Hedges v. Universal Tea Company, Inc.

Background

Donna Hedges sued Universal Tea Company on behalf of herself and other similarly situated people. The opinion does not state the legal claims or provide facts about the dispute.

Settlement and Standing Discussions

The court ordered the parties to meet and confer for at least one hour within 30 days after service of the summons and complaint on the defendant. They must make a good-faith attempt to settle the action. During those discussions, they must consider whether Hedges has standing, meaning a sufficient legal connection to the alleged injury to bring the case. The order cites decisions discussing that threshold issue.

If the parties cannot settle on their own, they must also discuss whether additional settlement discussions through the district’s court-annexed mediation program or before a magistrate judge would be productive.

Required Joint Letter and Notice

Within 15 additional days—45 days after service of the summons and complaint—the parties must submit a joint letter stating whether they settled. If they did not settle, the letter must request either referral to mediation or to a magistrate judge for a settlement conference, with a preference between those options, or an initial status conference.

Counsel who had filed notices of appearance by the date of the order must promptly serve the order and the judge’s Individual Rules and Practices on counsel who had not appeared. If they do not know the identity of such counsel, they must send those materials directly to the party. Counsel must file proof of that notice with the court.

Disposition

The court entered case-management and settlement directives. It did not rule on standing, the merits of Hedges’s claims, or any motion. The order is therefore a procedural order.