The Church of the Celestial Heart et al v. Garland et al

Filing 43

ORDER GRANTING JOINT MOTION TO AMEND THE SCHEDULING ORDER, signed by Magistrate Judge Stanley A. Boone on 11/22/2024. IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that: 1. The parties' joint motion to amend the scheduling order (ECF No. 42 ) is GRANTED; 2. The sch eduling order is amended as follows: a. Non-expert discovery deadline: February 11, 2025; b. Expert disclosure deadline: April 21, 2025; c. Supplemental expert disclosure deadline: May 27, 2025; d. Expert discovery deadli ne: July 1, 2025; e. Dispositive motion deadline: August 11, 2025; 3. All other dates--including the December 12, 2025 pretrial conference and February 10, 2026 trial--and aspects of the March 26, 2024 scheduling order shall remain in effect. (Nguyen, J)

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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

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EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

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THE CHURCH OF THE CELESTIAL
HEART, et al.,

Case No. 1:23-cv-00545-SAB
ORDER GRANTING JOINT MOTION TO
AMEND THE SCHEDULING ORDER

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Plaintiffs,
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v.

(ECF No. 42)

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MERRICK GARLAND, et al.,
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Defendants.
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On March 26, 2024, the Court issued a scheduling order in this matter. (ECF No. 31.)

18 On November 21, 2024, the parties filed a joint motion to extend each date by sixty days,
19 excluding the trial date. (ECF No. 42.) In support of their first request to amend the scheduling
20 order, the parties detail the status of continuing discovery and the significant steps they have
21 taken towards potentially resolving this matter. The parties submit that a 60-day extension of the
22 scheduling order—excluding the pre-trial conference and trial dates—would allow the parties to
23 focus their attention on DEA pre-registration inspection and facilitation of a potential settlement
24 agreement, without engaging in discovery and discovery-related disputes that would take time
25 and resources away from cooperative settlement negotiations that are underway. The Court finds
26 good cause exists to grant the parties’ joint motion to amend the scheduling order. The parties
27 are advised that the Court will not be as inclined to grant further extensions as such settlement
28 sometime leads to extension after extension. While the Court is a very strong proponent of

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1 settlement, as that is a process where both sides are mutually in agreement, those settlement
2 efforts must be the top priority of the parties and treated as if they are in throws of litigation with
3 pressing deadlines set by the Court. Here, the parties have been diligent in accomplishing their
4 discovery goals, which is in part why good cause exists.
Pursuant to the stipulation of the parties and good cause appearing, IT IS HEREBY

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6 ORDERED that:
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The parties’ joint motion to amend the scheduling order (ECF No. 42) is
GRANTED;

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2.

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The scheduling order is amended as follows:

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a.

Non-expert discovery deadline: February 11, 2025;

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b.

Expert disclosure deadline: April 21, 2025;

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c.

Supplemental expert disclosure deadline: May 27, 2025;

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d.

Expert discovery deadline: July 1, 2025;

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e.

Dispositive motion deadline: August 11, 2025;

3.

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All other dates—including the December 12, 2025 pretrial conference and

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February 10, 2026 trial—and aspects of the March 26, 2024 scheduling order

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shall remain in effect.

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IT IS SO ORDERED.

20 Dated:

November 22, 2024
STANLEY A. BOONE
United States Magistrate Judge

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