff's attendance.
II. PAGE LIMITS AND COURTESY COPIES
The parties are advised that unless prior leave of the Court is obtained before the filing deadline,2 all moving and opposition briefs or legal memoranda shall not exceed twenty-five (25) pages. Reply briefs by the moving party shall not exceed ten (10) pages. These page limits do not include exhibits.
Defendant(s) shall mail or deliver courtesy hard-copies of all motions over 10 pages in length to the court at 2500 Tulare St., Room 1501, Fresno, CA 93721. Courtesy hard-copies shall reflect the CM/ECF document numbers and pagination.
III. NON-EXPERT DISCOVERY DEADLINE
The deadline for the completion of all non-expert discovery is October 19, 2018. All non-expert discovery must be provided by this date, including discovery compelled following the discovery and status conference.
IV. EXPERT DISCOVERY DEADLINES
The deadline for all parties to serve their expert disclosures is November 9, 2018. Parties have until December 7, 2018 to serve their rebuttal expert disclosures. The deadline for the completion of all expert discovery is December 20, 2018.
V. EXHAUSTION MOTIONS
All defendants have informed the Court that they do not intend to present any challenge for failure to exhaust administrative remedies. Thus, the failure to exhaust administrative remedies defense is hereby considered waived. See Albino v. Baca, 747 F.3d 1162, 1170 (9th Cir. 2014) (providing that the exhaustion question should be decided as early as feasible).
VI. DISPOSITIVE MOTIONS DEADLINE
The deadline for filing dispositive motions is January 31, 2019.
VII. MAGISTRATE JUDGE JURISDICTION
The parties have declined the jurisdiction of a magistrate judge pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 636(c). (ECF No. 21).
VIII. TELEPHONIC TRIAL CONFIRMATION HEARING
A Telephonic Trial Confirmation Hearing is set for November 6, 2019, at 8:15 a.m., in Courtroom 4, before Chief District Judge Lawrence J. O'Neill. Counsel for Defendant(s) is required to arrange for the participation of Plaintiff in the Telephonic Trial Confirmation Hearing and to initiate the telephonic hearing by arranging a one line conference call and telephoning the Court at (559) 499-5680.
In addition to the matters already required to be addressed in the pretrial statement in accordance with Local Rule 281, Plaintiff will be required to make a particularized showing in order to obtain the attendance of witnesses. The procedures and requirements for making such a showing are outlined in detail below. Plaintiff is advised that failure to comply with the procedures set forth below may result in the preclusion of any or all witnesses named in Plaintiff's pretrial statement.
At the trial of this case, Plaintiff must be prepared to introduce evidence to prove each of the alleged facts that support the claims raised in the lawsuit. In general, there are two kinds of trial evidence: (1) exhibits and (2) the testimony of witnesses. It is Plaintiff's responsibility to produce all of the evidence to prove Plaintiff's case, whether that evidence is in the form of exhibits or witness testimony. If Plaintiff wants to call witnesses to testify, Plaintiff must follow certain procedures to ensure that the witnesses will be at the trial and available to testify.
1. Procedures for Obtaining Attendance of Incarcerated Witnesses Who Agree to Testify Voluntarily — An incarcerated witness who agrees voluntarily to attend trial to give testimony cannot come to court unless this Court orders the warden or other custodian to permit the witness to be transported to court. This Court will not issue such an order unless it is satisfied that: (a) the prospective witness is willing to attend; and (b) the prospective witness has actual knowledge of relevant facts.
A party intending to introduce the testimony of incarcerated witnesses who have agreed to voluntarily attend the trial must serve and file a written motion for a court order requiring that such witnesses be brought to court at the time of trial. The motion must: (1) state the name, address, and prison identification number of each such witness; and (2) be accompanied by declarations showing that each witness is willing to testify and that each witness has actual knowledge of relevant facts. The motion should be entitled "Motion for Attendance of Incarcerated Witnesses."
The willingness of the prospective witness can be shown in one of two ways: (1) the party him or herself can swear by declaration under penalty of perjury that the prospective witness has informed the party that he or she is willing to testify voluntarily without being subpoenaed, in which declaration the party must state when and where the prospective witness informed the party of this willingness; or (2) the party can serve and file a declaration, signed under penalty of perjury by the prospective witness, in which the witness states that he or she is willing to testify without being subpoenaed.
