Cauthen Lewis v. City of Los Angeles

• Court: District Court, C.D. California
• Decided: December 14, 2022
• Docket: 2:21-cv-10014
• Status: Unknown

Opinion

Case 2:21-cv-10014-DMG-MAA Document 45 Filed 12/14/22 Page 1 of 14 Page ID #:199

8 UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

9 CENTRAL DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

11 CAUTHEN LEWIS, CASE NO. CV21-10014-DMG-MAAx

12 Hon. Dolly M. Gee – Ctrm. 8C, 8th Fl. (First St.) Hon. Mag. Maria A. Audero – Ctrm. 690, 6th Fl. 13

Plaintiff, (Roybal) v. [PROPOSED] PROTECTIVE ORDER 14

15 CITY OF LOS ANGELES, et al.,

17 Defendants. 18

19 20 1. PURPOSES AND LIMITATIONS 21 Discovery in this action is likely to involve production of confidential, proprietary, 22 or private information for which special protection from public disclosure and from use 23 for any purpose other than prosecuting this litigation may be warranted. Accordingly, the 24 parties hereby stipulate to and petition the Court to enter the following Stipulated 25 Protective Order. The parties acknowledge that this Order does not confer blanket 26 protections on all disclosures or responses to discovery and that the protection it affords 27 from public disclosure and use extends only to the limited information or items that are 28 entitled to confidential treatment under the applicable legal principles. The parties further

1 Case 2:21-cv-10014-DMG-MAA Document 45 Filed 12/14/22 Page 2 of 14 Page ID #:200

1 acknowledge, as set forth in Section 12.3, below, that this Stipulated Protective Order does 2 not entitle them to file confidential information under seal; Civil Local Rule 79-5 sets forth 3 the procedures that must be followed and the standards that will be applied when a party 4 seeks permission from the court to file material under seal. 5 6 2. GOOD CAUSE STATEMENT 7 This action is likely to involve confidential information. Plaintiff is seeking 8 information that Defendant City of Los Angeles maintains as confidential, such as 9 personnel files of the police officers involved in this incident, internal affairs materials 10 and information, and other administrative material currently in the possession of the City. 11 Plaintiff is also seeking official information contained in the personnel files of the 12 involved police officers, which the City maintains as strictly confidential. The City 13 believes these documents need special protection from public disclosure and from use 14 for any purpose other than prosecuting this litigation. These materials have not been 15 publically released. 16 The City asserts that the confidentiality of the materials and information sought 17 by Plaintiff is recognized by California and federal law, as evidenced by Cal. Pen. Code 18 Sec. 832.7 and Kerr v. United States Dist. Ct. for N.D. Cal., 511 F.2d 192, 198 (9th Cir. 19 1975), aff’d 426 U.S. 394 (1976). Unfettered disclosure of the confidential information 20 contained in these files, absent a protective order, would allow the media to share this 21 information with potential jurors in the area, impacting the rights of the City to receive a 22 fair trial. 23 Accordingly, to expedite the flow of information, to facilitate the prompt 24 resolution of disputes over confidentiality of discovery materials, to adequately protect 25 information the parties are entitled to keep confidential, to ensure that the parties are 26 permitted reasonable necessary uses of such material in preparation for and in the conduct 27 of trial, to address their handling at the end of the litigation, and serve the ends of justice, 28 a protective order for such information is justified in this matter. It is the intent of the

