Soto v. Castlerock Farming & Transport, Inc.

282 F.R.D. 492, 2012 WL 1552632, 2012 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 60248
CourtDistrict Court, E.D. California
DecidedApril 30, 2012
DocketNo. 1:09-cv-00701-AWI-JLT
StatusPublished
Cited by24 cases

This text of 282 F.R.D. 492 (Soto v. Castlerock Farming & Transport, Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, E.D. California primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Soto v. Castlerock Farming & Transport, Inc., 282 F.R.D. 492, 2012 WL 1552632, 2012 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 60248 (E.D. Cal. 2012).

Opinion

ORDER GRANTING IN PART AND DENYING IN PART PLAINTIFF’S MOTION TO COMPEL DOCUMENT PRODUCTION

ORDER GRANTING IN PART AND DENYING IN PART NON-PARTY J.L. PADILLA & SONS LABOR SERVICE, INC.’S MOTION TO QUASH

JENNIFER L. THURSTON, United States Magistrate Judge.

Previously, Silvestre Soto and Olga Galvan sought an order compelling the production of documents by Castlerock Farming and Transport, Inc. (“Castlerock” or “Defendant”). In addition, non-party J.L. Padilla & Sons Labor Service, Inc. (“Padilla & Sons”), moved to quash a subpoena duces tecum served by Plaintiff.

On July 8, 2011, the Court issued a decision granting Plaintiff’s motion to compel the production of documents, and granting in part the motion to quash. (Doc. 61). However, by and through this order, the prevision decision is VACATED. For the following reasons, Plaintiffs motion to compel production the production of documents is GRANTED IN PART AND DENIED IN PART. Non-party Padilla & Sons’ motion to quash the subpoena is GRANTED IN PART AND DENIED IN PART.

FACTUAL AND PROCEDURAL HISTORY

On March 5, 2004, Arnaldo Lara, Mario Laveaga, Mirna Diaz, Paula Leon, and Raul Diaz, individually and acting for the interests of the general public, (“Lara Group”) initiated an action in the Kern County Superior Court against Rogelio Casimiro, doing business as Golden Grain Farm Labor. (Doe. 41, Exh. A). The Lara Group added Castlerock as a defendant in that action in the second amended complaint filed September 12, 2005. (Doc. 41, Exh. B).1 This action was removed to the Eastern District on December 21, 2005.

On November 9, 2005, Plaintiffs’ counsel initiated an action against table grape growers based in Kern County, including Castler-ock, D.M. Camp & Sons; Marko Zaninovieh, Inc.; Sunview Vineyards of California; Gui-marra Vineyards Corp.; El Ranch Farms; Stevco, Inc; and FAL Inc.2 See Doe v. D.M. Camp & Sons, 624 F.Supp.2d 1153 (E.D.Cal. 2008). At the time the action was brought, the plaintiffs were unnamed former and current employees of the defendants. Id. at 1156. The Court acknowledged the Doe matter was related to Lara, as well as several other cases imitated against grape growers. Id.

Defendants to the Doe action, including Castlerock, filed motions to dismiss the operative complaint, which were granted by the Court on March 31, 2008. Likewise, motions to sever the action were granted, and the [497]*497Court required the plaintiffs to file amended pleadings against each defendant to effectuate the severance. On May 29, 2008, Silves-tre Soto and Olga Galvan were named as plaintiffs in the Third Amended Complaint against Castleroek. (Doe, Doc. 175). On March 31, 2009, the Court ordered Plaintiffs to re-file their suit in a new case number within twenty days to finalize the severance. (Doe, Doc. 239).

On April 20, 2009, Silvestre Soto and Olga Galvan filed their complaint against Defendant Castleroek for the following: violation of the Agricultural Workers Protection Act, 29 U.S.C. § 1801, et seq.; failure to pay wages; failure to pay reporting time wages; failure to provide rest and meal periods; failure to pay wages of terminated or resigned employees; knowing and intentional failure to comply with itemized employee wage statement provisions; penalties under Labor Code § 2699, et seq.; breach of contract; and violation of unfair competition law. (Doc. 1). The action was brought “on behalf of Plaintiffs and members of the Plaintiff Class comprising all non-exempt agricultural, packing shed, and storage cooler employees employed, or formerly employed, by each of the Defendants within the State of California.” Id. at 4.

On July 8, 2011, the Court found Silvestre Soto and Olga Galvan established a prima facie showing of class certification for purposes of discovery because commonality and typicality was demonstrated through the testimony of Soto, Galvan, and class member Javier Garcia. (Doc. 61 at 8-10). Based upon this finding, the Court granted the motion to compel document production. Id. at 9. In addition, the Court and granted in part and denied in part non-party Padilla & Sons’ motion to quash, finding “the documents sought in the subpoena duces tecum are relevant to Plaintiffs’ action against Castleroek because Plaintiffs have established common questions of law and fact to assert the class claims for which they seek discovery.” Id. at 15.

On November 1, 2011, Plaintiff Olga Gal-van voluntarily dismissed the action leaving only Silvestre Soto as a named plaintiff. (Doc. 93). Because the Court’s finding there was a prima facie case for class certification was influenced by Ms. Galvan’s status as a class representative who asserted “injuries similar to another class member” (Doc. 61 at 9), the Court found it was appropriate to exercise its inherent power to reconsider the motions compelling document production and to quash the deposition subpoena.3 Accordingly, on December 15, 2011, the Court ordered the parties to file supplemental briefing addressing (1) what effect, if any, Ms. Galvan’s changed status from class representative to putative class member had on the motion to compel document production and the motion to quash, and (2) whether, the requested discovery was likely to substantiate the class claims if Silvestre Soto was no longer able to state a prima facie case for class certification. (Doc. 97).

In accordance with the Court’s order, Sil-vestre Soto (“Plaintiff’) filed a supplemental brief on January 18, 2012. (Doc. 102). Defendant filed its amended supplemental brief on February 9, 2012 (Doc. 107), and lodged the transcript of Plaintiff with the Court on February 21, 2012.

SCOPE OF DISCOVERY

The scope and limitations of discovery are set forth by the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure and Evidence. In relevant part, Rule 26(b) states:

Unless otherwise limited by court order, parties may obtain discovery regarding any nonprivileged manner that is relevant to any party’s claim or defense—including the existence, description, nature, custody, condition, and location of any documents or [498]*498other tangible things ... For good cause, the court may order discovery of any matter relevant to the subject matter involved in the accident. Relevant information need not be admissible at the trial if the discovery appears reasonably calculated to lead to the discovery of admissible evidence.

Fed.R.Civ.P. 26(b). Relevant evidence is defined as “evidence having any tendency to make the existence of any fact that is of consequence to the determination of the action more probable or less probable than it would be without the evidence.” Fed.R.Evid. 401 (emphasis added). Further, relevancy to a subject matter is interpreted “broadly to encompass any matter that bears on, or that reasonably could lead to other matter that could bear on, any issue that is or may be in the case.” Oppenheimer Fund, Inc. v. Sanders,

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Bluebook (online)
282 F.R.D. 492, 2012 WL 1552632, 2012 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 60248, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/soto-v-castlerock-farming-transport-inc-caed-2012.