Northfield Insurance Company v. Sandy's Place, LLC, et al.
Filing
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ORDER re-setting the Initial Scheduling Conference for 10/31/2019 at 10:30 AM in Courtroom 10 (EPG) before Magistrate Judge Erica P. Grosjean. Order signed by Magistrate Judge Erica P. Grosjean on 10/4/2019. (Rooney, M)
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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
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EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA
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NORTHFIELD INSURANCE
COMPANY,
Case No. 1:19-CV-00897 LJO EPG
Plaintiff(s),
ORDER SETTING MANDATORY
SCHEDULING CONFERENCE
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v.
DATE: October 31, 2019
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TIME: 10:30 A.M.
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SANDY’S PLACE, LLC, ET AL.,
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Defendant(s).
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COURTROOM: 10 (6th Floor)
ERICA P. GROSJEAN
U.S. MAGISTRATE JUDGE
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Pursuant to the recusal of United States Magistrate Judge Sheila K. Oberto, and the
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reassignment of this matter to United States Magistrate Judge Erica P. Grosjean, the Scheduling
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Conference previously set for October 31, 2019, at 9:30 AM will now be held on the same day at
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10:30 AM before Judge Grosjean, in Courtroom 10 at the United States Courthouse, 2500 Tulare
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Street, Fresno, CA 93721.
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Appearance at Scheduling Conference
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Attendance at the Scheduling Conference is mandatory for all parties. Parties may appear
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by their counsel, if represented. If a party is not represented by counsel, they must appear
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personally at the Scheduling Conference. Telephonic appearances are not available for pro se
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parties, i.e., those not represented by counsel. Trial counsel should participate in this Scheduling
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Conference whenever possible. If one or more parties are represented by counsel and wish to
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appear telephonically, counsel shall email Michelle Means Rooney, Courtroom Deputy Clerk, at
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mrooney@caed.uscourts.gov, sufficiently in advance of the conference so that a notation can be
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placed on the court calendar. To appear telephonically, each party shall dial 1 (888) 251 − 2909
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and enter access code 1024453. Additionally, counsel are directed to indicate on the face page of
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their Joint Scheduling Report that the conference will be telephonic.
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Joint Scheduling Report
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A Joint Scheduling Report, carefully prepared and executed by all counsel, shall be
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electronically filed in CM/ECF, one (1) full week prior to the Scheduling Conference and shall be
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emailed in Word format to epgorders@caed.uscourts.gov. The Joint Scheduling Report shall
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indicate the date, time, and courtroom of the Scheduling Conference. This information is to be
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placed opposite the caption on the first page of the Report.
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At least twenty (20) days prior to the Mandatory Scheduling Conference, trial counsel for
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all parties shall conduct a conference at a mutually agreed upon time and place. This should
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preferably be a personal conference between all counsel but a telephonic conference call
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involving all counsel/pro se parties is permissible. The Joint Scheduling Report shall contain the
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following items by corresponding numbered paragraphs:
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1.
Summary of the factual and legal contentions set forth in the pleadings of each
party, including the relief sought by any party presently before the Court.
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2.
Summary of major disputed facts and contentions of law.
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3.
A proposed deadline for amendments to pleadings. Any proposed amendment to
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the pleadings shall be referenced in the Scheduling Conference Report. If the matter cannot be
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resolved at the Scheduling Conference, the moving party shall file a motion to amend in
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accordance with the Local Rules of the Eastern District of California.
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4.
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motions, etc.
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The status of all matters which are presently set before the Court, e.g., hearings of
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5.
A complete and detailed discovery plan addressing the following issues and
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proposed dates:
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a
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A date for the exchange of initial disclosures required by Fed. R. Civ. P.
26(a)(1) or a statement that disclosures have already been exchanged;
b.
A firm cut-off date for non-expert discovery. When setting this date, the
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parties should consider that discovery cutoffs requires that motions to
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compel be filed and heard sufficiently in advance of the deadline so that the
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Court may grant effective relief within the allotted discovery time;
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c.
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A firm date for disclosure of expert witnesses, required by Fed. R. Civ. P.
26(a)(2), including a date for disclosure of rebuttal experts;
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d.
A firm cut-off date for all expert witness discovery;
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e.
Any proposed changes in the limits on discovery imposed by
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Fed. R. Civ. P. 26(b); 30(a)(2)(A), (B); 30(d); or 33(a);
f.
Whether the parties anticipate the need for a protective order relating to the
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discovery of information relating to a trade secret or other confidential
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research, development, or commercial information;
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g.
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Any issues or proposals relating to the timing, sequencing, phasing or
scheduling of discovery; and
h.
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Whether the parties anticipate the need to take discovery outside the United
States and, if so, a description of the proposed discovery.
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Additional Disclosures Related to Electronic Discovery
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1.
Discovery Relating to Electronic, Digital and/or Magnetic Data. Prior to a
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Fed. R. Civ. P. 26(f) conference, counsel should carefully investigate their respective
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client’s information management system so that they are knowledgeable as to its
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operation, including how information is stored and how it can be retrieved. Counsel shall
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also conduct a reasonable review of their respective client’s computer files to ascertain the
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contents thereof, including archival and legacy data (outdated formats or media), and
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disclose in initial discovery (self-executing routine discovery) the computer-based
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evidence which may be used to support claims or defenses.
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2.