2 Case 2:21-cv-10014-DMG-MAA Document 45 Filed 12/14/22 Page 3 of 14 Page ID #:201

1 parties that information will not be designated as confidential for tactical reasons and that 2 nothing be so designated without a good faith belief that it has been maintained in a 3 confidential, non-public manner, and there is good cause why it should not be part of the 4 public record of this case 5 6 3. DEFINITIONS 7 3.1 Action: this pending federal lawsuit. 8 3.2 Challenging Party: A Party or Nonparty that challenges the designation of 9 information or items under this Stipulated Protective Order. 10 3.3 “CONFIDENTIAL” Information or Items: information (regardless of how 11 it is generated, stored or maintained) or tangible things that qualify for protection under 12 Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 26(c), and as specified above in the Good Cause 13 Statement. 14 3.4 Counsel: Outside Counsel of Record and In-House Counsel (as well as their 15 support staff). 16 3.5 Designating Party: Party or Nonparty that designates information or items 17 that it produces in disclosures or in responses to discovery as “CONFIDENTIAL.” 18 3.6 Disclosure or Discovery Material: All items or information, regardless of 19 the medium or manner in which it is generated, stored, or maintained (including, among 20 other things, testimony, transcripts, and tangible things), that is produced or generated in 21 disclosures or responses to discovery in this matter. 22 3.7 Expert: a person with specialized knowledge or experience in a matter 23 pertinent to the litigation who has been retained by a Party or its counsel to serve as an 24 expert witness or as a consultant in this Action. 25 3.8 In-House Counsel: attorneys who are employees of a party to this Action. 26 House Counsel does not include Outside Counsel of Record or any other outside counsel. 27 3.9 Nonparty: any natural person, partnership, corporation, association, or other 28 legal entity not named as a Party to this action.

3 Case 2:21-cv-10014-DMG-MAA Document 45 Filed 12/14/22 Page 4 of 14 Page ID #:202

1 3.10 Outside Counsel of Record: Attorneys who are not employees of a party 2 to this Action but are retained to represent or advise a party to this Action and have 3 appeared in this Action on behalf of that party or are affiliated with a law firm which has 4 appeared on behalf of that party, and includes support staff. 5 3.11 Party: Any party to this Action, including all of its officers, directors, 6 employees, consultants, retained experts, In-House Counsel, and Outside Counsel of 7 Record (and their support staffs). 8 3.12 Producing Party: A Party or Nonparty that produces Disclosure or 9 Discovery Material in this Action. 10 3.13 Professional Vendors: Persons or entities that provide litigation support 11 services (e.g., photocopying, videotaping, translating, preparing exhibits or 12 demonstrations, and organizing, storing, or retrieving data in any form or medium) and 13 their employees and subcontractors. 14 3.14 Protected Material: Any Disclosure or Discovery Material that is 15 designated as “CONFIDENTIAL.” 16 3.15 Receiving Party: A Party that receives Disclosure or Discovery Material 17 from a Producing Party. 18 4. SCOPE 19 The protections conferred by this Stipulation and Order cover not only 20 Protected Material, but also (1) any information copied or extracted from Protected 21 Material; (2) all copies, excerpts, summaries, or compilations of Protected Material; and 22 (3) any testimony, conversations, or presentations by Parties or their Counsel that might 23 reveal Protected Material. 24 Any use of Protected Material at trial shall be governed by the orders of the trial 25 judge. This Stipulated Protective Order does not govern the use of Protected Material at 26 trial. 27 / / / 28 / / /

4 Case 2:21-cv-10014-DMG-MAA Document 45 Filed 12/14/22 Page 5 of 14 Page ID #:203

1 5. DURATION 2 Even after final disposition of this litigation, the confidentiality obligations 3 imposed by this Order shall remain in effect until a Designating Party agrees otherwise 4 in writing or a court order otherwise directs. Final disposition shall be deemed to be the 5 later of (1) dismissal of all claims and defenses in this Action, with or without prejudice; 6 and (2) final judgment herein after the completion and exhaustion of all appeals, 7 rehearings, remands, trials, or reviews of this Action, including the time limits for filing 8 any motions or applications for extension of time pursuant to applicable law 9 6. DESIGNATING PROTECTED MATERIAL 10 6.1 Exercise of Restraint and Care in Designating Material for Protection. 11 Each Party or Non-Party that designates information or items for protection 12 under this Order must take care to limit any such designation to specific material that 13 qualifies under the appropriate standards. The Designating Party must designate for 14 protection only those parts of material, documents, items, or oral or written 15 communications that qualify so that other portions of the material, documents, items, or 16 communications for which protection is not warranted are not swept unjustifiably within 17 the ambit of this Order. 18 Mass, indiscriminate, or routinized designations are prohibited. Designations 19 that are shown to be clearly unjustified or that have been made for an improper purpose 20 (e.g., to unnecessarily encumber the case development process or to impose unnecessary 21 expenses and burdens on other parties) may expose the Designating Party to sanctions. 22 If it comes to a Designating Party’s attention that information or items that it 23 designated for protection do not qualify for protection, that Designating Party must 24 promptly notify all other Parties that it is withdrawing the inapplicable designation. 25 6.2 Manner and Timing of Designations. 26 Except as otherwise provided in this Order (see, e.g., second paragraph of 27 section 5.2(a) below), or as otherwise stipulated or ordered, Disclosure or Discovery 28

