MINUTE entry before the Honorable Sara L. Ellis: Pursuant to the stipulation to dismiss [73] this case is dismissed with prejudice and with each party to bear their own costs. Civil case terminated. Mailed notice (rj, )
MINUTE entry before the Honorable Jeffrey Cummings: Remote video settlement conference held on 10/5/23, the parties have reached an agreement to settle the case, and they will file a joint stipulation to dismiss the case with prejudice in due course. All matters related to this referral having been concluded, the referral is closed and the case is returned to the assigned District Judge. Magistrate Judge Cummings no longer assigned to the case. Mailed notice (cc, )
MINUTE entry before the Honorable Jeffrey Cummings: The Court has reviewed plaintiff's submission to the Court's settlement correspondence inbox. The 10/5/23 settlement conference will proceed but, on the Court's own motion, is re-set to begin at 2:00 p.m. and will conclude no later than 5:00 p.m. By agreement of the parties, the conference will proceed in person in Courtroom 2266. Mailed notice (cc, )
MINUTE entry before the Honorable Jeffrey Cummings: Off-the-record status conference regarding settlement held. Plaintiff's counsel will confer with his client and submit to the Court's settlement correspondence mailbox, (Settlement_Correspondence_Cummings@ilnd.uscourts.gov), an email with a response to the question of whether plaintiff will consider a settlement in the range that was discussed during the status conference and plaintiff's response to defendants' settlement offer by the 5:00 p.m. on 10/3/23. The Court will thereafter determine whether it will be productive to proceed with the settlement conference scheduled for 10/5/23. Mailed notice (cc, )
MINUTE entry before the Honorable Jeffrey Cummings: The Court has reviewed the parties' settlement letters. This matter is set for an off-the-record telephonic status conference on 10/2/23 at 11:00 a.m. to discuss whether it will be productive to proceed with the scheduled settlement conference on 10/5/23 given the parties' divergent viewpoints of what occurred during the incident which led to this lawsuit and the wide gulf between plaintiffs' demand and defendants' offer. The parties are further ordered to meet and confer prior to the status conference regarding the realistic prospects of settling this case at the upcoming settlement conference. The Court's staff will provide counsel for the parties with the dial-in information. Mailed notice (ao, )
MINUTE entry before the Honorable Sara L. Ellis: In light of the settlement conference scheduled for 10/5/2023, the Court strikes the status date set for 8/16/2023 and resets it to 10/25/2023 at 9:30 AM. The parties should file a joint status report by 10/18/2023 indicating the status of fact discovery, the status of settlement discussions, whether the parties require expert discovery prior to dispositive motion practice, and proposed schedules for expert discovery and summary judgement briefing, where applicable. If the parties file a stipulation of dismissal prior to the next status hearing, no appearance is required. Attorneys/Parties should appear for the hearing by calling the Toll-Free Number: (866) 434-5269, Access Code: 8087837. Throughout the telephonic hearing, each speaker will be expected to identify themselves for the record before speaking. Please note that the conference call-in will be used by all cases that are on the court's calendar for the said date, therefore counsel must be in a quiet area while on the line and must have the telephone muted until your case is called. Members of the public and media will be able to call in to listen to this hearing (use toll free number). Persons granted remote access to proceedings are reminded of the general prohibition against photographing, recording, and rebroadcasting court proceedings. Violation of these prohibitions may result in sanctions, including removal of court-issued media credentials, restricted entry to future hearings, denial of entry to future hearings, or any other sanctions deemed necessary by the Court. Mailed notice (rj, )
MINUTE entry before the Honorable Jeffrey Cummings: Remote settlement conference set for 10/5/2023 at 1:00 p.m. In advance of the settlement conference, counsel for the parties will receive the instructions for participation in the remote settlement conference and for participation in a brief pre-settlement conference practice session with the Court's staff. Plaintiff's settlement demand letter in conformance with the Court's Standing Order on Settlement Conferences is due 9/7/2023, and defendant's conforming settlement offer letter is due 9/21/2023. Each party shall email a copy of its letter to Judge Cummings' chambers on the same day that it is provided to opposing counsel. The settlement letters shall be submitted to the Court by e-mail to the Court's settlement correspondence e-mail address (Settlement_Correspondence_Cummings@ilnd.uscourts.gov). Mailed notice (cc, )
MINUTE entry before the Honorable Sara L. Ellis: The Court grants Defendants' motion for leave to withdraw the appearance of counsel [61] and withdraws the appearance of Mackenzie F. Beideman as counsel for Defendants. Mailed notice (rj, )
NOTICE of Motion by Mackenzie Franklin Beideman for presentment of motion to withdraw as attorney, [61] before Honorable Sara L. Ellis on 7/12/2023 at 09:45 AM. (Beideman, Mackenzie)
MOTION by Attorney Mackenzie F Beideman to withdraw as attorney for Wendy Doe, Rishad Rajabali, Rajabali Group, Inc., The, Cassey Roe, Westmont Donut, Inc.. No party information provided Presented before Presiding Judge (Beideman, Mackenzie)
Limited Assignment of Settlement Assistance Program Counsel
LIMITED Assignment of Settlement Assistance Program Counsel appointing Bennett W. Lasko for Ali Bakhtiari. Signed by the Honorable Jeffrey Cummings on 6/20/2023: Mailed notice. (jk2, )
MINUTE entry before the Honorable Jeffrey Cummings: Telephonic status hearing held on 5/16/23. The Court requests an attorney from the Settlement Assistance Program to represent plaintiff for a settlement conference in this case. The parties are ordered to submit a joint status report regarding settlement to this Court's settlement correspondence mailbox (Settlement_Correspondence_Cummings@ilnd.uscourts.gov) within 14 days of the appointment of plaintiff's counsel. In their status report, the parties shall address the issues set forth in the first paragraph of the second page of the Court's Standing Order For Settlement Conferences and provide the dates that the parties are mutually available in July 2023 for a remote video settlement conference. The deadlines for the submission of settlement letters described in the Standing Order and the date for the settlement conference will be promptly set after the joint status report is received. Mailed notice (cc, )
MINUTE entry before the Honorable Jeffrey Cummings: This case has been referred for a settlement conference. Telephonic status hearing set for 5/16/23 at 1:30 p.m. to discuss referring this matter to the Settlement Assistant Program for appointment of an attorney for plaintiff for purposes of settlement only. Members of the public and media will be able to call in to listen to the hearing. The call-in number is (888) 684-8852 and the access code is 3997645. Persons granted remote access to proceedings are reminded of the general prohibition against photographing, recording, and rebroadcasting of court proceedings. Violation of these prohibitions may result in sanctions, including removal of court issued media credentials, restricted entry to future hearings, denial of entry to future hearings, or any other sanctions deemed necessary by the Court. Mailed notice (cc, )
MINUTE entry before the Honorable Jeffrey Cummings: This case was referred to Magistrate Judge Cummings to conduct a settlement conference [54]. The parties are ordered to submit a joint status report regarding settlement to this Court's settlement correspondence mailbox (Settlement_Correspondence_Cummings@ilnd.uscourts.gov) by 5/24/23. In their status report, the parties shall address the issues set forth in the first paragraph of the second page of the Court's Standing Order For Settlement Conferences and provide the dates that the parties are mutually available in July and August 2023 for a remote video settlement conference. The deadlines for the submission of settlement letters described in the Standing Order and the date for the settlement conference will be promptly set after the joint status report is received. Mailed notice (cc, )
ATTORNEY Appearance for Defendants Wendy Doe, Rishad Rajabali, Rajabali Group, Inc., The, Cassey Roe, Westmont Donut, Inc. by Jacob Patrick Moore Wright (Moore Wright, Jacob)
Pursuant to Local Rule 72.1, this case is hereby referred to the calendar of Honorable Jeffrey Cummings for the purpose of holding proceedings related to: settlement conference.(rj, )Mailed notice.
