Holmes v. Alabama Board of Pardons & Paroles, et al

Filing 49

RULE 26(f) ORDER directing that the Rule 26(f) report containing the discovery plan shall be filed as soon as practicable but not later than February 8, 2013, as further set out. Signed by Chief Judge William Keith Watkins on 1/18/13. (scn, )

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
FOR THE MIDDLE DISTRICT OF ALABAMA
NORTHERN DIVISION
THOMAS W. HOLMES,
Plaintiff,
v.
THE ALABAMA BOARD OF
PARDONS AND PAROLES,
Defendant.

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CASE NO. 2:12-CV-279-WKW

RULE 26(f) ORDER
The parties are hereby reminded of the obligation, imposed by Rule 26(f) of the
Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, to confer and to develop a proposed discovery plan.
Accordingly, it is ORDERED that the Rule 26(f) report containing the discovery plan shall
be filed as soon as practicable but not later than February 8, 2013.
The longstanding practice in this district is that dispositive motions shall be filed no
later than 90 days prior to the pretrial date. If the parties seek to vary from that schedule,
they should present, in the plan, specific case-related reasons for the requested variance. In
their Rule 26(f) report, however, the parties should assume that the 90-day requirement will
apply.
It is also the policy of this district that Rule 26(a)(3) witness list exchange (§ 9
USO), deposition designations (§ 10 USO), and exchange of trial exhibits and evidence
(§ 11 USO) occur no later than 30 days prior to trial, to allow appropriate time for

filing and resolution of objections and motions related thereto. The parties may agree
to longer deadlines, but shorter deadlines will ordinarily not be allowed.
This case will be set for trial before the undersigned judge during one of that judge's
regularly scheduled civil trial terms, within 7 to 10 months of this order if a term is available
and, if not available, then as soon as possible thereafter. The pretrial date is normally set
within four to six weeks of a scheduled trial term. The dates of each judge's civil trial terms
are available on the court's website located at http://www.almd.uscourts.gov.
The court may or may not hold a scheduling conference before issuing a scheduling
order. If the court holds a scheduling conference, counsel may participate in the scheduling
conference by conference call.
The scheduling order entered by the court will follow the form of the Uniform
Scheduling Order adopted by the judges of this court. The Uniform Scheduling Order is also
available on the court's website.
The report of the parties should comply with Form 52 of the Appendix of Forms to
the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure.
DONE this 18th day of January, 2013.
/s/ W. Keith Watkins
CHIEF UNITED STATES DISTRICT JUDGE