Standard Procedures

=== Standard Procedures === UNITED STATES MAGISTRATE JUDGE ERICA P. GROSJEAN (EPG) United States District Court – Eastern District of California 2500 Tulare Street, Courtroom 10, 6th Floor Fresno, California 93721 Felicia Navarro, Courtroom Deputy Office: (559) 499-5962 e-mail: [email protected] To connect to the Court’s telephonic conference, the parties shall (1) dial 1-669-254- 5252, (2) enter 161 733 0675 for the meeting ID followed by #, (3) enter # when asked for the participant ID, (4) enter 740484 for the meeting passcode followed by #, and (5) enter *6 to unmute. Proposed Orders: [email protected] Standard Procedures for U.S. Magistrate Judge Erica P. Grosjean 1. Civil Law and Motion Calendar a. Hearings on motions are to be noticed for Fridays at 10:00 am in Courtroom 10. b. Parties do not need to clear a motion hearing date. Parties should list their proposed hearing date on their moving papers in accordance with the Local Rules.

If the date conflicts with the Court’s calendar, the Court will reschedule the matter and issue a minute order with a new date. If the parties do not hear from the Court, they should plan to attend the hearing on the date listed in their motion papers. c. If the Court determines that a motion is suitable for decision without oral argument, it will vacate the hearing date and address the motion on the briefs. See Local Rule 230(g). d. Length of Motion Papers - the parties are advised that unless prior leave of Court is obtained before the filing deadline, all moving and opposition briefs or legal memoranda filed in civil cases before Magistrate Judge Grosjean shall not exceed twenty-five (25) pages. Reply briefs by the moving party shall not exceed ten (10) pages.

These page limits do not include exhibits. Parties may seek leave for additional pages through a telephonic conference with all parties, or by brief motion. e. Judge Grosjean does NOT issue tentative rulings. 2. Informal Discovery conferences a. In order to file a motion involving a discovery dispute, see Fed. R. Civ. P. 26 through 37 and 45, a party must receive permission from the Court following an informal telephonic discovery dispute conference.

The Court construes “discovery dispute” broadly, which includes, but is not limited to, disputes regarding written discovery, oral depositions, physical and mental examinations, and protective orders. However, non-parties challenging a subpoena under Fed. R. Civ. P. 45 are not required to request an informal conference before filing a motion. Any party wishing to schedule such a conference should contact Courtroom Deputy Felicia Navarro at [email protected], with all parties to the dispute copied, advising the Court of the parties’ available dates and times within a one-week period. The Court will set a telephonic conference as soon as possible, taking into consideration the urgency of the issue, and on a date and time convenient for the involved parties and the Court.

To connect to the telephonic conference, the parties shall (1) dial 1-669-254-5252, (2) enter 161 733 0675 for the meeting ID followed by #, (3) enter # when asked for the participant ID, (4) enter 740484 for the meeting passcode followed by #, and (5) enter *6 to unmute. b. Prior to the conference, the parties shall simultaneously file an “Informal Discovery Dispute Letter Brief,” outlining their positions regarding the dispute. Such letters shall be no longer than three (3) pages single-spaced, and may include up to five (5) pages of exhibits. The Court will provide the date and time the Letter Briefs are due at the time the conference is scheduled. c. The Court will not issue a formal ruling at that time. Nevertheless, the Court will attempt to provide guidance to the parties to narrow or dispose of the dispute.

If no resolution can be reached without formal motion practice, the Court will authorize filing of a formal discovery motion. d. Formal discovery motions shall comply with Local Rule 251. 3. Telephonic Appearances a. Unless otherwise directed, the parties are permitted to appear telephonically. To connect to the telephonic conference, the parties shall (1) dial 1-669-254-5252, (2) enter 161 733 0675 for the meeting ID followed by #, (3) enter # when asked for the participant ID, (4) enter 740484 for the meeting passcode followed by #, and (5) enter *6 to unmute. b. Alternatively, the parties and counsel may appear in person.

If one or more parties wish to appear in person, they shall email Courtroom Deputy Felicia Navarro at [email protected] at least 24 hours before the proceeding so that a notation can be placed on the Court’s calendar. 4. Adherence to Scheduling Order in Civil Cases a. The dates set forth in Scheduling Orders issued by the Court are considered to be firm and will not be modified absent a showing of good cause, even if the parties file a stipulation to modify the schedule. Stipulations extending the deadlines contained in the Scheduling Order will not be considered unless they are accompanied by affidavits or declarations with attached exhibits, where appropriate, which establish good cause for granting the requested relief. b. Due to the impacted nature of the civil case docket, this Court disfavors requests to modify established dates.