NOTICE of Motion by Plaintiff Ali Bakhtiari for discovery ---NOM---PLAINTIFF'S MOTION TO COMPEL RESPONSE TO DISCOVERY (Bakhtiari, Ali) Modified on 5/3/2023 (axk, ).
CERTIFICATE of Service of Discovery by Paul Nickolas Bonadies on behalf of Wendy Doe, Rishad Rajabali, Rajabali Group, Inc., The, Cassey Roe, Westmont Donut, Inc. (Bonadies, Paul)
MINUTE entry before the Honorable Sara L. Ellis: The Court strikes the status date set for 2/8/2023 and resets it to 8/16/2023 at 9:30 a.m. The Court enters the following discovery schedule: Rule 26(a)(1) disclosures are due by 3/8/2023; written discovery to issue by 3/22/2023; and fact discovery closes on 8/8/2023. The Court enters a referral to the magistrate judge for settlement purposes. The parties should file a joint status report by 8/9/2023 indicating the status of fact discovery, the status of settlement discussions, whether the parties require expert discovery prior to dispositive motion practice, and proposed schedules for expert discovery and summary judgement briefing, where applicable. Attorneys/Parties should appear for the hearing by calling the Toll-Free Number: (866) 434-5269, Access Code: 8087837. Throughout the telephonic hearing, each speaker will be expected to identify themselves for the record before speaking. Please note that the conference call-in will be used by all cases that are on the court's calendar for the said date, therefore counsel must be in a quiet area while on the line and must have the telephone muted until your case is called. Members of the public and media will be able to call in to listen to this hearing (use toll free number). Persons granted remote access to proceedings are reminded of the general prohibition against photographing, recording, and rebroadcasting court proceedings. Violation of these prohibitions may result in sanctions, including removal of court-issued media credentials, restricted entry to future hearings, denial of entry to future hearings, or any other sanctions deemed necessary by the Court. Mailed notice (rj, )
MINUTE entry before the Honorable Sara L. Ellis: The Court grants in part and denies in part the Westmont Defendants' motion to dismiss as it relates to Bakhtiari's state law claims [29]. The Court dismisses Bakhtiari's IHRA claim. Bakhtiari's state common law claims may proceed to the extent he does not base them on racial discrimination. The Court strikes the status date set for 1/26/2023 and resets it to 2/8/2023 at 9:30 a.m. The parties should file a joint status report by 2/1/2023. Attorneys/Parties should appear for the hearing by calling the Toll-Free Number: (866) 434-5269, Access Code: 8087837. Throughout the telephonic hearing, each speaker will be expected to identify themselves for the record before speaking. Please note that the conference call-in will be used by all cases that are on the court's calendar for the said date, therefore counsel must be in a quiet area while on the line and must have the telephone muted until your case is called. Members of the public and media will be able to call in to listen to this hearing (use toll free number). Persons granted remote access to proceedings are reminded of the general prohibition against photographing, recording, and rebroadcasting court proceedings. Violation of these prohibitions may result in sanctions, including removal of court-issued media credentials, restricted entry to future hearings, denial of entry to future hearings, or any other sanctions deemed necessary by the Court. Mailed notice (rj, )
Order on Motion to dismiss for failure to state a claim
OPINION AND ORDER. For the reasons stated in the accompanying Opinion and Order, the Court grants in part and denies in part the Westmont Defendants' motion to dismiss as it relates to Bakhtiari's state law claims [29]. The Court dismisses Bakhtiari's IHRA claim. Bakhtiari's state common law claims may proceed to the extent he does not base them on racial discrimination. Signed by the Honorable Sara L. Ellis on 1/25/2023:Mailed notice(rj, )
ANNUAL REMINDER: Pursuant to Local Rule 3.2 (Notification of Affiliates), any nongovernmental party, other than an individual or sole proprietorship, must file a statement identifying all its affiliates known to the party after diligent review or, if the party has identified no affiliates, then a statement reflecting that fact must be filed. An affiliate is defined as follows: any entity or individual owning, directly or indirectly (through ownership of one or more other entities), 5% or more of a party. The statement is to be electronically filed as a PDF in conjunction with entering the affiliates in CM/ECF as prompted. As a reminder to counsel, parties must supplement their statements of affiliates within thirty (30) days of any change in the information previously reported. This minute order is being issued to all counsel of record to remind counsel of their obligation to provide updated information as to additional affiliates if such updating is necessary. If counsel has any questions regarding this process, this LINK will provide additional information. Signed by the Executive Committee on 12/29/2022: Mailed notice. (tg, ) 42 Filed & Entered: 01/25/2023
Order on Motion to Dismiss for Failure to State a Claim
OPINION AND ORDER. For the reasons stated in the accompanying Opinion and Order, the Court grants in part and denies in part the Westmont Defendants' motion to dismiss as it relates to Bakhtiari's state law claims [29]. The Court dismisses Bakhtiari's IHRA claim. Bakhtiari's state common law claims may proceed to the extent he does not base them on racial discrimination. Signed by the Honorable Sara L. Ellis on 1/25/2023:Mailed notice(rj, ) 43 Filed & Entered: 01/26/2023
terminate deadlines and hearings
