The opinion
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8 UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
9 EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA
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11 JAMES RAMIREZ, Case No. 1:24-cv-00349-CDB
12 Plaintiff, SCHEDULING ORDER (Fed. R. Civ. P. 16)
13 v. Discovery Deadlines:
-Rule 26 Disclosures: July 24, 2024
14 OREYDIS LEZCANO PACHECO, -Amend Pleadings: August 24, 2024
-Expert Disclosures: January 14, 2025
15 Defendant. -Rebuttal Expert Disclosures: February 12, 2025
-Fact Discovery: December 17, 2024
16 -Expert Discovery: March 11, 2025
-Mid-Discovery Status Conference: November 6,
17 2024, at 10:00 a.m., in Bakersfield Federal
Courthouse 510 19th Street, Bakersfield, CA
18 93301
19 Non-Dispositive Motion Deadlines:
-Filing: March 25, 2025
20 -Hearing: April 24, 2025, at
10:30 a.m., in Bakersfield Federal Courthouse
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Dispositive Motion Deadlines:
22 -Filing: May 22, 2025
-Hearing: June 26, 2025, at
23 1:30 p.m., in Bakersfield Federal Courthouse
24 Pre-Trial Conference: August 21, 2025, at
10:30 a.m., in Bakersfield Federal Courthouse
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Trial: October 20, 2025, at 8:30 a.m., in Bakersfield
26 Federal Courthouse
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1 Plaintiff James Ramirez commenced this personal injury and negligence action in state court;
2 the case was removed to this Court by Defendant Oreydis Lezcano Pacheco on March 25, 2024. (Doc.
3 1).
4 The Court held a scheduling conference off the record on June 24, 2024. Ryan Gustafson
5 appeared on behalf of Plaintiff and Lizel Cerezo appeared on behalf of Defendant.
6 I. Pleading Amendment
7 Any motions to amend the pleadings, including to add allegations or to add or substitute
8 parties, must be filed by August 24, 2024. The parties should not construe a timely filing of a motion
9 or stipulation requesting leave to amend the pleadings to necessarily constitute good cause to modify
10 the existing schedule, if necessary. All proposed amendments must (A) be supported by good cause
11 pursuant to Fed. R. Civ. P. 16(b) if the amendment requires any modification to the existing schedule,
12 see Johnson v. Mammoth Recreations, Inc., 975 F.2d 604, 609 (9th Cir. 1992), and (B) establish,
13 under Fed. R. Civ. P. 15(a), that such an amendment is not (1) prejudicial to the opposing party, (2)
14 the product of undue delay, (3) proposed in bad faith, or (4) futile. See Foman v. Davis, 371 U.S. 178,
15 182 (1962).
16 II. Discovery Plan and Cut-Off Date
17 The parties shall exchange the initial disclosures required by Fed. R. Civ. P. 26(a)(1) by no
18 later than July 24, 2024.
19 The parties are ordered to complete all discovery pertaining to non-experts on or before
20 December 17, 2024, and all discovery pertaining to experts on or before March 11, 2025.
21 The parties are directed to disclose all expert witnesses, in writing, on or before January 14,
22 2025, and to disclose all rebuttal experts on or before February 12, 2025. The written designation of
23 retained and non-retained experts shall be made pursuant to Fed. R. Civ. P. Rule 26(a)(2), (A), (B),
24 and (C) and shall include all information required thereunder. Failure to designate experts in
25 compliance with this order may result in the Court excluding the testimony or other evidence offered
26 through such experts that are not disclosed pursuant to this order.
27 The provisions of Fed. R. Civ. P. 26(b)(4) and (5) shall apply to all discovery relating to
28 experts and their opinions. Experts must be fully prepared to be examined on all subjects and opinions
1 included in the designation. Failure to comply may result in the imposition of sanctions, which may
2 include striking the expert designation and preclusion of expert testimony.
3 The provisions of Fed. R. Civ. P. 26(e) regarding a party’s duty to timely supplement
4 disclosures and responses to discovery requests will be strictly enforced.
5 A mid-discovery status conference is scheduled for November 6, 2024, at 10:00 a.m. before
6 Magistrate Judge Christopher D. Baker. Counsel SHALL file a joint mid-discovery status conference
7 report no later than one week before the conference. Counsel also SHALL lodge the status report via
8 e-mail to CDBorders@caed.uscourts.gov. The joint status report SHALL outline the discovery
9 counsel have completed and that which needs to be completed as well as any impediments to
10 completing the discovery within the deadlines set forth in this order. Counsel SHALL discuss
11 settlement and certify in the joint status report (1) that they have met/conferred regarding settlement,
12 and (2) proposed dates for convening a settlement conference with an unassigned magistrate judge.
