WSTCO Quality Feed and Supply, LLC v. Ada

Opinion

IN THE DISTRICT COURT 2 3 WSTCO QUALITY FEED AND SUPPLY, Case No.: 17-cv-00127 LLC, 4 Plaintiff, ORDER GRANTING MOTIONS TO 5 STAY DISCOVERY AND TAKING vs. MOTIONS TO DISMISS UNDER 6 ADVISEMENT ANTHONY J. ADA, et al., 7 Defendants. 8

9 Before the Court are motions to stay discovery filed by Defendants Jay Rojas (Aug. 30, 2018, 10 ECF No. 72) and GALC (Aug. 30, 2018, ECF No. 73). Plaintiff WSTCO Quality Feed and Supply 11 filed an opposition (Sept. 20, 2018, ECF No. 78), and defendants filed replies (GALC Reply, Sept. 24, 12 2018, ECF No. 79; Rojas Reply, ECF No. 83, Oct. 9, 2018). The Court has carefully considered these 13 papers and finds good cause to stay discovery pending the determination of defendants’ motions to 14 dismiss (GALC, July 31, 2018, ECF No. 65; Rojas, Sept. 4, 2018, ECF No. 75), which are based in 15 part on the defense of qualified immunity. See Crawford-El v. Britton, 523 U.S. 574, 597–98 (1998) 16 (trial court “must exercise its discretion so that officials are not subjected to unnecessary and 17 burdensome discovery or trial proceedings”); Grenning v. Klemme, 34 F. Supp. 3d 1144, 1153 (E.D. 18 19 Wash. 2014) (“district courts generally stay discovery until the issue of qualified immunity is 20 resolved”). 21 At the same time, the Court is mindful of the need to press forward in this matter and Plaintiff’s 22 legitimate interest in conducting discovery as soon as possible. The motions to dismiss are fully 23 briefed, and neither party has filed a request for oral argument pursuant to CVLR 7(1). Therefore, the

5 Court takes the motions to dismiss under advisement and will endeavor to issue its ruling as soon as

3 || possible. 4 The motions to stay discovery (ECF No. 72 and 73) are GRANTED. Furthermore, GALC’s 5 || Motion to Calendar Motion to Stay Discovery (Nov. 6, 2018, ECF No. 84) is DENIED AS MOOT. 6 IT IS SO ORDERED this 9th day of November, 2018. 1 Matas Chief Judge, District Court for the Northern 10 Mariana Islands, sitting by designation 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24