MINUTE entry before the Honorable Sara L. Ellis: The Court grants in part and denies in part the Westmont Defendants' motion to dismiss as it relates to Bakhtiari's state law claims [29]. The Court dismisses Bakhtiari's IHRA claim. Bakhtiari's state common law claims may proceed to the extent he does not base them on racial discrimination. The Court strikes the status date set for 1/26/2023 and resets it to 2/8/2023 at 9:30 a.m. The parties should file a joint status report by 2/1/2023. Attorneys/Parties should appear for the hearing by calling the Toll-Free Number: (866) 434-5269, Access Code: 8087837. Throughout the telephonic hearing, each speaker will be expected to identify themselves for the record before speaking. Please note that the conference call-in will be used by all cases that are on the court's calendar for the said date, therefore counsel must be in a quiet area while on the line and must have the telephone muted until your case is called. Members of the public and media will be able to call in to listen to this hearing (use toll free number). Persons granted remote access to proceedings are reminded of the general prohibition against photographing, recording, and rebroadcasting court proceedings. Violation of these prohibitions may result in sanctions, including removal of court-issued media credentials, restricted entry to future hearings, denial of entry to future hearings, or any other sanctions deemed necessary by the Court. Mailed notice (rj, ) 44 Filed & Entered: 02/01/2023
status report
STATUS Report Plaintiff's Second Status Report by Ali Bakhtiari (Bakhtiari, Ali) 45 Filed & Entered: 02/01/2023
status report
STATUS Report (JOINT) by Wendy Doe, Rishad Rajabali, Rajabali Group, Inc., The, Cassey Roe, Westmont Donut, Inc. (Bonadies, Paul) 46 Filed & Entered: 02/07/2023
terminate deadlines and hearings
MINUTE entry before the Honorable Sara L. Ellis: The Court strikes the status date set for 2/8/2023 and resets it to 8/16/2023 at 9:30 a.m. The Court enters the following discovery schedule: Rule 26(a)(1) disclosures are due by 3/8/2023; written discovery to issue by 3/22/2023; and fact discovery closes on 8/8/2023. The Court enters a referral to the magistrate judge for settlement purposes. The parties should file a joint status report by 8/9/2023 indicating the status of fact discovery, the status of settlement discussions, whether the parties require expert discovery prior to dispositive motion practice, and proposed schedules for expert discovery and summary judgement briefing, where applicable. Attorneys/Parties should appear for the hearing by calling the Toll-Free Number: (866) 434-5269, Access Code: 8087837. Throughout the telephonic hearing, each speaker will be expected to identify themselves for the record before speaking. Please note that the conference call-in will be used by all cases that are on the court's calendar for the said date, therefore counsel must be in a quiet area while on the line and must have the telephone muted until your case is called. Members of the public and media will be able to call in to listen to this hearing (use toll free number). Persons granted remote access to proceedings are reminded of the general prohibition against photographing, recording, and rebroadcasting court proceedings. Violation of these prohibitions may result in sanctions, including removal of court-issued media credentials, restricted entry to future hearings, denial of entry to future hearings, or any other sanctions deemed necessary by the Court. Mailed notice (rj, ) 47 Filed & Entered: 02/16/2023
answer to complaint
ANSWER to Complaint by Wendy Doe, Rishad Rajabali, Rajabali Group, Inc., The, Cassey Roe, Westmont Donut, Inc. (Bonadies, Paul) 48 Filed & Entered: 02/20/2023
certificate of service
CERTIFICATE of Service Plaintiff's Rule 26 Disclosures to Defendants by Ali Bakhtiari (Bakhtiari, Ali) 49 Filed & Entered: 03/21/2023
notice of filing
NOTICE by Ali Bakhtiari SERVICE OF DISCOVERY REQUESTS BY PLAINTIFF (Bakhtiari, Ali) 50 Filed & Entered: 03/22/2023
certificate of service
CERTIFICATE of Service of Discovery by Paul Nickolas Bonadies on behalf of Wendy Doe, Rishad Rajabali, Rajabali Group, Inc., The, Cassey Roe, Westmont Donut, Inc. (Bonadies, Paul) 51 Filed & Entered: 04/21/2023
certificate of service
CERTIFICATE of Service __DISCOVERY ANSWERS BY PLAINTIFF to ROG's and RFP's__ by Ali Bakhtiari regarding certificate of service[50] (Bakhtiari, Ali) 52 Filed & Entered: 05/02/2023Terminated: 05/03/2023
motion for discovery
NOTICE of Motion by Plaintiff Ali Bakhtiari for discovery ---NOM---PLAINTIFF'S MOTION TO COMPEL RESPONSE TO DISCOVERY (Bakhtiari, Ali) Modified on 5/3/2023 (axk, ). 53 Filed & Entered: 05/02/2023Terminated: 11/21/2023
motion for miscellaneous relief
MOTION by Plaintiff Ali Bakhtiari--Supporting Memorandum and Exhibits--PLAINTIFF'S MOTION TO COMPEL RESPONSE TO DISCOVERY (Bakhtiari, Ali) 54 Filed & Entered: 05/08/2023
Expedited referral to magistrate judge
Pursuant to Local Rule 72.1, this case is hereby referred to the calendar of Honorable Jeffrey Cummings for the purpose of holding proceedings related to: settlement conference.(rj, )Mailed notice. 55 Filed & Entered: 05/08/2023
attorney appearance
ATTORNEY Appearance for Defendants Wendy Doe, Rishad Rajabali, Rajabali Group, Inc., The, Cassey Roe, Westmont Donut, Inc. by Jacob Patrick Moore Wright (Moore Wright, Jacob) 56 Filed & Entered: 05/10/2023
set deadlines
MINUTE entry before the Honorable Jeffrey Cummings: This case was referred to Magistrate Judge Cummings to conduct a settlement conference [54]. The parties are ordered to submit a joint status report regarding settlement to this Court's settlement correspondence mailbox (Settlement_Correspondence_Cummings@ilnd.uscourts.gov) by 5/24/23. In their status report, the parties shall address the issues set forth in the first paragraph of the second page of the Court's Standing Order For Settlement Conferences and provide the dates that the parties are mutually available in July and August 2023 for a remote video settlement conference. The deadlines for the submission of settlement letters described in the Standing Order and the date for the settlement conference will be promptly set after the joint status report is received. Mailed notice (cc, ) 57 Filed & Entered: 05/12/2023
set/reset hearings