13 III. Pre-Trial Motion Schedule / Informal Discovery Dispute Conferences
14 All non-dispositive pre-trial motions, including any discovery motions, shall be filed by
15 March 25, 20251 and heard on or before April 24, 2025. For these hearings and at the direction of the
16 Courtroom Deputy Clerk, the Court may direct counsel to appear remotely (via Zoom). For hearings
17 noticed to occur in-person, the Court may permit counsel to appear remotely (via Zoom) provided the
18 Courtroom Deputy Clerk receives a written notice of the request to appear remotely no later than five
19 court days before the noticed hearing date.
20 No motion to amend or stipulation to amend the case schedule will be entertained unless it is
21 filed at least three days before the first deadline the parties wish to extend.
22 No written discovery motions shall be filed without the prior approval of Judge Baker. A party
23 with a discovery dispute must first confer with the opposing party in a good faith effort to resolve by
24 agreement the issues in dispute. If that good faith effort is unsuccessful, prior to making any filing, the
25 requesting party promptly shall seek a conference with all involved parties and Judge Baker. To
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1 Non-dispositive motions related to non-expert discovery SHALL be filed within a reasonable
28 time of discovery of the dispute, but in no event later than 30 days after the expiration of the non-expert
discovery deadline.
1 schedule this conference, the parties should contact the Courtroom Deputy Clerk, Susan Hall, at (661)
2 326-6620 or via email at SHall@caed.uscourts.gov. At least two days before the conference, counsel
3 shall file a joint, informal letter brief detailing each party’s position. Each party’s narrative shall not
4 exceed five pages, excluding exhibits, and shall cite relevant authority in support of the party’s
5 position. At the commencement of the conference, if the parties jointly agree to Judge Baker’s
6 consideration and resolution of the discovery disputes outside the formal Local Rule 251 procedures,
7 the Court will entertain arguments by the parties and issue a written ruling. If the parties do not jointly
8 agree to the informal discovery dispute resolution procedures set forth herein, the requesting party may
9 then seek relief through motion to compel. Counsel must comply with Local Rule 251 with respect to
10 discovery disputes and certify their compliance any discovery motion.
11 All dispositive pre-trial motions shall be filed no later than May 22, 2025, and heard on or
12 before June 26, 2025. Motions are heard before Judge Baker at 10:30 a.m., at the United States
13 District Courthouse, 510 19th Street, Bakersfield, CA.
14 IV. Motions for Summary Judgment or Summary Adjudication
15 At least 21 days before filing a motion for summary judgment or motion for summary
16 adjudication, the parties SHALL meet, in person or by telephone, to confer about the issues to be
17 raised in the motion.
18 The purpose of the meeting shall be to: 1) avoid filing motions for summary judgment where a
19 question of fact exists; 2) determine whether the respondent agrees that the motion has merit in whole
20 or in part; 3) discuss whether issues can be resolved without the necessity of briefing; 4) narrow the
21 issues for review by the court; 5) explore the possibility of settlement before the parties incur the
22 expense of briefing a motion; and 6) to develop a joint statement of undisputed facts.
23 The moving party SHALL initiate the meeting and SHALL provide a complete, proposed
24 statement of undisputed facts at least five days before the conference. The finalized joint statement
25 of undisputed facts SHALL include all facts that the parties agree, for purposes of the motion, may be
26 deemed true. In addition to the requirements of Local Rule 260, the moving party shall file the joint
27 statement of undisputed facts.
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1 In the notice of motion, the moving party SHALL certify that the parties have met and
2 conferred as ordered above, or set forth a statement of good cause for the failure to meet and confer.
3 Failure to comply may result in the motion being stricken.
4 V. Pre-Trial Conference
5 August 21, 2025, at 10:30 a.m., located at the United States District Courthouse, 510 19th
6 Street, Bakersfield, CA, before Judge Baker.
7 The parties are ordered to file a Joint Pretrial Statement pursuant to Local Rule 281(a)(2). The
8 parties are further directed to submit a digital copy of their pretrial statement in Word format, directly
9 to Judge Baker’s chambers, by email at CDBorders@caed.uscourts.gov.
10 Counsels’ attention is directed to Rules 281 and 282 of the Local Rules for the Eastern District
11 of California, as to the obligations of counsel in preparing for the pre-trial conference. The Court will
12 insist upon strict compliance with those rules. In addition to the matters set forth in the Local Rules,
13 the Joint Pretrial Statement shall include a Joint Statement of the case to be used by the Court to
14 explain the nature of the case to the jury during voir dire.