5 Case 2:21-cv-10014-DMG-MAA Document 45 Filed 12/14/22 Page 6 of 14 Page ID #:204

1 Material that qualifies for protection under this Order must be clearly so designated 2 before the material is disclosed or produced. 3 Designation in conformity with this Stipulated Protective Order requires the 4 following: 5 (a) for information in documentary form (e.g., paper or electronic 6 documents, but excluding transcripts of depositions or other pretrial or trial proceedings), 7 that the Producing Party affix at a minimum, the legend “CONFIDENTIAL” (hereinafter 8 “CONFIDENTIAL legend”), to each page that contains protected material. If only a 9 portion or portions of the material on a page qualifies for protection, the Producing Party 10 also must clearly identify the protected portion(s) (e.g., by making appropriate markings 11 in the margins). 12 A Party or Non-Party that makes original documents available for inspection 13 need not designate them for protection until after the inspecting Party has indicated which 14 documents it would like copied and produced. During the inspection and before the 15 designation, all of the material made available for inspection shall be deemed 16 “CONFIDENTIAL.” After the inspecting Party has identified the documents it wants 17 copied and produced, the Producing Party must determine which documents, or portions 18 thereof, qualify for protection under this Order. Then, before producing the specified 19 documents, the Producing Party must affix the “CONFIDENTIAL legend” to each page 20 that contains Protected Material. If only a portion or portions of the material on a page 21 qualifies for protection, the Producing Party also must clearly identify the protected 22 portion(s) (e.g., by making appropriate markings in the margins). 23 (b) for testimony given in depositions that the Designating Party identify the 24 Disclosure or Discovery Material on the record, before the close of the deposition all 25 protected testimony. 26 (c) For information produced in nondocumentary, and for any other tangible 27 items, that the Producing Party affix in a prominent place on the exterior of the container 28 or containers in which the information is stored the legend “CONFIDENTIAL.” If only

6 Case 2:21-cv-10014-DMG-MAA Document 45 Filed 12/14/22 Page 7 of 14 Page ID #:205

1 a portion or portions of the information warrants protection, the Producing Party, to the 2 extent practicable, shall identify the protected portion(s). 3 6.3 Inadvertent Failures to Designate. 4 If timely corrected, an inadvertent failure to designate qualified information or 5 items does not, standing alone, waive the Designating Party’s right to secure protection 6 under this Stipulated Protective Order for such material. Upon timely correction of a 7 designation, the Receiving Party must make reasonable efforts to assure that the material 8 is treated in accordance with the provisions of this Stipulated Protective Order. 9 7. CHALLENGING CONFIDENTIALITY DESIGNATIONS 10 7.1 Timing of Challenges. 11 Any Party or Non-Party may challenge a designation of confidentiality at any 12 time that is consistent with the Court’s Scheduling Order. 13 7.2 Meet and Confer. 14 The Challenging Party shall initiate the dispute resolution process under Local 15 Rule 37.1 et seq., and with Section 4 of Judge Audero’s Procedures (“Mandatory 16 Telephonic Conference for Discovery Disputes”).1 17 7.3 Burden of Persuasion. 18 The burden of persuasion in any such challenge proceeding shall be on the 19 Designating Party. Frivolous challenges, and those made for an improper purpose (e.g., 20 to harass or impose unnecessary expenses and burdens on other parties) may expose the 21 Challenging Party to sanctions. Unless the Designating Party has waived or withdrawn 22 the confidentiality designation, all parties shall continue to afford the material in question 23 the level of protection to which it is entitled under the Producing Party’s designation until 24 the Court rules on the challenge. 25 / / / 26 / / / 27 28 1 Judge Audero’s Procedures are available at https://www.cacd.uscourts.gov/honorable-maria-audero

