Contreras v. Clark et al

Filing 17

ORDER Denying Plaintiff's Request to Appear at Settlement Conference by Video or Telephone re 16 , signed by Magistrate Judge Michael J. Seng on 2/12/18. (Gonzalez, R)

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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

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EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

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CARLOS L. CONTRERAS,

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Plaintiff,
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v.

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CASE NO. 1:17-cv-00905-MJS (PC)
ORDER DENYING PLAINTIFF’S REQUEST
TO APPEAR AT SETTLEMENT
CONFERENCE BY VIDEO OR
TELEPHONE

EDGAR CLARK, et al.,

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(ECF NO. 16)
Defendant.

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Plaintiff proceeds pro se and in forma pauperis in this civil rights action brought

20 pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 1983. The matter is currently scheduled for a March 23, 2018
21 settlement conference before Magistrate Judge Stanley Boone. (ECF No. 15.)
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On February 2, 2018, Plaintiff filed a request to appear telephonically at the March

23 23, 2018 settlement conference “for the Court’s and the parties’ convenience”. (ECF No.
24 16.)
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While the Court allows inmates to appear telephonically for pretrial proceedings,

26 settlement conferences are rarely productive without face to face contact with the
27 participants. Moreover, Court’s past experience has revealed the California Department
28 of Corrections video conferencing system and telephone system to be unreliable and

1 insufficient for the purposes of a settlement conference.
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Therefore, the Court requires parties to personally appear for settlement

3 conferences.
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This is a voluntary settlement conference. If Plaintiff chooses not to physically

5 appear at a settlement conference, the parties may conduct their own settlement
6 discussion without Court supervision.
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Accordingly, IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that Plaintiff’s request to appear at the

8 settlement conference by video or telephone (ECF No. 16) is DENIED.
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IT IS SO ORDERED.
Dated:

February 12, 2018

/s/

Michael J. Seng

UNITED STATES MAGISTRATE JUDGE

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