(PS) Holcomb v. Pfizer Inc. ( 2022 )

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT 9 EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA 10 11 DAVID L. HOLCOMB, SR., Case No. 1:20-cv-01008-DAD-BAM 12 Plaintiff, 13 v. INFORMATIONAL ORDER FOR PRO SE LITIGANTS 14 PFIZER INC.; and DOES 1-100, INCLUSIVE, et al., 15 Defendants. 16 17 18 INFORMATIONAL ORDER TO PRO SE LITIGANTS 19 Plaintiff David L. Holcomb, Sr., is proceeding pro se in this action. 20 In litigating this action, the parties must comply with the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure 21 (F.R.C.P.) and the Local Rules of the United States District Court, Eastern District of California 22 (Local Rules). This order highlights specific rules of which the parties should take particular note. 23 FAILURE TO COMPLY WITH THE LOCAL RULES, FEDERAL RULES OR A COURT 24 ORDER, INCLUDING THIS ORDER, WILL BE GROUNDS FOR DISMISSAL OR 25 OTHER APPROPRIATE SANCTIONS. See Local Rule 110; Fed. R. Civ. P. 41(b). 26 /// 27 /// 28 /// 1 1. Documents intended to be filed with the Court must be mailed to the Clerk of the 2 Court. See Local Rule 134(a). All documents improperly mailed to a judge’s chambers will 3 be stricken from the record. A document requesting a Court order must be styled as a motion. 4 See Fed. R. Civ. P. 7. 5 2. Each document submitted for filing must include the original signature of the 6 filing party or parties. Local Rule 131; Fed. R. Civ. P. 11(a). All documents submitted without 7 the required signature(s) will be stricken.1 Each separate document must be separately stapled. 8 See Local Rule 130. If a document is stapled behind another document, it will not be filed and 9 will not be entered on this Court’s docket. 10 3. All documents filed with the Court must be submitted with an additional legible 11 conformed copy for the Court’s use. See Local Rule 133(d)(2). A document submitted without 12 an extra copy for the Court’s use will be stricken. If the filing party wishes the Court to return 13 a file-stamped copy, he or she must include an additional copy for that purpose (i.e., submit an 14 original and two copies, one for the Court’s use and one to be returned). The Court cannot 15 provide copy or mailing service for a party, even for an indigent plaintiff proceeding in forma 16 pauperis. Therefore, if the filing party wishes a file-stamped copy returned, the party must also 17 provide an envelope with adequate postage pre-paid. Copies of documents from the Court file 18 may be obtained at the cost of 50 cents per page. 19 4. After any defendants have appeared in an action by filing a pleading responsive to 20 the complaint (i.e., an answer or a motion to dismiss), all documents filed with the Court must 21 include a certificate of service stating that a copy of the document was served on the opposing 22 party. See Fed. R. Civ. P. 5; Local Rule 135(c). A document submitted without the required 23 proof of service will be stricken. Where a party is represented, service on the party’s attorney of 24 record constitutes effective service. A sample of a proper proof of service is attached hereto. 25 5. All filings must bear the file number assigned to the action, followed by the initials 26 of the District Court Judge and the Magistrate Judge to whom the case is assigned. Where 27 Plaintiff simultaneously pursues more than one action, he or she must file separate original 28 1 When a document is stricken, it becomes a nullity and is not considered by the Court for any purposes. 1 documents and the appropriate number of copies in each action to which the document pertains. 2 Documents submitted listing more than one case number in the caption will be stricken. 3 6. The Court cannot serve as a repository for the parties’ evidence. The parties may 4 not file evidence with the Court until the course of litigation brings the evidence into question (for 5 example, on a motion for summary judgment, at trial, or when requested by the Court). Evidence 6 improperly submitted to the Court will be stricken and returned to the party. 7 7. All Court deadlines will be strictly enforced. Requests for time extensions must 8 state the reason the extension is needed and must be filed with the Court before the deadline in 9 question. See Local Rule 144. 10 8. A plaintiff proceeding in propria persona has an affirmative duty to keep the Court 11 and opposing parties informed of his or her current address. If a plaintiff moves and fails to file a 12 notice of change of address, service of Court orders at plaintiff’s prior address shall constitute 13 effective notice. See Local Rule 182(f). If mail directed to plaintiff is returned by the U.S. Postal 14 Service as undeliverable, the Court will not attempt to re-mail it. If the address is not updated 15 within 63 days of the mail being returned, the action will be dismissed for failure to 16 prosecute. See Local Rule 183(b). 