Johnson v. Downes et al

Filing 11

ORDER signed by Magistrate Judge Kendall J. Newman on 9/1/15 ORDERING that no later than 9/15/2015 the parties shall meet and confer, at a minimum by telephone, to explore potential settlement of the case. If the parties are unable to reach a settl ement through their own efforts, the parties shall file, no later than 9/15/15, a joint statement. The motion for Discovery Sanctions 10 is DENIED without prejudice to its refiling after the settlement conference, if necessary.(Mena-Sanchez, L)

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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

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FOR THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

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SCOTT JOHNSON,

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No. 2:14-cv-1256-TLN-KJN

Plaintiff,
v.

ORDER

DARLENE RAE DOWNES, et al.,

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Defendants.

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Pending before the court is plaintiff’s motion for discovery sanctions. (ECF No. 10.) In

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an attempt to avoid the accumulation of attorneys’ fees through potentially unnecessary motion

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practice and hearings, the court orders the parties to first meet and confer to explore settlement,

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and finds it appropriate to also schedule a settlement conference in this matter.

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Accordingly, IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that:

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1. No later than September 15, 2015, the parties shall meet and confer, at a minimum by

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telephone, to explore potential settlement of the case.
2. If the parties are unable to reach a settlement through their own efforts, the parties

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shall file, no later than September 15, 2015, a joint statement, signed by counsel for all

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parties, outlining: (a) when and where the meet-and-confer session took place; (b)

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who was present; (c) whether the parties are amenable to having a settlement
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conference conducted before the assigned magistrate judge and agree to waive any

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disqualification by virtue of the assigned magistrate judge also acting as the settlement

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judge; and (d) if agreeable to a settlement conference before the assigned magistrate

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judge, proposed dates for the settlement conference that have been cleared with the

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undersigned’s courtroom deputy clerk. If the parties do not agree to waive

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disqualification, the court will refer the case for a settlement conference before another

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magistrate judge.

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3. Upon review of the parties’ joint statement, the court will schedule the settlement
proceedings.
4. The motion for discovery sanctions (ECF No. 10) is denied without prejudice to its
refiling after the settlement conference, if necessary.
IT IS SO ORDERED.
Dated: September 1, 2015

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