Millard Wayne Bakers, Jr. v. R. Shahbazian

Summary

This document is a Case Management Scheduling Order issued in Baker v. Shahbazian by the United States District Court for the Eastern District of California. It establishes limits and procedures for written discovery and depositions and sets deadlines for exhaustion challenges, non-expert discovery, settlement reporting, and dispositive motions. The order is dated August 18, 2025, and was issued by Magistrate Judge Helena M. Barch-Kuchta.

Holdings

1. Absent leave of court, each party is limited to 15 interrogatories, 15 requests for admission, and 15 requests for production, and responses to written discovery are due within 45 days after service.
2. The parties must meet and confer in good faith before filing a discovery motion, and a motion to compel must be filed promptly and no later than 14 days before the nonexpert discovery deadline; failure to timely move to compel waives objections to discovery.
3. Defendants may depose the plaintiff or another witness confined in prison under Rule 30(a)(2)(B) if they provide at least 14 days' notice, and depositions may be conducted by videoconference under Rule 30(b)(4).
4. The deadlines for challenging exhaustion, completing nonexpert discovery, reporting on settlement potential, and filing pretrial dispositive motions are November 18, 2025; May 18, 2026; June 18, 2026; and August 18, 2026, respectively.

Questions Presented

1. What discovery limits, response deadlines, and procedures should govern the action?
2. What deadlines should govern exhaustion-based motions, completion of nonexpert discovery, settlement reporting, and dispositive motions?
3. What procedures apply to depositions of incarcerated parties or witnesses and to motions to compel?

Disposition

other