MINUTE entry before the Honorable Jeffrey Cummings: This case has been referred for a settlement conference. Telephonic status hearing set for 5/16/23 at 1:30 p.m. to discuss referring this matter to the Settlement Assistant Program for appointment of an attorney for plaintiff for purposes of settlement only. Members of the public and media will be able to call in to listen to the hearing. The call-in number is (888) 684-8852 and the access code is 3997645. Persons granted remote access to proceedings are reminded of the general prohibition against photographing, recording, and rebroadcasting of court proceedings. Violation of these prohibitions may result in sanctions, including removal of court issued media credentials, restricted entry to future hearings, denial of entry to future hearings, or any other sanctions deemed necessary by the Court. Mailed notice (cc, ) 58 Filed & Entered: 05/16/2023
telephone conference
MINUTE entry before the Honorable Jeffrey Cummings: Telephonic status hearing held on 5/16/23. The Court requests an attorney from the Settlement Assistance Program to represent plaintiff for a settlement conference in this case. The parties are ordered to submit a joint status report regarding settlement to this Court's settlement correspondence mailbox (Settlement_Correspondence_Cummings@ilnd.uscourts.gov) within 14 days of the appointment of plaintiff's counsel. In their status report, the parties shall address the issues set forth in the first paragraph of the second page of the Court's Standing Order For Settlement Conferences and provide the dates that the parties are mutually available in July 2023 for a remote video settlement conference. The deadlines for the submission of settlement letters described in the Standing Order and the date for the settlement conference will be promptly set after the joint status report is received. Mailed notice (cc, ) 59 Filed: 06/20/2023Entered: 06/21/2023
limited assignment of settlement assistance program counsel
LIMITED Assignment of Settlement Assistance Program Counsel appointing Bennett W. Lasko for Ali Bakhtiari. Signed by the Honorable Jeffrey Cummings on 6/20/2023: Mailed notice. (jk2, ) 60 Filed & Entered: 06/26/2023
limited appearance for settlement
LIMITED APPEARANCE FOR SETTLEMENT by Bennett W. Lasko for Plaintiff Ali Bakhtiari (Lasko, Bennett) 61 Filed & Entered: 06/30/2023Terminated: 07/11/2023
motion to withdraw as attorney
MOTION by Attorney Mackenzie F Beideman to withdraw as attorney for Wendy Doe, Rishad Rajabali, Rajabali Group, Inc., The, Cassey Roe, Westmont Donut, Inc.. No party information provided Presented before Presiding Judge (Beideman, Mackenzie) 62 Filed & Entered: 06/30/2023
notice of motion NOTICE of Motion by Mackenzie Franklin Beideman for presentment of motion to withdraw as attorney, [61] before Honorable Sara L. Ellis on 7/12/2023 at 09:45 AM. (Beideman, Mackenzie) 63 Filed & Entered: 07/05/2023
status report
STATUS Report Joint Settlement Conference by Wendy Doe, Rishad Rajabali, Rajabali Group, Inc., The, Cassey Roe, Westmont Donut, Inc. Presented before Magistrate Judge (Moore Wright, Jacob) 64 Filed & Entered: 07/11/2023
order on motion to withdraw as attorney
MINUTE entry before the Honorable Sara L. Ellis: The Court grants Defendants' motion for leave to withdraw the appearance of counsel [61] and withdraws the appearance of Mackenzie F. Beideman as counsel for Defendants. Mailed notice (rj, ) 65 Filed & Entered: 07/25/2023
set/reset hearings
MINUTE entry before the Honorable Jeffrey Cummings: Remote settlement conference set for 10/5/2023 at 1:00 p.m. In advance of the settlement conference, counsel for the parties will receive the instructions for participation in the remote settlement conference and for participation in a brief pre-settlement conference practice session with the Court's staff. Plaintiff's settlement demand letter in conformance with the Court's Standing Order on Settlement Conferences is due 9/7/2023, and defendant's conforming settlement offer letter is due 9/21/2023. Each party shall email a copy of its letter to Judge Cummings' chambers on the same day that it is provided to opposing counsel. The settlement letters shall be submitted to the Court by e-mail to the Court's settlement correspondence e-mail address (Settlement_Correspondence_Cummings@ilnd.uscourts.gov). Mailed notice (cc, ) 66 Filed & Entered: 08/16/2023
terminate deadlines and hearings
MINUTE entry before the Honorable Sara L. Ellis: In light of the settlement conference scheduled for 10/5/2023, the Court strikes the status date set for 8/16/2023 and resets it to 10/25/2023 at 9:30 AM. The parties should file a joint status report by 10/18/2023 indicating the status of fact discovery, the status of settlement discussions, whether the parties require expert discovery prior to dispositive motion practice, and proposed schedules for expert discovery and summary judgement briefing, where applicable. If the parties file a stipulation of dismissal prior to the next status hearing, no appearance is required. Attorneys/Parties should appear for the hearing by calling the Toll-Free Number: (866) 434-5269, Access Code: 8087837. Throughout the telephonic hearing, each speaker will be expected to identify themselves for the record before speaking. Please note that the conference call-in will be used by all cases that are on the court's calendar for the said date, therefore counsel must be in a quiet area while on the line and must have the telephone muted until your case is called. Members of the public and media will be able to call in to listen to this hearing (use toll free number). Persons granted remote access to proceedings are reminded of the general prohibition against photographing, recording, and rebroadcasting court proceedings. Violation of these prohibitions may result in sanctions, including removal of court-issued media credentials, restricted entry to future hearings, denial of entry to future hearings, or any other sanctions deemed necessary by the Court. Mailed notice (rj, ) 67 Filed & Entered: 08/28/2023
notice of change of address
NOTICE by Paul Nickolas Bonadies of Change of Address (Bonadies, Paul) 68 Filed & Entered: 08/28/2023
notice of change of address
NOTICE by Jacob Patrick Moore Wright of Change of Address (Moore Wright, Jacob) 69 Filed & Entered: 09/27/2023
set/reset hearings
