Dwyon Grant v. County of Riverside; Deputy McQueeney; and Doe Deputies 1–10

Summary

This document is a stipulated protective order entered in Dwyon Grant v. County of Riverside, Deputy McQueeney, and Doe Deputies 1–10. It governs the designation, handling, disclosure, challenge, filing, and final disposition of confidential discovery materials in the action, and was stipulated to by counsel and ordered by the United States District Court for the Central District of California on December 23, 2025.

Holdings

1. Good cause existed to enter the parties' stipulated protective order because discovery was likely to involve confidential, proprietary, private, and otherwise sensitive information.
2. Material properly designated as confidential may be used only for prosecuting, defending, or attempting to settle the action and may be disclosed only to persons authorized by the order.
3. A party or nonparty may challenge a confidentiality designation through the applicable meet-and-confer and local-rule process, and the designating party bears the burden of persuasion while the challenge is pending.
4. The protective order does not itself authorize filing confidential material under seal; a party must comply with Civil Local Rule 79-5 and obtain a court order authorizing the sealing of specific material.
5. After final disposition, and within 60 days of a written request by the designating party, receiving parties must return or destroy protected material and provide written certification, subject to the order's archival-copy exception.

Questions Presented

1. Whether good cause existed to enter a stipulated protective order governing the designation, use, disclosure, challenge, filing, retention, and disposition of confidential discovery materials.
2. What procedures and protections should govern confidential discovery materials in the action.

Disposition

other