17 9. Due to the press of business, the Court cannot respond to individual requests for 18 the status of cases. Any such requests will be denied. So long as the parties inform the Court of 19 any address changes in compliance with Local Rule 183(b), the Court will notify the parties of 20 any Court action taken in their case. 21 10. Defendants must reply to the complaint within the time provided by the applicable 22 provisions of Fed. R. Civ. P. 12(a). 23 11. Unless otherwise ordered, all motions to dismiss, motions for summary judgment, 24 motions concerning discovery, motions pursuant to Fed. R. Civ. P. 7, 11, 12, 15, 41, 55, 56, 59 25 and 60, and motions pursuant to Local Rule 110 shall be briefed pursuant to Local Rule 230. 26 Failure to oppose such a motion timely may be deemed a waiver of opposition to the motion. 27 12. At some point in the litigation, one or more defendants may move for summary 28 judgment as to some or all of plaintiff’s claims. Pursuant to Klingele v. Eikenberry, 849 F.2d 409 1 (9th Cir. 1988), plaintiff is advised of the following requirements for opposing a motion for 2 summary judgment made by defendants pursuant to Fed. R. Civ. P. 56. Such a motion is a 3 request for an order for judgment on some or all of plaintiff’s claims in favor of defendants 4 without trial. See Fed. R. Civ. P. 56(a). Defendant(s)’ motion will set forth the facts which 5 defendants contend are not reasonably subject to dispute and that entitle defendant to judgment as 6 a matter of law. See Fed. R. Civ. P. 56(c). 7 Plaintiff has the right to oppose a motion for summary judgment. To oppose the motion, 8 plaintiff must show proof of his or her claims. Plaintiff may agree with the facts set forth in 9 defendant(s)’ motion but argue that defendant(s) are not entitled to judgment as a matter of law. 10 Plaintiff may show defendant(s)’ facts are disputed in one or more of the following ways: (1) 11 plaintiff may rely upon statements made under the penalty of perjury in the complaint if the 12 complaint shows that plaintiff has personal knowledge of the matters stated and if plaintiff calls to 13 the court's attention those parts of the complaint upon which plaintiff relies; (2) plaintiff may also 14 serve and file affidavits or declarations2 setting forth the facts which plaintiff believes prove 15 plaintiff's claims (the persons who sign the affidavit or declaration must have personal knowledge 16 of the facts stated); (3) plaintiff may also rely upon written records but plaintiff must prove that 17 the records are what plaintiff claims they are:3 (4) plaintiff may also rely upon all or any part of 18 the transcript of one or more depositions, answers to interrogatories, or admissions obtained in 19 this proceeding. Should plaintiff fail to contradict defendants’ motion with affidavits, 20 declarations, or other evidence, defendants’ evidence will be taken as truth, and final judgment 21 may be entered without a full trial. See Fed. R. Civ. P. 56(e). 22 If there is some good reason why such facts are not available to plaintiff when required to 23 oppose such a motion, the Court will consider a request to postpone considering defendant(s)’ 24 2 An affidavit is a written declaration or statement of facts, made voluntarily, and confirmed by the oath or affirmation 25 of the party making it, taken before an officer having authority to administer such oath. An unsworn declaration has the same effect as an affidavit, provided that it is dated and signed under penalty of perjury, as follows: “I declare under 26 penalty of perjury that the foregoing is true and correct.” 28 U.S.C. § 1746. Affidavits and declarations must be made on personal knowledge and must set forth facts as would be admissible in evidence. See Fed. R. Civ. P. 56(c). 27 3 Sworn or certified copies of all papers referred to in an affidavit must be attached to the affidavit and served on 28 the opposing party. Fed. R. Civ. P. 56(c). 1 motion. See Fed. R. Civ. P. 56(d). If plaintiff does not serve and file a request to postpone 2 consideration of defendant(s)’ motion or written opposition to the motion, the court may consider 3 plaintiff’s failure to act as a waiver of opposition to defendant(s)’ motion. Plaintiff’s waiver of 4 opposition to defendant(s)’ motion may result in the entry of summary judgment against plaintiff. 5 13. A motion supported by affidavits or declarations that are unsigned will be stricken. 6 14. The failure of any party to comply with this order, the Federal Rules of Civil 7 Procedure, or the Local Rules of Court, may result in the imposition of sanctions including, but 8 not limited to, dismissal of the action or entry of default. 9 IT IS SO ORDERED. 10 11 Dated: March 24, 2022 /s/ Barbara A. McAuliffe _ UNITED STATES MAGISTRATE JUDGE 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28