The parties shall meet and confer regarding the following matters during
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the Fed. R. Civ. P. 26(f) conference, and address the status of Electronic Discovery and
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any disagreements in their Statement, including:
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a.
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parties will take to segregate and preserve computer-based
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information in order to avoid accusations of spoliation.
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b.
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agree as to the scope of e-mail discovery and attempt to agree upon
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an e-mail search protocol. The parties should seek to agree on
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search terms, custodians, and date ranges in advance of the
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Conference so that any disputes can be addressed at the Conference.
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c.
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parties should confer regarding procedures for inadvertent
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production of privileged electronic material, including any
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obligations to notify the other party, and procedures for bringing
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any disputes promptly to the Court.
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d.
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or not restoration of deleted information may be necessary, the
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extent to which restoration of deleted information is needed, and
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who will bear the costs of restoration; and the parties shall attempt
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to agree whether or not back-up data may be necessary, the extent
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to which backup data is needed and who will bear the cost of
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obtaining back-up data.
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Preservation: The parties shall attempt to agree on steps the
Scope of E-mail Discovery: The parties shall attempt to
Inadvertent Production of Privileged Information: The
Data Restoration: The parties shall confer regarding whether
Dates agreed to by all counsel for:
a.
Filing dispositive pre-trial motions (except motions in limine or other trial
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motions). The dispositive motion filing deadline shall be at least twelve
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(12) weeks prior to the proposed Pre-Trial Conference date, and the
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hearing on dispositive motions shall be at least sixty (60) days before the
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proposed Pre-trial Conference date.
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b.
A Pre-Trial Conference Date.
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c.
A Trial date. This date should be at least sixty (60) days after the proposed
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Pre-Trial Conference date.
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The parties are encouraged to discuss settlement, and must include a statement in
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the Joint Scheduling Report as to the possibility of settlement. The parties shall indicate when
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they desire a settlement conference, e.g., before further discovery, after discovery, after pre-trial
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motions, etc. Among other things, counsel will be expected to discuss the possibility of settlement
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at the Scheduling Conference. Note that, even if settlement negotiations are progressing, counsel
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are expected to comply with the requirements of this Order unless otherwise excused by the
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Court. If the entire case is settled, counsel shall promptly inform the Court. In the event of
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settlement, counsel's presence at the conference, as well as the Joint Scheduling Report, will not
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be required.
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8.
A statement as to whether the case is a jury or non-jury case. The parties shall
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briefly outline their respective positions if there is a disagreement as to whether a jury trial has
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been timely demanded, or as to whether a jury trial is available on some or all of the claims.
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9.
An estimate of the number of trial days is required. If the parties cannot agree,
each party shall give his or her best estimate.
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The parties' position regarding consent to proceed before a United States
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magistrate judge. Note that the parties need not make a final decision on the issue of consent
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until after the Scheduling Conference, but should state their current position in this Statement and
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expect to make a final decision soon after the Scheduling Conference.
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The parties may wish to consider that, when a civil trial is set before the district judges in
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the Fresno Division, any criminal trial that conflicts with the civil trial will take priority, even if
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the civil trial was set first. Continuances of civil trials under these circumstances may no longer
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be entertained, absent good cause, but the civil trial may instead trail from day to day or week to
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week until the completion of either the criminal case or the older civil case.
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Parties are free to withhold consent or decline magistrate jurisdiction without adverse
substantive consequences.
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Whether either party requests bifurcation or phasing of trial or has any other
suggestion for shortening or expediting discovery, pre-trial motions or trial.
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Whether this matter is related to any matter pending in this court or any other
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court, including bankruptcy court.
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Scheduling Order
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Following the Scheduling Conference, the Court will issue a Scheduling Order with the
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benefit of the input of the parties. Once issued, the dates in the Scheduling Order shall be firm
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and no extension shall be given without permission from the Court.
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Lack of Participation in the Joint Scheduling Report
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If any party fails to participate in the preparation of the Joint Scheduling Report, the non-
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offending party shall detail the party’s effort to get the offending party to participate in the Joint
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Scheduling Report. The non-offending party shall still file the report one (1) full week prior to
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the Mandatory Scheduling Conference and shall list the non-offending party’s position on the
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listed issues and proposed dates for a schedule. Absent good cause, the dates proposed by the
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non-offending party will be presumed to be the dates offered by the parties. The offending party
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may be subject to sanctions, including monetary sanctions to compensate the non-offending
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party’s time and effort incurred in seeking compliance with this Scheduling Order.
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Important Chambers' Information
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The parties are directed to the Court’s website at www.caed.uscourts.gov under Judges;
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Grosjean (EPG); Standard Information (in the area entitled “Case Management
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Procedures”) for specific information regarding Chambers’ procedures. Information about law
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and motion, scheduling conferences, telephonic appearances, and discovery disputes is provided
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at this link.
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Sanctions for Failure to Comply
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Should counsel or a party appearing pro se fail to appear at the Mandatory Scheduling
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Conference, or fail to comply with the directions as set forth above, an ex parte hearing may be
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held and contempt sanctions, including monetary sanctions, dismissal, default, or other
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appropriate judgment, may be imposed and/or ordered.
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IT IS SO ORDERED.
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DATED: October 4, 2019
/s/ ERICA P. GROSJEAN
UNITED STATES MAGISTRATE JUDGE
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