MINUTE entry before the Honorable Jeffrey Cummings: The Court has reviewed the parties' settlement letters. This matter is set for an off-the-record telephonic status conference on 10/2/23 at 11:00 a.m. to discuss whether it will be productive to proceed with the scheduled settlement conference on 10/5/23 given the parties' divergent viewpoints of what occurred during the incident which led to this lawsuit and the wide gulf between plaintiffs' demand and defendants' offer. The parties are further ordered to meet and confer prior to the status conference regarding the realistic prospects of settling this case at the upcoming settlement conference. The Court's staff will provide counsel for the parties with the dial-in information. Mailed notice (ao, ) 70 Filed & Entered: 10/02/2023
telephone conference
MINUTE entry before the Honorable Jeffrey Cummings: Off-the-record status conference regarding settlement held. Plaintiff's counsel will confer with his client and submit to the Court's settlement correspondence mailbox, (Settlement_Correspondence_Cummings@ilnd.uscourts.gov), an email with a response to the question of whether plaintiff will consider a settlement in the range that was discussed during the status conference and plaintiff's response to defendants' settlement offer by the 5:00 p.m. on 10/3/23. The Court will thereafter determine whether it will be productive to proceed with the settlement conference scheduled for 10/5/23. Mailed notice (cc, ) 71 Filed & Entered: 10/03/2023
terminate hearings
MINUTE entry before the Honorable Jeffrey Cummings: The Court has reviewed plaintiff's submission to the Court's settlement correspondence inbox. The 10/5/23 settlement conference will proceed but, on the Court's own motion, is re-set to begin at 2:00 p.m. and will conclude no later than 5:00 p.m. By agreement of the parties, the conference will proceed in person in Courtroom 2266. Mailed notice (cc, ) 72 Filed & Entered: 10/06/2023
settlement conference
MINUTE entry before the Honorable Jeffrey Cummings: Remote video settlement conference held on 10/5/23, the parties have reached an agreement to settle the case, and they will file a joint stipulation to dismiss the case with prejudice in due course. All matters related to this referral having been concluded, the referral is closed and the case is returned to the assigned District Judge. Magistrate Judge Cummings no longer assigned to the case. Mailed notice (cc, ) 73 Filed & Entered: 11/02/2023
stipulation of dismissal
STIPULATION of Dismissal with Prejudice pursuant to Settlement Agreement (Lasko, Bennett) 74 Filed & Entered: 11/21/2023
terminated case
MINUTE entry before the Honorable Sara L. Ellis: Pursuant to the stipulation to dismiss [73] this case is dismissed with prejudice and with each party to bear their own costs. Civil case terminated. Mailed notice (rj, )
MINUTE entry before the Honorable Sara L. Ellis: The Court grants the Inspire Defendants' motion to dismiss [27]. The Court grants in part and defers ruling in part on the Westmont Defendants' motion to dismiss [29]. The Court dismisses Bakhtiari's claims against the Inspire Defendants without prejudice for lack of personal jurisdiction. The Court dismisses Bakhtiari's federal claims against the Westmont Defendants without prejudice for lack of jurisdiction and for failure to state a claim. The Court defers ruling on Bakhtiari's state law claims until after receipt of his affidavit attesting to his domicile. Bakhtiari should submit an affidavit attesting to his domicile, stating where he lives and where he intends to reside, by Tuesday, December 20, 2022. The Court strikes the status date set for 12/13/2022 and resets it to 1/26/2023 at 1:30 p.m. for ruling on Bakhtiari's state law claims. Mailed notice (rj, )
REPLY by Inspire Brands, Inc., Katie Johnson, Nills H Okeson, Bridget Peterson to response in opposition to motion, [34] Defendants Inspire Brands, Inc., Katie Johnson, Nils Okeson, and Bridget Peterson's Reply Memorandum in Support of Their Motion to Dismiss (Kramer, Matthew)
REPLY by Wendy Doe, Rishad Rajabali, Rajabali Group, Inc., The, Cassey Roe, Westmont Donut, Inc. to response in opposition to motion, [35] (Beideman, Mackenzie)
RESPONSE by Ali Bakhtiariin Opposition to MOTION TO DISMISS FOR FAILURE TO STATE A CLAIM by Defendants Cassey Roe, Westmont Donut, Inc., Wendy Doe, Rajabali Group, Inc., The, Rishad Rajabali MOTION by Defendants Cassey Roe, Westmont Donut, Inc., Wendy Doe, Rajabali Group, Inc., The, Rishad Rajabali to dismiss for lack of jurisdiction [29] (Attachments: # (1) Exhibit re MTN Issue No. 1)(Bakhtiari, Ali)
RESPONSE by Ali Bakhtiariin Opposition to MOTION by Defendants Katie Johnson, Bridget Peterson, Inspire Brands, Inc., Nills H Okeson to dismiss for lack of jurisdiction Defendants Inspire Brands, Inc., Katie Johnson, Nils Okeson, and Bridget Peterson's Motion to Dismiss[26] (Bakhtiari, Ali)
MINUTE entry before the Honorable Sara L. Ellis: The Court sets the following briefing schedule on Defendants' motions to dismiss [26], [29]: Plaintiff's responses are due by 9/6/2022 and Defendants' replies are due by 9/20/2022. The Court stays discovery pending ruling on Defendants' motions to dismiss. The Court strikes the status date set for 8/23/2022 and resets it to 12/13/2022 at 9:30 a.m. for ruling on Defendants' motions. Mailed notice (rj, )
NOTICE of Motion by Mackenzie Franklin Beideman for presentment of Motion to Dismiss for Failure to State a Claim,, motion to dismiss/lack of jurisdiction, [29] before Honorable Sara L. Ellis on 8/4/2022 at 01:45 PM. (Beideman, Mackenzie)
MOTION TO DISMISS FOR FAILURE TO STATE A CLAIM by Defendants Cassey Roe, Westmont Donut, Inc., Wendy Doe, Rajabali Group, Inc., The, Rishad Rajabali , MOTION by Defendants Cassey Roe, Westmont Donut, Inc., Wendy Doe, Rajabali Group, Inc., The, Rishad Rajabali to dismiss for lack of jurisdiction (Beideman, Mackenzie)
Notice of Motion to The Inspire Defendants' Motion to Dismiss NOTICE of Motion by Matthew John Kramer for presentment of motion to dismiss/lack of jurisdiction, [26] before Honorable Sara L. Ellis on 8/4/2022 at 01:45 PM. (Kramer, Matthew)
