Jones v. City of Vallejo

Summary

This document is a pretrial scheduling order and order dismissing Doe defendants in a civil-rights action arising from a nonfatal officer-involved shooting. The court establishes discovery, motion, settlement, pretrial, and trial deadlines, and dismisses the Doe defendants while permitting a motion to amend if additional defendants are later identified. The case is assigned for trial before United States Magistrate Judge Chi Soo Kim.

Holdings

1. The Doe defendants were dismissed from the action because the inclusion of Doe defendants is generally disfavored in the Ninth Circuit and the parties did not anticipate immediate joinder of additional parties.
2. No further service, joinder of parties, or amendment of pleadings is permitted without leave of court and a showing of good cause.
3. The scheduling order may be modified only by leave of court upon a showing of good cause; party agreement, witness or counsel unavailability absent extraordinary circumstances, and general assertions that modification will promote settlement do not independently establish good cause.
4. Federal-question jurisdiction was proper, and venue was proper and undisputed.

Questions Presented

1. Whether the Doe defendants should remain parties when all identified defendants had been served and no additional joinder was then anticipated.
2. What requirements govern amendment of the pleadings, joinder of additional parties, and modification of the scheduling order.
3. Whether federal-question jurisdiction and venue were proper.

Disposition

other