The prospective witness's actual knowledge of relevant facts can be shown in one of two ways: (1) if the party has actual firsthand knowledge that the prospective witness was an eyewitness or an ear-witness to the relevant facts (e.g., if an incident occurred in Plaintiff's cell and, at the time, Plaintiff saw that a cellmate was present and observed the incident, Plaintiff may swear to the cellmate's ability to testify), the party can swear by declaration under penalty of perjury that the prospective witness has actual knowledge; or (2) the party can serve and file a declaration signed under penalty of perjury by the prospective witness in which the witness describes the relevant facts to which the prospective witness was an eye- or ear witness. Whether the declaration is made by the party or by the prospective witness, it must be specific about the incident, when and where it occurred, who was present, and how the prospective witness happened to be in a position to see or to hear what occurred at the time it occurred.
2. Procedures for Obtaining Attendance of Incarcerated Witnesses Who Refuse to Testify Voluntarily — If a party seeks to obtain the attendance of incarcerated witnesses who refuse to testify voluntarily, the party should serve and file a written motion for a court order requiring that such witnesses be brought to court at the time of trial. Such motion should be in the form described above. In addition, the party must indicate in the motion that the incarcerated witnesses are not willing to testify voluntarily.
The Court will review and rule on the motion(s) for attendance of incarcerated witnesses, specifying which prospective witnesses must be brought to court. Subsequently, the Court will issue the writs necessary to cause the witnesses' custodian(s) to bring the witnesses to court.
Motion(s) for the attendance of incarcerated witnesses, if any, must be filed on or before September 3, 2019. Oppositions, if any, must be filed on or before October 3, 2019.
3. Procedures for Obtaining Attendance of Unincarcerated Witnesses Who Agree to Testify Voluntarily — It is the responsibility of the party who has secured an unincarcerated witness's voluntary attendance to notify the witness of the time and date of trial. No action need be sought or obtained from the Court.
4. Procedures for Obtaining Attendance of Unincarcerated Witnesses Who Refuse to Testify Voluntarily — If a prospective witness is not incarcerated, and he or she refuses to testify voluntarily, the witness must be served with a subpoena. Fed. R. Civ. P. 45. In addition, the party seeking the witness's presence must tender an appropriate sum of money for the witness. Id. In the case of an unincarcerated witness, the appropriate sum of money is the daily witness fee of $40.00 plus the witness's travel expenses. 28 U.S.C. § 1821.
If Plaintiff wishes to obtain the attendance of one or more unincarcerated witnesses who refuse to testify voluntarily, Plaintiff must first notify the Court in writing of the name and location of each unincarcerated witness. The Court will calculate the travel expense for each unincarcerated witness and notify Plaintiff of the amount(s). Plaintiff must then, for each witness, submit a money order made payable to the witness for the full amount of the witness's travel expenses plus the daily witness fee of $40.00. The subpoena will not be served upon the unincarcerated witness by the United States Marshals Service unless the money order is tendered to the Court. Because no statute authorizes the use of public funds for these expenses in civil cases, the tendering of witness fees and travel expenses is required even if Plaintiff was granted leave to proceed in forma pauperis.
If Plaintiff wishes to have the Marshals Service serve any unincarcerated witnesses who refuse to testify voluntarily, Plaintiff must submit the money orders to the Court no later than October 3, 2019. In order to ensure timely submission of the money orders, Plaintiff must notify the Court of the names and locations of his witnesses, in compliance with step 4 above, no later than September 3, 2019.
Plaintiff shall file and serve a pretrial statement as described in this order on or before September 3, 2019. Defendant(s) shall file and serve a pretrial statement as described in this order on or before October 3, 2019.
The parties are advised that failure to file pretrial statements as required by this order may result in the imposition of appropriate sanctions, which may include dismissal of the action or entry of default.
The Clerk of Court is DIRECTED to send Plaintiff a copy of Local Rule 281(b).
IX. TRIAL DATE
A trial is set for January 14, 2020, at 8:30 a.m., in Courtroom 4, before Chief District Judge Lawrence J. O'Neill.
X. EFFECT OF THIS ORDER
This order represents the Court and the parties' best estimated schedule to complete this case. Any party unable to comply with the dates outlined in this order shall immediately file an appropriate motion or stipulation identifying the requested modification(s).
