William Jefferson & Co., Inc. v. Board of Assessment and Appeal

MEMORANDUM

William Jefferson & Co., Inc. (“William Jefferson”) appeals from a judgment against it in a 42 U.S.C. § 1983 action alleging that it was denied procedural due process. We set forth the factual background and address the merits of William Jefferson’s constitutional challenge in an opinion published concurrently with this memorandum disposition. This memorandum addresses William Jefferson’s claims that: (1) the federal magistrate judge erred in entering a protective order in favor of the Orange County Board of Assessment Appeals (“Board”); and (2) the district court erred in denying William Jefferson’s motion for class certification. We have jurisdiction pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1291 and we affirm.

We review for abuse of discretion the magistrate judge’s grant of a protective order. In re Roman Catholic Archbishop of Portland in Or., 661 F.3d 417, 423 (9th Cir.2011). Inquiry into the deliberative processes of administrators is generally disfavored. See Citizens to Preserve Overton Park v. Volpe, 401 U.S. 402, 420 , 91 S.Ct. 814 , 28 L.Ed.2d 136 (1971), overruled on other grounds by Califano v. Sanders, 430 U.S. 99, 105 , 97 S.Ct. 980 , 51 L.Ed.2d 192 (1977); see also…