MEMORANDUM by Inspire Brands, Inc., Katie Johnson, Nills H Okeson, Bridget Peterson in support of motion to dismiss/lack of jurisdiction, [26] Defendants Inspire Brands, Inc., Katie Johnson, Nils Okeson, and Bridget Peterson's Memorandum of Law in Support of Their Motion to Dismiss (Attachments: # (1) Exhibit 1 - Declaration of Katie Johnson, # (2) Exhibit 2 - Declaration of Nils Okeson, # (3) Exhibit 3 - Declaration of Bridget Peterson, # (4) Exhibit 4 - Declaration of Derek Ensminger)(Kramer, Matthew)
MINUTE entry before the Honorable Sara L. Ellis: The Court grants Defendants' motion for extension of time to answer or otherwise plead [21]. Defendants' responsive pleadings are due by 8/1/2022. Mailed notice (rj, )
MOTION by Defendants Wendy Doe, Rishad Rajabali, Rajabali Group, Inc., The, Cassey Roe, Westmont Donut, Inc. for extension of time to file responsive pleadings (Beideman, Mackenzie)
MINUTE entry before the Honorable Sara L. Ellis: The Court grants Defendants' motion for extension of time to answer or otherwise plead [16]. Defendants' responsive pleadings are due by 8/1/2022. The initial status conference in this matter is set for 8/23/2022 at 9:30 AM. The parties are directed to review the procedures and requirements for this conference on Judge Ellis' website and to submit the required Initial Status Report by 8/15/2022. Attorneys/Parties should appear for the hearing by calling the Toll-Free Number: (866) 434-5269, Access Code: 8087837. Members of the public and media will be able to call in to listen to this hearing (use toll-free number). Please be sure to keep your phone on mute when you are not speaking. Persons granted remote access to proceedings are reminded of the general prohibition against photographing, recording, and rebroadcasting court proceedings. Violation of these prohibitions may result in sanctions, including removal of court-issued media credentials, restricted entry to future hearings, denial of entry to future hearings, or any other sanctions deemed necessary by the Court.Mailed notice (rj, )
Notice of Motion to Agreed Motion Regarding Response Dates NOTICE of Motion by Matthew John Kramer for presentment of motion for miscellaneous relief[16] before Honorable Sara L. Ellis on 6/1/2022 at 09:45 AM. (Kramer, Matthew)
notification of affiliates pursuant to local rule 3.2
NOTIFICATION of Affiliates pursuant to Local Rule 3.2 by Inspire Brands, Inc. Defendant Inspire Brands, Inc.'s Disclosures Pursuant to Local Rule 3.2 and Fed. R. Civ. P. 7.1 (Kramer, Matthew)
ATTORNEY Appearance for Defendants Inspire Brands, Inc., Katie Johnson, Nills H Okeson, Bridget Peterson by Matthew John Kramer Appearance of Matthew J. Kramer (Kramer, Matthew)
ATTORNEY Appearance for Defendants Inspire Brands, Inc., Katie Johnson, Nills H Okeson, Bridget Peterson by Jeffrey Michael Hansen Appearance of Jeffrey M. Hansen (Hansen, Jeffrey)
CLERK'S NOTICE: Pursuant to Local Rule 73.1(b), a United States Magistrate Judge of this court is available to conduct all proceedings in this civil action. If all parties consent to have the currently assigned United States Magistrate Judge conduct all proceedings in this case, including trial, the entry of final judgment, and all post-trial proceedings, all parties must sign their names on the attached Consent To form. This consent form is eligible for filing only if executed by all parties. The parties can also express their consent to jurisdiction by a magistrate judge in any joint filing, including the Joint Initial Status Report or proposed Case Management Order. (jn, ) 5 Filed & Entered: 05/09/2022
other PLAINTIFF'S CONSENT TO THE MAGISTRATE JUDGE'S AUTHORITY LOCAL RULE 73.1(B) by Ali Bakhtiari (Attachments: # (1) ILND MJ FORM)(Bakhtiari, Ali) 6 Filed & Entered: 05/11/2022
certificate of service
CERTIFICATE of Service by Plaintiff Ali Bakhtiari for deft. Rishad Rajabali (Bakhtiari, Ali) 7 Filed & Entered: 05/11/2022
certificate of service
CERTIFICATE of Service by Plaintiff Ali Bakhtiari for deft. THE RAJABALI GROUP, INC. (Bakhtiari, Ali) 8 Filed & Entered: 05/11/2022
certificate of service
CERTIFICATE of Service by Plaintiff Ali Bakhtiari for deft. WESTMONT DONUT, INC. (Bakhtiari, Ali) 9 Filed & Entered: 05/12/2022
certificate of service
CERTIFICATE of Service by Plaintiff Ali Bakhtiari for deft. INSPIRE BRANDS, INC. (Bakhtiari, Ali) 10 Filed & Entered: 05/20/2022
certificate of service
CERTIFICATE of Service for Bridget Peterson by Ali Bakhtiari (Bakhtiari, Ali) 11 Filed & Entered: 05/20/2022
certificate of service
CERTIFICATE of Service for Katie Johnson by Ali Bakhtiari (Bakhtiari, Ali) 12 Filed & Entered: 05/20/2022
certificate of service
CERTIFICATE of Service for NILLS H. OKESON by Ali Bakhtiari (Bakhtiari, Ali) 13 Filed & Entered: 05/25/2022
attorney appearance
ATTORNEY Appearance for Defendants Inspire Brands, Inc., Katie Johnson, Nills H Okeson, Bridget Peterson by Jeffrey Michael Hansen Appearance of Jeffrey M. Hansen (Hansen, Jeffrey) 14 Filed & Entered: 05/25/2022
attorney appearance
ATTORNEY Appearance for Defendants Inspire Brands, Inc., Katie Johnson, Nills H Okeson, Bridget Peterson by Matthew John Kramer Appearance of Matthew J. Kramer (Kramer, Matthew) 15 Filed & Entered: 05/25/2022
notification of affiliates pursuant to local rule 3.2
NOTIFICATION of Affiliates pursuant to Local Rule 3.2 by Inspire Brands, Inc. Defendant Inspire Brands, Inc.'s Disclosures Pursuant to Local Rule 3.2 and Fed. R. Civ. P. 7.1 (Kramer, Matthew) 16 Filed & Entered: 05/25/2022Terminated: 05/31/2022
motion for miscellaneous relief
MOTION by Defendants Inspire Brands, Inc., Katie Johnson, Nills H Okeson, Bridget Peterson Agreed Motion Regarding Response Dates Agreed Motion Regarding Response Dates (Kramer, Matthew) 17 Filed & Entered: 05/25/2022
notice of motion Notice of Motion to Agreed Motion Regarding Response Dates NOTICE of Motion by Matthew John Kramer for presentment of motion for miscellaneous relief[16] before Honorable Sara L. Ellis on 6/1/2022 at 09:45 AM. (Kramer, Matthew) 18 Filed & Entered: 05/31/2022
attorney appearance
ATTORNEY Appearance for Defendants Wendy Doe, Rishad Rajabali, Rajabali Group, Inc., The, Cassey Roe, Westmont Donut, Inc. by Paul Nickolas Bonadies (Bonadies, Paul) 19 Filed & Entered: 05/31/2022
attorney appearance