The dates set in this order are considered to be firm and will not be modified absent a showing of good cause, even if a stipulation to modify is filed. Due to the impacted nature of the civil case docket, this Court disfavors requests to modify established dates.
Failure to comply with this order may result in the imposition of sanctions.
IT IS SO ORDERED.
RULE 281 (Fed. R. Civ. P. 16)
PRETRIAL STATEMENTS
(a) Time for Filing. As required by the pretrial (scheduling) order in the action, counsel shall file either separate pretrial statements or a joint pretrial statement as follows:
(1) Separate Statements. Not less than fourteen (14) days before the date set by the Court for the holding of the final pretrial conference, counsel for the plaintiff shall serve and file a pretrial statement in the form prescribed herein. Not less than seven (7) days before the date set for the holding of the pretrial conference, counsel for all other parties shall serve on all parties and file pretrial statements that may adopt by reference any or all of the matters set forth in the plaintiff's pretrial statement.
(2) Joint Statements. Not less than seven (7) days before the date set by the Court for the holding of the final pretrial conference, or such other time as the Court may order, counsel for all parties shall file a joint pretrial statement in the form prescribed herein or in such other form as the Court may prescribe.
(3) Word Processed Copy. Electronic filers shall also concurrently submit an electronic copy of their statement in Word format following the procedures for proposed orders. See L.R. 137(b).
(b) Form, Contents. The pretrial statement shall state the name of the party or parties on whose behalf it is presented and set forth the nature of the action and the following matters, under the following captions and in the following order:
(1) Jurisdiction — Venue. The factual and statutory basis of federal jurisdiction and venue and whether there is any dispute concerning jurisdiction or venue.
(2) Jury — Non-Jury. Whether the party has demanded a jury trial of all or any of the issues or, if not, whether a demand for jury trial made by any other party is conceded or contested.
(3) Undisputed Facts. A plain, concise statement of the facts that are undisputed.
(4) Disputed Factual Issues. A plain, concise statement of each fact (and any related essential facts) that the party claims or concedes to be in dispute.
(5) Disputed Evidentiary Issues. A plain, concise summary of any reasonably anticipated disputes concerning admissibility of live and deposition testimony, physical and demonstrative evidence and the use of special technology at trial, including computer animation, video discs, and other high technology, and a statement whether each such dispute should be resolved by motion in limine, briefed in the trial brief, or addressed in some other manner.
(6) Special Factual Information in Certain Actions. In addition to the facts and issues described in (3) through (5), the following special information with respect to the following types of actions shall be specified within either the disputed or undisputed facts sections as appropriate:
(i) In eminent domain actions:
(A) As to each parcel involved, its designation, general description, location, and size; the interest taken; the names of persons claiming an interest therein and the interests claimed; whether an order of possession has been issued; each objection or defense to the taking, if any; and the claimed market value of the interest taken at the time of the taking.
(B) Whether consolidation of trial with other actions would be practicable or desirable.
(C) Suggested procedures for a mutual exchange of lists of comparable sales to be relied upon by the valuation experts, such lists to include for each transaction, to the extent known, the names of the parties, the date of transaction, amount of consideration, location of property, and recording date.
(D) Whether evidence of value other than comparable sales is to be relied upon and, if so, the method of valuation and the authority for its use.
(ii) In patent actions:
(A) The name, number, filing, and issue date of the patent or patents involved.
(B) The names of all persons claiming a present interest in each patent.
(C) An abstract of each patent sufficient to permit determination of the nature and essence of the technical disclosure of the application. An abstract in keeping with that called for in Patent Office Rule 1.72(b) shall be deemed sufficient. See 37 C.F.R. § 1.72.
(D) A statement of the facts relied upon to support any charge of infringement.
(E) Where invalidity of a patent has been asserted as a defense, any and all prior art (patents, publications, and public uses) pleaded in the answer or noticed pursuant to 35 U.S.C. § 282, in relation to the defense invoked, whether the defense be 35 U.S.C. § 102 or 35 U.S.C. § 103.
(F) An explanation of any interparty tests that have been conducted and a request for such interparty tests as should be ordered before setting for trial.
(iii) In actions involving contracts:
(A) The parties' respective versions of the terms of the contract.
(B) Whether the contract and any modifications or collateral agreements were written or oral or both, specifying any document, letter, or other writing relied upon by date and parties, and indicating any oral agreement relied upon by date, place, and parties.
