Santoro

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

MELVIN R. ARRANT, ) Case No.: 1:20-cv-01253-DAD-SAB (PC) ) Plaintiff, ) ) ORDER DENYING, WITHOUT PREJUDICE, v. ) DEFENDANTS’ MOTION FOR PROTECTIVE

ORDER

KELLY SANTORO, et al., ) ) (ECF No. 40) Defendants. ) ) )

Plaintiff Melvin R. Arrant is proceeding pro se and in forma pauperis in this civil rights action pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 1983. Currently before the Court is Defendants’ motion for a protective order, filed September 22, 2021. This action is proceeding Defendants Lozano, E. Garcia, Dodson, J. Valdez, Felix, A. Flores, P. Chanelo, and D. Tapia for retaliation, and a separate excessive force claims against Defendants J. Florez and D. Tapia. Defendants request the Court issue a protective order staying all merit-based discovery in order for them to investigate whether Plaintiff exhausted his retaliation claim and potentially file a summary judgment…