ATTORNEY Appearance for Defendants Wendy Doe, Rishad Rajabali, Rajabali Group, Inc., The, Cassey Roe, Westmont Donut, Inc. by Mackenzie Franklin Beideman (Beideman, Mackenzie) 20 Filed & Entered: 05/31/2022
order on motion for miscellaneous relief
MINUTE entry before the Honorable Sara L. Ellis: The Court grants Defendants' motion for extension of time to answer or otherwise plead [16]. Defendants' responsive pleadings are due by 8/1/2022. The initial status conference in this matter is set for 8/23/2022 at 9:30 AM. The parties are directed to review the procedures and requirements for this conference on Judge Ellis' website and to submit the required Initial Status Report by 8/15/2022. Attorneys/Parties should appear for the hearing by calling the Toll-Free Number: (866) 434-5269, Access Code: 8087837. Members of the public and media will be able to call in to listen to this hearing (use toll-free number). Please be sure to keep your phone on mute when you are not speaking. Persons granted remote access to proceedings are reminded of the general prohibition against photographing, recording, and rebroadcasting court proceedings. Violation of these prohibitions may result in sanctions, including removal of court-issued media credentials, restricted entry to future hearings, denial of entry to future hearings, or any other sanctions deemed necessary by the Court.Mailed notice (rj, ) 21 Filed & Entered: 05/31/2022Terminated: 06/06/2022
extension of time
MOTION by Defendants Wendy Doe, Rishad Rajabali, Rajabali Group, Inc., The, Cassey Roe, Westmont Donut, Inc. for extension of time to file responsive pleadings (Beideman, Mackenzie) 22 Filed & Entered: 05/31/2022
notification of affiliates pursuant to local rule 3.2
NOTIFICATION of Affiliates pursuant to Local Rule 3.2 by Rajabali Group, Inc., The (Beideman, Mackenzie) 23 Filed & Entered: 05/31/2022
notification of affiliates pursuant to local rule 3.2
NOTIFICATION of Affiliates pursuant to Local Rule 3.2 by Westmont Donut, Inc. (Beideman, Mackenzie) 24 Filed & Entered: 06/02/2022
notice of motion NOTICE of Motion by Mackenzie Franklin Beideman for presentment of before Honorable Sara L. Ellis on 6/7/2022 at 09:45 AM. (Beideman, Mackenzie) 25 Filed & Entered: 06/06/2022
order on motion for extension of time
MINUTE entry before the Honorable Sara L. Ellis: The Court grants Defendants' motion for extension of time to answer or otherwise plead [21]. Defendants' responsive pleadings are due by 8/1/2022. Mailed notice (rj, ) 26 Filed & Entered: 08/01/2022Terminated: 12/13/2022
motion to dismiss/lack of jurisdiction
MOTION by Defendants Katie Johnson, Bridget Peterson, Inspire Brands, Inc., Nills H Okeson to dismiss for lack of jurisdiction Defendants Inspire Brands, Inc., Katie Johnson, Nils Okeson, and Bridget Peterson's Motion to Dismiss (Attachments: # (1) Exhibit 1 - E-mail exchange)(Kramer, Matthew) 27 Filed & Entered: 08/01/2022
memorandum in support of motion
MEMORANDUM by Inspire Brands, Inc., Katie Johnson, Nills H Okeson, Bridget Peterson in support of motion to dismiss/lack of jurisdiction, [26] Defendants Inspire Brands, Inc., Katie Johnson, Nils Okeson, and Bridget Peterson's Memorandum of Law in Support of Their Motion to Dismiss (Attachments: # (1) Exhibit 1 - Declaration of Katie Johnson, # (2) Exhibit 2 - Declaration of Nils Okeson, # (3) Exhibit 3 - Declaration of Bridget Peterson, # (4) Exhibit 4 - Declaration of Derek Ensminger)(Kramer, Matthew) 28 Filed & Entered: 08/01/2022
notice of motion Notice of Motion to The Inspire Defendants' Motion to Dismiss NOTICE of Motion by Matthew John Kramer for presentment of motion to dismiss/lack of jurisdiction, [26] before Honorable Sara L. Ellis on 8/4/2022 at 01:45 PM. (Kramer, Matthew) 29 Filed & Entered: 08/01/2022Terminated: 01/25/2023
Motion to Dismiss for Failure to State a Claim MOTION TO DISMISS FOR FAILURE TO STATE A CLAIM by Defendants Cassey Roe, Westmont Donut, Inc., Wendy Doe, Rajabali Group, Inc., The, Rishad Rajabali , MOTION by Defendants Cassey Roe, Westmont Donut, Inc., Wendy Doe, Rajabali Group, Inc., The, Rishad Rajabali to dismiss for lack of jurisdiction (Beideman, Mackenzie) 30 Filed & Entered: 08/01/2022
notice of motion NOTICE of Motion by Mackenzie Franklin Beideman for presentment of Motion to Dismiss for Failure to State a Claim,, motion to dismiss/lack of jurisdiction, [29] before Honorable Sara L. Ellis on 8/4/2022 at 01:45 PM. (Beideman, Mackenzie) 31 Filed & Entered: 08/04/2022
terminate deadlines and hearings
MINUTE entry before the Honorable Sara L. Ellis: The Court sets the following briefing schedule on Defendants' motions to dismiss [26], [29]: Plaintiff's responses are due by 9/6/2022 and Defendants' replies are due by 9/20/2022. The Court stays discovery pending ruling on Defendants' motions to dismiss. The Court strikes the status date set for 8/23/2022 and resets it to 12/13/2022 at 9:30 a.m. for ruling on Defendants' motions. Mailed notice (rj, ) 32 Filed & Entered: 08/13/2022
status report
STATUS Report [proposed by plaintiff] by Ali Bakhtiari (Bakhtiari, Ali) 33 Filed & Entered: 08/15/2022
status report
STATUS Report (JOINT) by Wendy Doe, Inspire Brands, Inc., Katie Johnson, Nills H Okeson, Bridget Peterson, Rishad Rajabali, Rajabali Group, Inc., The, Cassey Roe, Westmont Donut, Inc. (Beideman, Mackenzie) 34 Filed & Entered: 08/20/2022
response in opposition to motion
RESPONSE by Ali Bakhtiariin Opposition to MOTION by Defendants Katie Johnson, Bridget Peterson, Inspire Brands, Inc., Nills H Okeson to dismiss for lack of jurisdiction Defendants Inspire Brands, Inc., Katie Johnson, Nils Okeson, and Bridget Peterson's Motion to Dismiss[26] (Bakhtiari, Ali) 35 Filed & Entered: 08/20/2022
response in opposition to motion
RESPONSE by Ali Bakhtiariin Opposition to MOTION TO DISMISS FOR FAILURE TO STATE A CLAIM by Defendants Cassey Roe, Westmont Donut, Inc., Wendy Doe, Rajabali Group, Inc., The, Rishad Rajabali MOTION by Defendants Cassey Roe, Westmont Donut, Inc., Wendy Doe, Rajabali Group, Inc., The, Rishad Rajabali to dismiss for lack of jurisdiction [29] (Attachments: # (1) Exhibit re MTN Issue No. 1)(Bakhtiari, Ali) 36 Filed & Entered: 09/20/2022
reply to response to motion
