Scott Fleming et al v. The City Of New York , et al

Filing 287

ORDER terminating 273 Letter Motion for Extension of Time to Complete Discovery; terminating 274 Letter Motion for Extension of Time to Complete Discovery; granting 286 Letter Motion to Stay. This request is GRANTED. The Parties shall provide another update on September 27th. The Clerk of Court is respectfully requested to close Dkt. Nos. 273, 274, and 286. SO ORDERED. (Signed by Magistrate Judge Jennifer E. Willis on 8/29/2024) (tg)

THE CITY OF NEW YORK
MURIEL GOODE-TRUFANT
Acting Corporation Counsel

LAW DEPARTMENT
100 CHURCH STREET

This requestNEW
is GRANTED.
YORK, NY 10007 The Parties shall
update on September 27th.

MARY JANE ANDERSON
Assistant Corporation Counsel
Phone: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
provide another
Email: [e-mail]

The Clerk of the Court is respectfully requested to
close Dkt. Nos. 273, 274, and 286.
August 27, 2024
SO ORDERED.

VIA E.C.F.
Honorable Jennifer E. Willis
____________________
United States District Court
Jennifer E. Willis
Southern District of New York
United States Magistrate Judge
40 Foley Square
New York, New York 10007
August 29, 2024
RE: Patricia Scott Fleming, et al., v. City of New York, et al.,
18 Civ. 4866 (GBD) (JW)
Your Honor:

I am an Assistant Corporation Counsel in the Special Federal Litigation Division of the
New York City Law Department and one of the attorneys handling the defense of the above
referenced matter. Defendants write to respectfully request a brief stay of discovery in this matter
until September 27, 2024. This is the City Defendants’ first request for a stay of the case. All
parties consent to the instant request.
By way of relevant background, on June 1, 2018, plaintiff initiated this action. Discovery
has been ongoing since the beginning of 2021, (see ECF No. 175), and the parties are presently
engaged in extensive Monell discovery. This case was only reassigned to the undersigned last
week. Upon brief review of the case, we have determined that we require additional time to review
the file and familiarize ourselves with the case before we can proceed with discovery in this action.
Federal courts have inherent power and discretionary authority to stay a case if the interests
of justice so require. United States v. Kordel, 397 U.S. 1, 12 n. 27 (1970). A stay in this action
would streamline later discovery because it will afford us an appropriate amount of time to
familiarize ourselves with the case. A stay now will allow us to have productive conversations
about discovery deadlines after September 27, 2024, and will save the Court and the parties
additional time and resources. Additionally, the City Defendants’ lead attorney, Mark Zuckerman,
is on a pre-scheduled vacation for the next two weeks. Discovery is extensive and as such, we
require a brief stay and to set realistic discovery deadlines at the end of the stay.
Accordingly, the City Defendants respectfully request a stay of discovery in this action
until September 27, 2024.

The City Defendants thank the Court for its time and consideration herein.
Respectfully submitted,

Mary Jane Anderson

/s/ .

Mary Jane Anderson
Assistant Corporation Counsel
Special Federal Litigation Division
cc:

VIA E.C.F.
Counsel of Record

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