7 Case 2:21-cv-10014-DMG-MAA Document 45 Filed 12/14/22 Page 8 of 14 Page ID #:206

1 8. ACCESS TO AND USE OF PROTECTED MATERIAL 2 8.1 Basic Principles. 3 A Receiving Party may use Protected Material that is disclosed or produced by 4 another Party or by a Nonparty in connection with this Action only for prosecuting, 5 defending, or attempting to settle this Action. Such Protected Material may be disclosed 6 only to the categories of persons and under the conditions described in this Stipulated 7 Protective Order. When the Action reaches a final disposition, a Receiving Party must 8 comply with the provisions of Section 14 below. 9 Protected Material must be stored and maintained by a Receiving Party at a 10 location and in a secure manner that ensures that access is limited to the persons 11 authorized under this Stipulated Protective Order. 12 8.2 Disclosure of “CONFIDENTIAL” Information or Items. 13 Unless otherwise ordered by the Court or permitted in writing by the 14 Designating Party, a Receiving Party may disclose any information or item designated 15 “CONFIDENTIAL” only to: 16 (a) the Receiving Party’s Outside Counsel of Record, as well as employees of 17 said Outside Counsel of Record to whom it is reasonably necessary to disclose the 18 information for this Action; 19 (b) the officers, directors, and employees (including House Counsel) of the 20 Receiving Party to whom disclosure is reasonably necessary for this Action; 21 (c) Experts (as defined in this Order) of the Receiving Party to whom disclosure 22 is reasonably necessary for this Action and who have signed the “Acknowledgment and 23 Agreement to Be Bound” (Exhibit A); 24 (d) the Court and its personnel; 25 (e) Court reporters and their staff; 26 (f) professional jury or trial consultants, mock jurors, and Professional Vendors 27 to whom disclosure is reasonably necessary for this Action and who have signed the 28 “Acknowledgment and Agreement to Be Bound” (Exhibit A);

8 Case 2:21-cv-10014-DMG-MAA Document 45 Filed 12/14/22 Page 9 of 14 Page ID #:207

1 (g) The author or recipient of a document containing the information or a 2 custodian or other person who otherwise possessed or knew the information; 3 (h) During their depositions, witnesses, and attorneys for witnesses, in the 4 Action to whom disclosure is reasonably necessary provided: (i) the deposing party 5 requests that the witness sign the “Acknowledgment and Agreement to Be Bound” 6 (Exhibit A); and (ii) the witness will not be permitted to keep any confidential 7 information unless they sign the “Acknowledgment and Agreement to Be Bound,” unless 8 otherwise agreed by the Designating Party or ordered by the Court. Pages of transcribed 9 deposition testimony or exhibits to depositions that reveal Protected Material may be 10 separately bound by the court reporter and may not be disclosed to anyone except as 11 permitted under this Stipulated Protective Order; and 12 (i) any mediator or settlement officer, and their supporting personnel, mutually 13 agreed upon by any of the parties engaged in settlement discussions. 14 9. PROTECTED MATERIAL SUBPOENAED OR ORDERED PRODUCED IN 15 OTHER LITIGATION 16 If a Party is served with a subpoena or a court order issued in other litigation 17 that compels disclosure of any information or items designated in this Action as 18 “CONFIDENTIAL,” that Party must: 19 (a) Promptly notify in writing the Designating Party. Such notification shall 20 include a copy of the subpoena or court order; 21 (b) Promptly notify in writing the party who caused the subpoena or order to 22 issue in the other litigation that some or all of the material covered by the subpoena or 23 order is subject to this Protective Order. Such notification shall include a copy of this 24 Stipulated Protective Order; and 25 (c) Cooperate with respect to all reasonable procedures sought to be pursued 26 by the Designating Party whose Protected Material may be affected. 27 If the Designating Party timely seeks a protective order, the Party served with 28 the subpoena or court order shall not produce any information designated in this action

