Wheeler v. Aliceson

         Telephonic Trial Confirmation Hearing: May 11, 2017 at 10:00 a.m. in Courtroom 6 (MJS)

          TRIAL SCHEDULING ORDER

          MICHAEL J. SENG UNITED STATES MAGISTRATE JUDGE

         Plaintiff is a state prisoner proceeding pro se and in forma pauperis in this civil rights action brought pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 1983. The action proceeds on Plaintiff's second amended complaint against Defendants Garcia, Goss, Trevino, Isira, and Coffin for retaliation in violation the First Amendment to the United States Constitution; and against Defendant Isira for inadequate medical care in violation of the Eighth Amendment to the United States Constitution and state negligence law.

         The matter has been assigned to United States District Judge Lawrence J. O'Neill. To facilitate the efficient resolution of prisoner civil rights cases, Judge O'Neill requires that all such cases be set for trial on a date approximately three years from Defendants' first appearance. Accordingly, pursuant to Rule 16(b) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, the Court herein sets a schedule for trial of this matter.

         The Court is aware that motions remain pending in this case, including dispositive motions. The Court anticipates that such motions will be resolved within sufficient time to allow the matter to proceed to trial as scheduled, to the extent trial remains necessary after the resolution of dispositive motions. The parties are warned that a continuance of the trial date is unlikely, and will only be granted upon a showing of good cause and a determination that, despite the parties' best efforts, proceeding to trial as scheduled is impracticable.

         The parties are required to file pretrial statements in accordance with Local Rule 281 and the schedule set forth herein. In addition, Plaintiff must make a particularized showing to obtain the attendance of witnesses at trial. The procedures and requirements for doing so are outlined in detail below.

         Failure to comply with the provisions of this Order may result in the imposition of sanctions which could include dismissal of the action or entry of default.

         I. SPECIAL PROCEDURES FOR PLAINTIFF'S WITNESSES

         At the trial of this case, Plaintiff must be prepared to introduce evidence to prove each of the alleged facts that support claims made in the lawsuit. In general, there are two kinds of trial evidence: (1) exhibits and (2) testimony of witnesses. It is Plaintiff's responsibility to produce all of the evidence to prove his case, whether that evidence is in the form of exhibits or testimony from witnesses. If Plaintiff wants to call witnesses to testify, he must comply with the following procedures to ensure that the witnesses will appear at trial and be available to testify.^[1] Failure to comply with the procedures set forth below may result in the Court precluding testimony from Plaintiff's witnesses.

         A. Procedures for Obtaining Attendance of Incarcerated Witnesses Who Agree to Testify Voluntarily

         An incarcerated witness who agrees to come to court and testify at trial can only do so if the Court orders the warden or other custodian to allow him or her to be transported to court. The Court will not issue such an order unless it is satisfied that: (a) the prospective witness is willing to attend; and (b) he or she has actual knowledge of relevant facts.

         If Plaintiff wants to call such witnesses, Plaintiff must serve and file with the pretrial statement a written motion for a court order directing that the witnesses be brought to trial. The motion must: (1) state the name, address, and prison identification number of each such witness; and (2) include declarations showing that each witness is willing to testify and that each witness has actual knowledge of relevant facts. The motion should be entitled "Motion for Attendance of Incarcerated Witnesses."

         The willingness of the prospective witness to come and testify can be shown in one of two ways: (a) the Plaintiff can swear under penalty of perjury that the prospective witness has informed him that he or she is willing to testify voluntarily without being subpoenaed; if so, the declaration must state when and where the witness so advised the Plaintiff; or (b) Plaintiff can serve and file a declaration, signed under penalty of perjury by the prospective witness, in which the witness states he or she is willing to testify without being subpoenaed.

         The prospective witness's actual knowledge of relevant facts also can be shown in one of two ways: (a) if Plaintiff has actual firsthand knowledge that the prospective witness was an eyewitness or an ear-witness to the relevant facts (for example, if the incident occurred in Plaintiff's cell and Plaintiff saw that a cellmate was present at the time and observed the incident), Plaintiff can swear by declaration under penalty of perjury that the prospective witness has actual knowledge; or (b) Plaintiff can serve and file a declaration ...