Opinion
CENTER FOR DISABILITY ACCESS, MARK D. POTTER, ESQ., PHYL GRACE, ESQ., San Diego, CA, Attorney for Plaintiff SCOTT JOHNSON.
CENTER FOR DISABILITY ACCESS, AMANDA LOCKHART, Attorney for Plaintiff.
MICHAEL D. WELCH ASSOCIATES MICHAEL D. WELCH, Attorney for Defendant.
(1) JOINT STIPULATION OF FACT REGARDING DEFENDANTS' FINANCIAL WHEREWITHAL; (2) JOINT STIPULATION REGARDING DEFENDANTS' DISCOVERY RESPONSES; (3) PROPOSED ORDER THEREON.
EDMUND F. BRENNAN, Magistrate Judge.
JOINT STIPULATION
The following terms, phrases, and definitions will be applied in this stipulation and are intended to conform to the usage given in the Americans with Disabilities Act Accessibility Guidelines:
PLAINTIFF SCOTT JOHNSON AND DEFENDANT ACE BRUNK, BY AND THROUGH THEIR ATTORNEYS OF RECORD, HEREBY STIPULATE:
WHEREAS Plaintiff has propounded written discovery to assist him in determining the ability of the Stipulating Defendant to undergo "readily achievable" barrier removal and to support Plaintiff's damages assessment; and
WHEREAS such discovery information is of a personal and confidential nature and, therefore, the Stipulating Defendant have a legitimate concern about unnecessarily producing such information;
The Plaintiff and the Stipulating Defendant enter into the following stipulation:
Plaintiff: Plaintiff will currently forbear from propounding any discovery that seeks information concerning the financial status, ability, or wherewithal of the Stipulating Defendant. Plaintiff also withdraws all discovery already propounded concerning this information, including but not limited to: Interrogatories, Set One, nos. 4, 14, and 15 and Requests for Production of Documents, Set One, nos. 10, 12, and 13.
Stipulating Defendant: The Stipulating Defendant hereby declare that in determining whether the removal of a BARRIER is READILY ACHIEVABLE, factors such as the (1) Stipulating Defendant's financial resources; (2) the facility's financial resources; (3) the "effect on expenses and resources"; and (4) impact on finances, shall NOT be raised by STIPULATING DEFENDANT as a defense as to why the Stipulating Defendant cannot remedy and/or remove those alleged BARRIERS. Defendant further stipulate to respond fully to all discovery requests not concerning the financial status, ability, or wherewithal of the Stipulating Defendant within 14 days of the Court's Order.
NOTE: Stipulating Defendant is not stipulating (A) liability to the Plaintiff; (B) that the above identified barrier removals are required by law; (C) that the above referenced barriers exist; or (D) that they are subject to the ADA or related state disability access laws.
NOTE: The parties understand that the Plaintiff reserves his right to seek financial information in support of a claim for punitive damages. However, Plaintiff will forbear from seeking that information until Plaintiff believes that further discovery information warrants the prosecution of a punitive damages claim against the Stipulating Defendant. Even if Plaintiff reaches a decision that a punitive damages claim should be prosecuted, Plaintiff will, nonetheless, wait until the end of the discovery window to request such information so as to allow maximum opportunity for resolution of the case.
IT IS SO STIPULATED.
ORDER
Having considered the parties' Joint Stipulation of Fact Regarding Defendant's Financial Wherewithal and Discovery Responses, it is hereby ORDERED that the stipulation is approved. Defendant shall respond to all outstanding discovery requests not withdrawn by Plaintiff within 14 days.
IT IS SO ORDERED.