(PC) Leonard v. Dunlop
Filing
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ORDER REFERRING CASE TO POST-SCREENING ADR PROJECT AND STAYING CASE FOR 120 DAYS signed by Magistrate Judge Deborah Barnes on 5/8/2022. Within 60 days, defendant shall file any motion to opt out of the Post-screening ADR Project. Each party shall submit a confidential settlement conference statement at least 7 days prior to the conference. If settlement is reached, the parties shall file a Notice of Settlement. (Yin, K)
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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
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FOR THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA
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FREDERICK E. LEONARD,
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Plaintiff,
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No. 2:21-cv-1644 DB P
v.
ORDER REFERRING CASE TO POSTSCREENING ADR PROJECT AND
STAYING CASE FOR 120 DAYS
M. DUNLOP,
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Defendant.
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Plaintiff is a state prisoner, proceeding without counsel. Defendant has waived service of
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the present action. (ECF No. 20.)
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The undersigned is referring all post-screening civil rights cases filed by pro se state
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inmates to the Post-Screening ADR (Alternative Dispute Resolution) Project in an effort to
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resolve such cases more expeditiously and less expensively. Defense counsel from the Office of
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the California Attorney General has agreed to participate in this pilot project. No defenses or
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objections shall be waived by their participation.
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As set forth in the screening order, plaintiff has stated a potentially cognizable civil rights
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claim. Thus, the court stays this action for a period of 120 days to allow the parties to investigate
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plaintiff’s claims, meet and confer, and then participate in a settlement conference.
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There is a presumption that all post-screening prisoner civil rights cases assigned to the
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undersigned will proceed to settlement conference.1 However, if after investigating plaintiff’s
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claims and speaking with plaintiff, and after conferring with defense counsel’s supervisor,
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defense counsel in good faith finds that a settlement conference would be a waste of resources,
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defense counsel may move to opt out of this pilot project. A motion to opt out must be filed
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within sixty days of the date of this order.
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Once the settlement conference is scheduled, at least seven days prior to the conference,
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the parties shall submit to the settlement judge a confidential settlement conference statement.
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The parties’ confidential settlement conference statements shall include the following: (a) names
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and locations of the parties; (b) a short statement of the facts and alleged damages; (c) a short
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procedural history; (d) an analysis of the risk of liability, including a discussion of the efforts
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made to investigate the allegations; and (e) a discussion of the efforts that have been made to
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settle the case. Defendant shall e-mail the settlement conference statement to the settlement
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judge’s e-mail box for proposed orders, available on the court’s website. Plaintiff shall place his
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settlement conference statement in the U.S. mail addressed to the settlement conference judge,
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United States District Court, 501 I Street, Sacramento, CA 95814. Plaintiff shall mail his
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settlement conference statement so that it is received by the court at least seven days before the
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settlement conference. In addition, upon submission of confidential settlement statements, each
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party shall file a “Notice of Submission of Settlement Conference Statement.”
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In accordance with the above, IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that:
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1. This action is stayed for 120 days to allow the parties an opportunity to settle their
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dispute before the discovery process begins. Except as provided herein or by subsequent court
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order, no other pleadings or other documents may be filed in this case during the stay of this
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action. The parties shall not engage in formal discovery, but the parties may elect to engage in
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informal discovery.
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If the case does not settle, the court will set a date for the filing of a responsive pleading.
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2. Within sixty days from the date of this order, defendants shall file any motion to opt
out of the Post-screening ADR Project.
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3. At least seven days prior to the settlement conference, each party shall submit a
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confidential settlement conference statement, as described above, to the settlement judge.
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Defendant shall e-mail the settlement conference statement to the settlement judge’s proposed
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orders e-mail address. Plaintiff shall place his settlement conference statement in the U.S. mail
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addressed to the settlement judge, United States District Court, 501 I Street, Sacramento, CA
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95814. Plaintiff shall mail his settlement conference statement so that it is received by the court
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at least seven days before the settlement conference.
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4. If a settlement is reached at any point during the stay of this action, the parties shall file
a Notice of Settlement in accordance with Local Rule 160.
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5. The parties remain obligated to keep the court informed of their current addresses at all
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times during the stay and while the action is pending. Any change of address must be reported
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promptly to the court in a separate document captioned for this case and entitled “Notice of
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Change of Address.” See L.R. 182(f).
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Dated: May 8, 2022
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DB:14
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DB/DB Prisoner Inbox/Civil Rights/R/leon1644.adr.post.waiver.db
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