(Consent) Smith v. City of Stockton

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA 10 DIONNE SMITH-DOWNS et al., No. 2:10-cv-02495-CKD Plaintiffs, v. ORDER CITY OF STOCKTON et al., (ECF Nos. 149, 151, 152, 153, 154) Defendants. 16 Presently before the court are the plaintiffs’ motion to bifurcate the trial between liability and damages phases (ECF No. 154) and the parties’ respective motions in limine (ECF Nos. 149, 150-153). On October 28, 2019, the court conducted a hearing concerning the present motions. For the reasons stated herein, the court orders as follows. PLAINTIFFS’ MOTION TO BIFURCATE (ECF No. 149) Plaintiffs move to bifurcate the trial between liability and damages. Defendants oppose, arguing that judicial economy would be served without bifurcation and that the liability and damages issues are intertwined. Pursuant to Fed. R. Civ. Proc. 42(b), a court may order a separate trial of one or more separate issues for the sake of “convenience, to avoid prejudice, or to expedite and…