Stowe

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA 10 KRISTOPHER STOWE, No. 2:19-cv-01652 KJM AC Plaintiff, v. ORDER BRAD ALFORD, Defendant. 16 Before the court is defendant’s motion to compel plaintiff’s deposition and for a protective order, ECF No. 16, which is referred to the magistrate judge by E.D. Cal. R. 302(c)(1). The motion was taken under submission. ECF No. 17. The parties properly filed a joint statement. ECF No. 18. For the reasons stated below, the court GRANTS the motion IN PART. Plaintiff will be ordered to attend a second deposition, the protocol for which is discussed below. I. Relevant Background The dispute before the court arises from the failed deposition of plaintiff via Zoom, attempted February 5, 2021. ECF No. 18 at 1. At that deposition and in subsequent meet and confer conversations, the parties were unable to agree as to whether (a) plaintiff should be required to appear without a mask when appearing…