9 Case 2:21-cv-10014-DMG-MAA Document 45 Filed 12/14/22 Page 10 of 14 Page ID #:208

1 as “CONFIDENTIAL” before a determination by the Court from which the subpoena or 2 order issued, unless the Party has obtained the Designating Party’s permission. The 3 Designating Party shall bear the burden and expense of seeking protection in that court 4 of its confidential material and nothing in these provisions should be construed as 5 authorizing or encouraging a Receiving Party in this Action to disobey a lawful directive 6 from another court. 7 10. A NONPARTY’S PROTECTED MATERIAL SOUGHT TO BE 8 PRODUCED IN THIS LITIGATION 10.1. Application. 9 The terms of this Stipulated Protective Order are applicable to information 10 produced by a Nonparty in this Action and designated as “CONFIDENTIAL.” Such 11 information produced by Nonparties in connection with this litigation is protected by the 12 remedies and relief provided by this Stipulated Protective Order. Nothing in these 13 provisions should be construed as prohibiting a Nonparty from seeking additional 14 protections. 15

16 10.2. Notification. 17 In the event that a Party is required, by a valid discovery request, to produce a 18 Nonparty’s confidential information in its possession, and the Party is subject to an 19 agreement with the Nonparty not to produce the Nonparty’s confidential information, 20 then the Party shall: 21 (a) Promptly notify in writing the Requesting Party and the Nonparty that 22 some or all of the information requested is subject to a confidentiality agreement with a 23 Nonparty; 24 (b) Promptly provide the Nonparty with a copy of the Stipulated 25 Protective Order in this Action, the relevant discovery request(s), and a reasonably 26 specific description of the information requested; and 27 (c) Make the information requested available for inspection by the 28 Nonparty, if requested.

10 Case 2:21-cv-10014-DMG-MAA Document 45 Filed 12/14/22 Page 11 of 14 Page ID #:209 10.3. Conditions of Production. 1 If the Nonparty fails to seek a protective order from this Court within fourteen 2 (14) days after receiving the notice and accompanying information, the Receiving Party 3 may produce the Nonparty’s confidential information responsive to the discovery 4 request. If the Nonparty timely seeks a protective order, the Receiving Party shall not 5 produce any information in its possession or control that is subject to the confidentiality 6 agreement with the Nonparty before a determination by the Court. Absent a court order 7 to the contrary, the Nonparty shall bear the burden and expense of seeking protection in 8 this Court of its Protected Material. 9 11. UNAUTHORIZED DISCLOSURE OF PROTECTED MATERIAL 10 If a Receiving Party learns that, by inadvertence or otherwise, it has disclosed 11 Protected Material to any person or in any circumstance not authorized under this 12 Stipulated Protective Order, the Receiving Party immediately must (1) notify in writing 13 the Designating Party of the unauthorized disclosures, (2) use its best efforts to retrieve 14 all unauthorized copies of the Protected Material, (3) inform the person or persons to 15 whom unauthorized disclosures were made of all the terms of this Stipulated Protective 16 Order, and (4) request such person or persons to execute the “Acknowledgment and 17 Agreement to be Bound” (Exhibit A). 18 12. INADVERTENT PRODUCTION OF PRIVILEGED OR OTHERWISE 19 PROTECTED MATERIAL 20 When a Producing Party gives notice to Receiving Parties that certain 21 inadvertently produced material is subject to a claim of privilege or other protection, the 22 obligations of the Receiving Parties are those set forth in Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 23 26(b)(5)(B). This provision is not intended to modify whatever procedure may be 24 established in an e-discovery order that provides for production without prior privilege 25 review. Pursuant to Federal Rule of Evidence 502(d) and (e), insofar as the parties reach 26 an agreement on the effect of disclosure of a communication or information covered by 27 the attorney-client privilege or work product protection, the parties may incorporate their 28 agreement in the Stipulated Protective Order submitted to the Court.

