Fajardo v. City of Bakersfield

District Court, E.D. California·Decided January 25, 2022·No. 1:16-cv-00699·Unknown

Opinion

GILBERTO FAJARDO, Case No. 1:16-cv-00699-BAK Plaintiff, PRETRIAL ORDER

v. Designation of deposition testimony: February 25, 2022 CITY OF BAKERSFIELD, et al., Motions in limine: February 18, 2022 Defendants. Response to motions in limine: February 25, 2022

Reply in support of motions in limine: March 3, 2022

Jury instructions, proposed verdict form, agreed statement of case, stipulations to be read to the jury: March 4, 2022

Counter-designation of deposition testimony: March 4, 2022 Hearing on motions in limine: March 10, 2022 at 2:00 PM in Courtroom 10 (EPG) (telephonic appearance permitted) Lodge original deposition transcripts; March 11, 2022

List of discovery documents: March 11, 2022

Hearing on jury instructions, verdict form, outstanding pretrial issues: March 18, 2022, at 2:00 PM in Courtroom 10 (EPG) (telephonic appearance permitted)

Lodge prospective witness lists: March 21, 2022

Jury Trial: March 21, 2022 at 8:30 AM in Courtroom 10 (EPG)

This civil rights action proceeds on the complaint filed by Plaintiff Gilberto Fajardo (“Plaintiff”) on May 17, 2016, alleging claims against the City of Bakersfield, Juan Orozco, Lindy DeGeare (“Defendants”), and Does 1-10, inclusive, for (1) excessive force in violation of the Fourth Amendment; (2) excessive force in violation of the Substantive Due Process clause of the Fourteenth Amendment; (3) Monell liability against Defendant City of Bakersfield based on failure to train, ratification, and an unconstitutional policy, custom, and/or practice; (4) battery under state law; (5) negligence under state law; and (6) excessive force in violation of California’s Bane Act. (ECF No. 1.) Plaintiff’s claims arise out of an incident on May 17, 2015, when Defendants Orozco and DeGeare fired gunshots into a car where Plaintiff had been sleeping, striking Plaintiff and causing permanent injury, including paralysis. (ECF No. 1.) The parties have consented, pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 636(c)(1), to have a United States Magistrate Judge conduct all further proceedings in this case. (ECF Nos. 8, 9.)1 On January 12, 2022, the parties filed a joint pretrial statement. (ECF No. 65.) On January 21, 2021, the Court held a pretrial conference. Counsel Dale K. Galipo, David K. Cohn, and Marcel F. Sincich appeared for Plaintiff. Counsel Heather S. Cohen and Michael G. Marderosian appeared for Defendants. Having reviewed the parties’ joint pretrial statement, the Court now issues this pretrial order. Jurisdiction and venue are not contested. The court has subject matter jurisdiction over Plaintiff’s claims arising under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 pursuant to 28 U.S.C. §§ 1331 and 1343, and supplemental jurisdiction over Plaintiff’s state law claims pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1367. Venue is proper pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1391(b)(1), (2). Plaintiff has invoked his right to a jury trial of all triable issues. /// /// 1 On January 19, 2022, Defendants filed a motion to withdraw their consent to proceed before a magistrate judge. (ECF No. 66.) The motion is currently pending before District Judge Dale A. Drozd. (ECF No. 69.) Plaintiff estimates that trial will take 8-10 days. Defendant estimates that trial will take 10- 12 days. Trial will be March 21, 2022, at 8:30 a.m., before U.S. Magistrate Judge Erica P. Grosjean in Courtroom 10 (EPG) at the Robert E. Coyle United States Courthouse, 2500 E. Tulare Street, Fresno, CA 93721. V. FACTS AND EVIDENTIARY ISSUES A. Undisputed Facts 1. The City of Bakersfield is a municipal entity, a political subdivision of the State of California. 2. Defendant Orozco at all times relevant to the incident, was acting within the course and scope of his Bakersfield Police Department employment duties and under the color of state law. 3. Defendant DeGeare at all times relevant to the incident, was acting within the course and scope of her Bakersfield Police Department employment duties and under the color of state law. 4. The incident giving rise to this litigation occurred on May 17, 2015 in the parking lot at 600 Planz Road in Bakersfield, California. B. Disputed Evidentiary Issues The parties intend to file motions in limine and/or trial briefing on the following issues. Plaintiff’s Statement 1. Exclude the District Attorney’s findings and conclusions; 2. Exclude any conclusion by Bakersfield Police Department that the shooting was within policy or justified; 3. Exclude toxicology results; 4. Exclude speculative testimony as to how drugs might have caused Mr. Fajardo to behave on the day of the incident; 5. Exclude speculative testimony as to Mr. Fajardo’s subjective state of mind, such as “playing dumb” during the incident; 6. Exclude information unknown to Officers Orozco and DeGeare at the time of the incident, including criminal history and incarceration history, prior interaction with law enforcement, and any prior use of drugs or alcohol, including any law enforcement contact, arrest, incarceration, conviction, and drug or alcohol use subsequent to the incident; 7. Exclude impermissible character evidence regarding Guillermina Loera or her family; 8. Exclude statements made by Mr. Fajardo prior to receiving his Miranda admonitions and while he was acutely hospitalized under significant pain medication; 9. Exclude any reference to a gang neighborhood, or any history of crime in the neighborhood; 10. Exclude mention of non-related shootings in which law enforcement have been shot; 11. Exclude or limit testimony of Curtis Cope regarding speculative threat to the community, what the defendants would have done in a different scenario, or analysis based on information unknown. 12. Exclude or limit testimony of Jason Droll, Ph.D. 13. Exclude or limit testimony of Kris Mohandie, Ph.D. 14. Exclude or limit testimony of Michael A. Knox. 15. Exclude or limit testimony of Dario Hernandez. 16. Exclude or limit testimony of Rod Englert. 17. Exclude or limit testimony of Swathi Kobe, Ph.D. 18. Exclude or limit testimony of Harvey L. Edmonds, M.D., FAAN. 19. Exclude or limit testimony of Edward L. Bennett. 20. Exclude or limit testimony of Stephanie Rizzardi. At the pretrial conference, Plaintiff’s counsel also gave oral notice of a motion in limine to exclude evidence of Plaintiff’s subsequent arrest. /// Defendants’ Statement 1. Exclude reference to the fact that Plaintiff was partially acquitted of some of the crimes alleged during the criminal trial. 2. Exclude any reference to allegedly wrongful acts by other law enforcement officers or agencies (i.e., Ferguson, Tamir, Rice, etc.). 3. Exclude any reference to any Bakersfield Police Department Policies, including but not limited to the policy regarding shooting at moving vehicles. 4. Exclude any evidence pertaining to Monell claims (other incidents, IA investigations or complaints into either Defendant or any other officer, any other use of force by the Defendants and/or anyone from Bakersfield Police Department, adequacy/sufficiency of training, etc.). 5. Exclude other IA reports pertaining to other matters. 6. Exclude reference to the Bakersfield Police Department or its officers as the “deadliest police force in America” and/or the use of such other inflammatory terms. 7. Exclude the Plaintiff’s life care plan. 8. Exclude any evidence or argument that either the Department of Justice, the FBI, or any other agency is investigating th

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