Armstrong, et al v. Davis, et al
Filing
2451
[TENTATIVE] ORDER TO REVISE THE MODIFIED INJUNCTION (Docket No. 2180 ). Status Report due by 11/21/2014. Signed by Judge Claudia Wilken on 11/7/2014. (ndr, COURT STAFF) (Filed on 11/7/2014)
1
IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
2
FOR THE NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA
3
4
JOHN ARMSTRONG, et al.,
5
6
7
8
9
United States District Court
For the Northern District of California
10
No. C 94-2307 CW
Plaintiffs,
[TENTATIVE] ORDER
TO REVISE THE
MODIFIED
INJUNCTION
(Docket No. 2180)
v.
EDMUND G. BROWN, JR., et al.,
Defendants.
________________________________/
This tentative order revises Sections D.2. and D.3. of this
11
Court's Modified Injunction (Docket No. 2180).
12
pursuant to the Ninth Circuit's recent opinion in Armstrong v.
13
Brown, 2014 WL 4783091 (9th Cir.)
14
Circuit held that Sections D.2. and D.3. of this Court's Modified
15
Injunction delegated too much authority to the Court-appointed
16
expert witness to resolve disputes between Plaintiffs' counsel and
17
the State.
18
Court to revise those sections to be consistent with its opinion.
19
20
It is made
In that opinion, the Ninth
It then vacated those sections, and instructed this
BACKGROUND
Section D.2. provides the procedure to be used with regard to
21
disputed allegations of non-compliance.
22
part, "If the parties are unable to resolve the dispute
23
informally, Plaintiffs' counsel may request that the Court's
24
expert review and resolve the matter."
25
WL 3638675, at *11 (N.D. Cal.), aff'd in part, vacated in part,
26
remanded, by 2014 WL 4783091 (9th Cir.).
27
"Administrative decisions made by the Court's expert pursuant to
28
It provides, in relevant
Armstrong v. Brown, 2012
Furthermore, it states,
1
this section shall be final as between Plaintiffs and Defendants."
2
Id.
3
Section D.3. provides, in relevant part, that with regard to
4
incidents in dispute as presented in the parties' pleadings, the
5
Plaintiffs "shall attempt to resolve these disputes through
6
negotiation with Defendants.
7
may be referred to the Court's expert pursuant to paragraph D.2.,
8
above."
9
If negotiations fail, the disputes
Id.
The Ninth Circuit held that this delegation of authority to
United States District Court
For the Northern District of California
10
the Court's expert is "impermissible" as it extends "beyond the
11
scope of the duties that may be assigned to a Rule 706 expert."
12
Armstrong, 2014 WL 4783091, at * 10 ("While we have approved the
13
appointment of non-judicial officers to make recommendations and
14
resolve disputes ancillary to complex litigation, those
15
appointments specifically limited the expert to making
16
recommendations subject to review by the district court.").
17
18
19
Accordingly, the Court provides the following tentative
ruling:
In Section D.2., strike the following sentence:
20
"Administrative decisions made by the Court's expert pursuant to
21
this section shall be final as between Plaintiffs and Defendants"
22
and replace it as follows: "Administrative recommendations made by
23
the Court's expert pursuant to this section shall be reviewable by
24
this Court on a motion by any party dissatisfied with the expert's
25
decision."
26
D.2., there is no reason to alter its language.
Because Section D.3. derives its meaning from Section
27
28
2
CONCLUSION
1
Within fourteen days of the date of this order, the parties
2
3
shall meet and respond to this proposal with a joint statement or
4
separate statements.
5
6
IT IS SO ORDERED.
7
8
9
Dated:
November 7, 2014
CLAUDIA WILKEN
United States District Judge
United States District Court
For the Northern District of California
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
3
Disclaimer: Justia Dockets & Filings provides public litigation records from the federal appellate and district courts. These filings and docket sheets should not be considered findings of fact or liability, nor do they necessarily reflect the view of Justia.
Why Is My Information Online?