Ruben Rivas Flores v. Jason Gonzalez, et al.

Summary

This document is a tentative pretrial order issued by the United States District Court for the Eastern District of California in Ruben Rivas Flores v. Jason Gonzalez, et al., No. 1:24-cv-00229-KES-CDB. It addresses the parties’ disputed and undisputed facts, anticipated motions in limine, requested relief, and legal issues concerning alleged unreasonable seizure and excessive force under the Fourth Amendment and 42 U.S.C. § 1983. The order sets deadlines for pretrial filings and identifies a jury trial scheduled for June 16, 2026.

Holdings

1. If no objections are filed, the tentative pretrial order becomes final and controls the subsequent course of the action; once final, it may be modified only to prevent manifest injustice.
2. A motion in limine precluding evidence will be granted only when the moving party establishes that the evidence clearly is not admissible for any valid purpose, and the parties must meet and confer before filing such motions.
3. Causes of action and affirmative defenses not explicitly asserted in the points of law when the pretrial order becomes final are dismissed and deemed waived.
4. The trial will be bifurcated concerning the amount of punitive damages if the jury first finds punitive-damages liability; evidence and argument concerning the amount may not be presented during the liability phase.

Questions Presented

1. What issues and defenses remain for trial concerning alleged unreasonable seizure and excessive force under the Fourth Amendment?
2. What elements, burdens of proof, and legal standards govern the § 1983 seizure and excessive-force claims?
3. What standard governs defendants' qualified-immunity defense?
4. What pretrial deadlines and evidentiary procedures govern motions in limine, witnesses, exhibits, discovery materials, jury instructions, and trial?
5. Whether the trial should be bifurcated as to punitive-damages amount.

Disposition

other