(C) Any misrepresentation of fact, mistake, or other matter affecting validity.
(D) Any breach of contract.
(E) Any waiver or estoppel.
(F) The relief sought (rescission, restitution, damages for breach, specific performance, etc.).
(G) The measure of restitution or damages and an itemized statement of the elements thereof.
(iv) In tort actions for personal injury, wrongful death or
property damage:
(A) The date, place, and general nature of the incident; the particular acts, omissions, or conditions constituting the basis for liability; the particular acts, omissions or conditions constituting the basis of any defense; any statute, ordinance, or regulation violated by either party; the applicability of the doctrine of strict liability or res ipsa loquitur.
(B) Each plaintiff's age; injuries sustained; any prior injury or condition worsened; periods of hospitalization; medical expenses and estimated future medical expenses; the period of total and/or partial disability; annual, monthly, or weekly earnings before the incident; earnings loss to date and estimated diminution of future earnings power; property damage; general damages; punitive damages.
(C) In wrongful death actions: the names and ages of dependents; the annual, monthly, or weekly contribution of decedent to dependents before death; the physical condition, education, and training of decedent at the time of death.
(7) Relief Sought. The elements of monetary damage, if any, and the specific nature of any other relief sought.
(8) Points of Law. A statement of the legal theory or theories of recovery or of defense and of any points of law (substantive or procedural) that are or may reasonably be expected to be in controversy, citing the pertinent statutes, ordinances, regulations, cases, and other authorities relied upon. Extended legal argument is not required in the pretrial statement.
(9) Abandoned Issues. A statement of all issues raised by the pleadings that have been abandoned, including, for example, claims for relief and affirmative defenses.
(10) Witnesses. A list (names and addresses) of all prospective witnesses, whether offered in person or by deposition or interrogatory, designating those who are expert witnesses. Only witnesses so listed will be permitted to testify at the trial, except as may be otherwise provided in the pretrial order.
(11) Exhibits — Schedules and Summaries. A list of documents or other exhibits that the party expects to offer at trial. Only exhibits so listed will be permitted to be offered at trial except as may be otherwise provided in the pretrial order.
(12) Discovery Documents. A list of all portions of depositions, answers to interrogatories, and responses to requests for admission that the party expects to offer at trial.
(13) Further Discovery or Motions. Any requests for further discovery or pretrial motions. Where discovery and/or law and motion has been terminated by a Court order, counsel shall set forth the grounds for relief from that order and why a motion to be relieved was not made before the date ordered in the status conference for termination. Motions for relief at pretrial are not favored and will ordinarily be denied unless the moving party makes a strong showing.
(14) Stipulations. Any stipulations requested or offered for pretrial or trial purposes.
(15) Amendments — Dismissals. Any requested amendments to pleadings, dismissals, additions or substitutions of parties, or dispositions as to defaulting parties.
(16) Settlement Negotiations. A statement whether settlement negotiations between parties and/or a court settlement conference under L.R. 270 would be helpful.
(17) Agreed Statements. A statement whether presentation of all or part of the action upon an Agreed Statement of Facts is feasible and advisable.
(18) Separate Trial of Issues. A statement whether separate trial of any of the issues is feasible and advisable.
(19) Impartial Experts — Limitation of Experts. A statement whether appointment by the Court of impartial expert witnesses or limitation of the number of expert witnesses is advisable.
(20) Attorneys' Fees. A statement whether attorneys' fees are sought and the time and manner in which they are to be ascertained. See L.R. 293.
(21) Trial Exhibits. Any special handling of trial exhibits and a statement of advisability of court retention of exhibits pending appeal decision. See L.R. 138(e).
(22) Trial Protective Order. Whether a trial protective order will be sought pursuant to L.R. 141.1(b)(2).
(23) Miscellaneous. Any other appropriate comments, suggestions, or information that might aid in the disposition of the action, including references to any matters set forth in Fed. R. Civ. P. 16(c).
(c) Claims of Privilege. If any privilege against disclosure is claimed with respect to any statement required by this Rule and the validity of the claim has not yet been determined, a party may omit such statement and include instead a statement of such claim of privilege and the grounds therefor.
(d) Fed. R. Civ. P. 26(a)(3) Disclosures. The foregoing disclosures satisfy the requirements of Fed. R. Civ. P. 26(a)(3).
