Asman

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA 10 THOMAS SCHMITZ, et al., No. 2:20-cv-00195-DJC-CKD PS Plaintiffs, v. ORDER ADAM ASMAN, et al., (ECF Nos. 255, 264) Defendants.

17 Plaintiffs Thomas Schmitz and Dianne Mallia1 brought this civil rights action under 42 U.S.C. § 1983. Pursuant to Federal Rules of Civil Procedure 42(b) and 26(d), defendants move to bifurcate trial and for a partial stay of discovery. Defendants seek to bifurcate trial of issues of liability and compensatory damages from trial of the amount of punitive damages. Defendants also seek to stay discovery related exclusively to punitive damages until after the first phase of trial. (ECF No. 264.) Pursuant to Local Rule 230(g), the court takes the motion under submission on the record and briefs on file. The May 10, 2023, hearing is vacated. Also before the court is defendant Denigris’ renewed motion for a stay, or, in the alternative, for a protective order pertaining to plaintiff’s…