11 Case 2:21-cv-10014-DMG-MAA Document 45 Filed 12/14/22 Page 12 of 14 Page ID #:210

1 13. MISCELLANEOUS 2 13.1 Right to Further Relief. 3 Nothing in this Stipulated Protective Order abridges the right of any person to 4 seek its modification by the Court in the future. 5 13.2 Right to Assert Other Objections. 6 By stipulating to the entry of this Protective Order no Party waives any right it 7 otherwise would have to object to disclosing or producing any information or item on 8 any ground not addressed in this Stipulated Protective Order. Similarly, no Party waives 9 any right to object on any ground to use in evidence of any of the material covered by 10 this Protective Order. 11 13.3 Filing Protected Material. 12 Party that seeks to file under seal any Protected Material must comply with 13 Local Rule 79-5. Protected Material may only be filed under seal pursuant to a court 14 order authorizing the sealing of the specific Protected Material at issue. If a Party's 15 request to file Protected Material under seal is denied by the Court, then the Receiving 16 Party may file the information in the public record unless otherwise instructed by the 17 Court. 18 14. FINAL DISPOSITION 19 After the final disposition of this Action, within sixty (60) days of a written 20 request by the Designating Party, each Receiving Party must return all Protected Material 21 to the Producing Party or destroy such material. As used in this subdivision, “all 22 Protected Material” includes all copies, abstracts, compilations, summaries, and any 23 other format reproducing or capturing any of the Protected Material. Whether the 24 Protected Material is returned or destroyed, the Receiving Party must submit a written 25 certification to the Producing Party (and, if not the same person or entity, to the 26 Designating Party) by the 60-day deadline that (1) identifies (by category, where 27 appropriate) all the Protected Material that was returned or destroyed and (2) affirms that 28 the Receiving Party has not retained any copies, abstracts, compilations, summaries or

12 Case 2:21-cv-10014-DMG-MAA Document 45 Filed 12/14/22 Page 13 of 14 Page ID #:211

1 any other format reproducing or capturing any of the Protected Material. 2 Notwithstanding this provision, Counsel is entitled to retain an archival copy of all 3 pleadings; motion papers; trial, deposition, and hearing transcripts; legal memoranda; 4 correspondence; deposition and trial exhibits; expert reports; attorney work product; and 5 consultant and expert work product, even if such materials contain Protected Material. 6 Any such archival copies that contain or constitute Protected Material remain subject to 7 this Stipulated Protective Order as set forth in Section 5. 8 15. VIOLATION 9 Any violation of this Stipulated Order may be punished by any and all 10 appropriate measures including, without limitation, contempt proceedings and/or 11 monetary sanctions. 12 IT IS SO STIPULATED, THROUGH COUNSEL OF RECORD. 13 14 Dated: November 28, 2022 LAW OFFICE OF THOMAS C. SEABAUGH 15 __/S/_Thomas C. Seabaugh________ 16 Thomas C. Seabaugh 17 Attorney for Plaintiff 18 19 Dated: November 28, 2022 LOS ANGELES CITY ATTORNEY’S OFFICE 20 By: /S/ Dordaneh Ghaemi 21 . . Dordaneh Ghaemi, Deputy City Attorney 22 Attorney for Defendant CITY OF LOS ANGELES 23 24 FOR GOOD CAUSE SHOWN, IT IS SO ORDERED. December 14, 2022 25 DATED: __________ _____________________________________ 26 Hon. Maria A. Audero United States Magistrate Judge 27 28 13 Case 2:21-cv-10014-DMG-MAA Document 45 Filed 12/14/22 Page 14 of 14 Page ID #:212

1 EXHIBIT A 2 ACKNOWLEDGMENT AND AGREEMENT TO BE BOUND 3 4 I, _____________________________ [print or type full name], of _________________ 5 [print or type full address], declare under penalty of perjury that I have read in its entirety 6 and understand the Stipulated Protective Order that was issued by the United States 7 District Court for the Central District of California on [date] in the case of ___________ 8 Cauthen Lewis vs. City of Los Angeles, et al, Case No. CV21-10014-DMG-MAAx. I 9 agree to comply with and to be bound by all the terms of this Stipulated Protective Order 10 and I understand and acknowledge that failure to so comply could expose me to sanctions 11 and punishment in the nature of contempt. I solemnly promise that I will not disclose in 12 any manner any information or item that is subject to this Stipulated Protective Order to 13 any person or entity except in strict compliance with the provisions of this Order. 14 I further agree to submit to the jurisdiction of the United States District Court for the 15 Central District of California for the purpose of enforcing the terms of this Stipulated 16 Protective Order, even if such enforcement proceedings occur after termination of this 17 action. I hereby appoint __________________________ [print or type full name] of 18 _______________________________________ [print or type full address and 19 telephone number] as my California agent for service of process in connection with this 20 action or any proceedings related to enforcement of this Stipulated Protective Order. 21 Signature: ______________________________________ 22 Printed Name: _________________________________ 23 Date: _______________________________ 24 City and State Where Sworn and Signed: __________________________________

26 27 28