15 VI. Trial Date
16 October 20, 2025, at 8:30 a.m., located at the United States District Courthouse, 510 19th
17 Street, Bakersfield, CA, before Judge Baker.
18 A. This is a jury trial.
19 B. Counsels’ Estimate of Trial Time: 5-7 days
20 C. Counsels’ attention is directed to Local Rules of Practice for the Eastern District of
21 California, Rule 285.
22 VII. Settlement Conference
23 The parties SHALL meet and confer and notify the Court prior to the Pre-Trial Conference
24 whether they wish to convene a Settlement Conference. In the event the parties request a Settlement
25 Conference, unless otherwise permitted in advance by the Court, the attorneys who will try the case
26 shall appear at the settlement conference with the parties and the person or persons having full
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1 authority to negotiate and settle the case on any terms2 at the conference. Consideration of settlement
2 is a serious matter that requires preparation prior to the settlement conference. Set forth below are the
3 procedures the Court will employ, absent good cause, in conducting the conference.
4 At least twenty-one days before the settlement conference, Plaintiff SHALL submit to
5 Defendant via fax or e-mail, a written itemization of damages and a meaningful3 settlement demand
6 which includes a brief explanation of why such a settlement is appropriate. Thereafter, no later than
7 fourteen days before the settlement conference, Defendant SHALL respond, via fax or e-mail, with an
8 acceptance of the offer or with a meaningful counteroffer which includes a brief explanation of why
9 such a settlement is appropriate.
10 If settlement is not achieved, each party SHALL attach copies of their settlement offers to their
11 Confidential Settlement Conference Statement, as described below. Copies of these documents shall
12 not be filed on the court docket.
13 CONFIDENTIAL SETTLEMENT CONFERENCE STATEMENT
14 At least five court days prior to the settlement conference, the parties shall submit a
15 Confidential Settlement Conference Statement via email directly to the chambers of the unassigned
16 magistrate judge referred to the settlement conference. The statement should not be filed with the
17 Clerk of the Court nor served on any other party, although the parties may file a Notice of Lodging of
18 Settlement Conference Statement. Each statement shall be clearly marked "confidential" with the date
19 and time of the settlement conference indicated prominently thereon.
20 The Confidential Settlement Conference Statement shall include the following:
21 A. A brief statement of the facts of the case.
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2 Insurance carriers, business organizations, and governmental bodies or agencies whose settlement
24 agreements are subject to approval by legislative bodies, executive committees, boards of directors or the like
shall be represented by a person or persons who occupy high executive positions in the party organization and
25 who will be directly involved in the process of approval of any settlement offers or agreements. To the extent
possible, the representative shall have authority, if he or she deems it appropriate, to settle the action on terms
consistent with the opposing party's most recent demand.
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3 “Meaningful” means the offer is reasonably calculated to settle the case on terms acceptable to the
27 offering party. “Meaningful” does not include an offer which the offering party knows will not be acceptable to
the other party. If, however, the offering party is only willing to offer a settlement which it knows the other party
28 will not accept, this should trigger a recognition the case is not in a settlement posture and the parties should
confer about continuing or vacating the settlement conference via stipulation.
1 B. A brief statement of the claims and defenses, i.e., statutory or other grounds upon
2 which the claims are founded; a forthright evaluation of the parties' likelihood of prevailing on the
3 claims and defenses; and a description of the major issues in dispute.
4 C. A summary of the proceedings to date.
5 D. An estimate of the cost and time to be expended for further discovery, pretrial and trial.
6 E. The relief sought.
7 F. The party’s position on settlement, including present demands and offers and a history
8 of past settlement discussions, offers and demands.
9 VIII. Request for Bifurcation, Appointment of Special Master, or other Techniques to Shorten
10 Trial
11 None.
12 IX. Related Matters Pending
13 None.
14 X. Compliance with Federal Procedure
15 All counsel are expected to familiarize themselves with the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure
16 and the Local Rules of the Eastern District of California, and to keep abreast of any amendments
17 thereto. The Court requires compliance with these Rules to efficiently handle its increasing case load.
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1 ||XI. ‘Effect of this Order
2 The foregoing order represents the best estimate of the court and counsel as to the agenda mo:
3 || suitable to dispose of this case. The trial date reserved is specifically reserved for this case. If the
4 || parties determine at any time that the schedule outlined in this order cannot be met, counsel are
5 || ordered to notify the court immediately of that fact so that adjustments may be made, either by
6 || stipulation or by subsequent status conference.
7 The dates set in this Order are considered to be firm and will not be modified absent a
8 || showing of good cause even if the request to modify is made by stipulation. Stipulations
9 || extending the deadlines contained herein will not be considered unless they are accompanied by
10 || affidavits or declarations, and where appropriate attached exhibits, which establish good cause
11 || for granting the relief requested.
12 Failure to comply with this order may result in the imposition of sanctions.
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14 || IT IS SO ORDERED.
15 || Dated: _ July 2, 2024 | hwnnAD R~
16 UNITED STATES MAGISTRATE JUDGE
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