IN THE STATE COURT OF FULTON COUNTY
`STATE OF GEORGIA
`
`
`State Court of Fulton County
`**E-FILED**
`19EV000338
`6/28/2019 9:37 AM
`LeNora Ponzo, Clerk
`Civil Division
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`KELLI ROSS,
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` Plaintiff,
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`v.
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`BETTER OUTCOMES FOR OUR KIDS INC.,
`Defendant.
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`CIVIL ACTION FILE
`NO. 19EV000338D
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`SCHEDULING ORDER
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`The parties having failed to file a Case Management Order pursuant to the Court’s
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`Standing Order in eFile Cases filed into this case on February 15, 2019, and it appearing to this
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`Court that the interests of the parties and the orderly management of the Court’s business would
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`be served by setting a schedule for the remainder of this litigation, through trial, and for good
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`cause shown,
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`1.
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`2.
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`3.
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`4.
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`5.
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`DISCOVERY (including, but not limited to, all written discovery, depositions,
`and any expert discovery) shall close on August 19, 2019.
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`MEDIATION shall be completed no later than, September 3, 2019. The parties
`shall contact the Office of Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) of the Fulton
`County Courts at (404) 612-4549, or select a mutually agreed upon private
`mediator, and arrange for mediation to take place prior to the deadline set forth
`above. All parties are to participate in this mediation and make a good faith effort
`to resolve the issues involved in this case. In the event that the named parties and
`counsel do not have full settlement authority, those entities who do have authority
`shall attend the mediation along with parties and counsel.
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`DISPOSITIVE and/or RULE 702 MOTIONS shall be filed no later than
`September 18, 2019.
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`TRIAL shall be set by placement on the Court’s November 2019 Civil Jury Trial
`Calendar (if no motions pending) or the first available calendar following the
`Court’s order on any dispositive and/or Rule 702 motions.
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`DISCOVERY DISPUTES – in addition to the obligations set forth by USCR
`6.4(B), the parties shall meet and confer in person or by telephone in a good faith
`effort to resolve any discovery disputes and, in the event the parties are unable to
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`resolve the disputes, contact the Court’s Staff Attorney to request a telephonic
`hearing With the Court, prior to filing any discovery motion. The Court will
`schedule a telephonic hearing, if appropriate, or instruct the parties to brief the
`matter.
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`the identification of Witnesses
`WITNESSES — the parties shall supplement
`(except for purposes of impeachment), in response to any applicable discovery
`request, no later than fifteen (15) days after the close of discovery. Failure to do
`so, absent extraordinary circumstances, will
`result
`in the exclusion of the
`unidentified or late-identified witness.
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`the
`COMMUNICATION WITH THE COURT — the parties may contact
`Court’s Staff Attorney, Lisa Liang, at Lisa.Liangchfultoncountyga.gov, to inquire
`regarding any procedural issue (scheduling, case status, Court requirements, etc.)
`and/or to arrange a status conference or hearing. Unless instructed by the Court,
`the parties shall not submit letter briefs (including substantive emails addressing
`the merits) or “carbon copy” the Court on correspondence between the parties and
`addressing the merits.
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`PROPOSED ORDERS AND COURTESY COPIES — the parties shall e-file
`proposed orders and any courtesy copies of proposed orders (if requested) shall be
`emailed to the Court’s Staff Attorney in Word format.
`The parties are
`discouraged from submitting courtesy copies of briefs to the Court, unless
`specifically requested.
`The parties, however, may contact the Court’s Staff
`Attorney regarding any consent/joint filings or other filings necessitating prompt
`action by the Court.
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`ORIGINAL DEPOSITION TRANSCRIPTS — the parties shall e-file scanned
`copies in lieu of original deposition transcripts and retain original deposition
`transcripts until specifically requested by the Court or trial.
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`6.
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`7.
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`8.
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`9.
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`Failure to comply with this Scheduling Order may result in sanctions, including striking of
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`pleadings, imposition of attorneys’ fees, and exclusion of witnesses and evidence. Except
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`for gm cause shown and by Order of this Court, the deadlines set forth herein shall not be
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`amended.
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`Parties may
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`contact
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`the
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`Staff Attorney,
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`Lisa Liang,
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`by
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`email
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`at
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`Lisa.Liang@fultoncountyga.gov, to raise any scheduling issues not addressed by this Order or
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`request a status conference.
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`This 28th day of June, 2019.
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`/s/ Susan E. Edlein
`Susan E. Edlein
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`Judge, State Court of Fulton County
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