REPLY by Wendy Doe, Rishad Rajabali, Rajabali Group, Inc., The, Cassey Roe, Westmont Donut, Inc. to response in opposition to motion, [35] (Beideman, Mackenzie) 37 Filed & Entered: 09/20/2022
reply to response to motion
REPLY by Inspire Brands, Inc., Katie Johnson, Nills H Okeson, Bridget Peterson to response in opposition to motion, [34] Defendants Inspire Brands, Inc., Katie Johnson, Nils Okeson, and Bridget Peterson's Reply Memorandum in Support of Their Motion to Dismiss (Kramer, Matthew) 38 Filed & Entered: 12/13/2022
order on motion to dismiss/lack of jurisdiction
MINUTE entry before the Honorable Sara L. Ellis: The Court grants the Inspire Defendants' motion to dismiss [27]. The Court grants in part and defers ruling in part on the Westmont Defendants' motion to dismiss [29]. The Court dismisses Bakhtiari's claims against the Inspire Defendants without prejudice for lack of personal jurisdiction. The Court dismisses Bakhtiari's federal claims against the Westmont Defendants without prejudice for lack of jurisdiction and for failure to state a claim. The Court defers ruling on Bakhtiari's state law claims until after receipt of his affidavit attesting to his domicile. Bakhtiari should submit an affidavit attesting to his domicile, stating where he lives and where he intends to reside, by Tuesday, December 20, 2022. The Court strikes the status date set for 12/13/2022 and resets it to 1/26/2023 at 1:30 p.m. for ruling on Bakhtiari's state law claims. Mailed notice (rj, ) 39 Filed & Entered: 12/13/2022
memorandum opinion and order
OPINION AND ORDER. Signed by the Honorable Sara L. Ellis on 12/13/2022:Mailed notice(rj, ) 40 Filed & Entered: 12/13/2022
declaration
DECLARATION of Ali Bakhtiari regarding memorandum opinion and order[39] DECLARATION OF FACTS [PLAINTIFF'S DOMICILE] (Bakhtiari, Ali) 41 Filed: 12/29/2022Entered: 12/30/2022
Local Rule 3.2 Annual Reminder Order
ANNUAL REMINDER: Pursuant to Local Rule 3.2 (Notification of Affiliates), any nongovernmental party, other than an individual or sole proprietorship, must file a statement identifying all its affiliates known to the party after diligent review or, if the party has identified no affiliates, then a statement reflecting that fact must be filed. An affiliate is defined as follows: any entity or individual owning, directly or indirectly (through ownership of one or more other entities), 5% or more of a party. The statement is to be electronically filed as a PDF in conjunction with entering the affiliates in CM/ECF as prompted. As a reminder to counsel, parties must supplement their statements of affiliates within thirty (30) days of any change in the information previously reported. This minute order is being issued to all counsel of record to remind counsel of their obligation to provide updated information as to additional affiliates if such updating is necessary. If counsel has any questions regarding this process, this LINK will provide additional information. Signed by the Executive Committee on 12/29/2022: Mailed notice. (tg, ) 42 Filed & Entered: 01/25/2023
Order on Motion to Dismiss for Failure to State a Claim
OPINION AND ORDER. For the reasons stated in the accompanying Opinion and Order, the Court grants in part and denies in part the Westmont Defendants' motion to dismiss as it relates to Bakhtiari's state law claims [29]. The Court dismisses Bakhtiari's IHRA claim. Bakhtiari's state common law claims may proceed to the extent he does not base them on racial discrimination. Signed by the Honorable Sara L. Ellis on 1/25/2023:Mailed notice(rj, ) 43 Filed & Entered: 01/26/2023
terminate deadlines and hearings
MINUTE entry before the Honorable Sara L. Ellis: The Court grants in part and denies in part the Westmont Defendants' motion to dismiss as it relates to Bakhtiari's state law claims [29]. The Court dismisses Bakhtiari's IHRA claim. Bakhtiari's state common law claims may proceed to the extent he does not base them on racial discrimination. The Court strikes the status date set for 1/26/2023 and resets it to 2/8/2023 at 9:30 a.m. The parties should file a joint status report by 2/1/2023. Attorneys/Parties should appear for the hearing by calling the Toll-Free Number: (866) 434-5269, Access Code: 8087837. Throughout the telephonic hearing, each speaker will be expected to identify themselves for the record before speaking. Please note that the conference call-in will be used by all cases that are on the court's calendar for the said date, therefore counsel must be in a quiet area while on the line and must have the telephone muted until your case is called. Members of the public and media will be able to call in to listen to this hearing (use toll free number). Persons granted remote access to proceedings are reminded of the general prohibition against photographing, recording, and rebroadcasting court proceedings. Violation of these prohibitions may result in sanctions, including removal of court-issued media credentials, restricted entry to future hearings, denial of entry to future hearings, or any other sanctions deemed necessary by the Court. Mailed notice (rj, ) 44 Filed & Entered: 02/01/2023
status report
STATUS Report Plaintiff's Second Status Report by Ali Bakhtiari (Bakhtiari, Ali) 45 Filed & Entered: 02/01/2023
status report
STATUS Report (JOINT) by Wendy Doe, Rishad Rajabali, Rajabali Group, Inc., The, Cassey Roe, Westmont Donut, Inc. (Bonadies, Paul) 46 Filed & Entered: 02/07/2023
terminate deadlines and hearings
MINUTE entry before the Honorable Sara L. Ellis: The Court strikes the status date set for 2/8/2023 and resets it to 8/16/2023 at 9:30 a.m. The Court enters the following discovery schedule: Rule 26(a)(1) disclosures are due by 3/8/2023; written discovery to issue by 3/22/2023; and fact discovery closes on 8/8/2023. The Court enters a referral to the magistrate judge for settlement purposes. The parties should file a joint status report by 8/9/2023 indicating the status of fact discovery, the status of settlement discussions, whether the parties require expert discovery prior to dispositive motion practice, and proposed schedules for expert discovery and summary judgement briefing, where applicable. Attorneys/Parties should appear for the hearing by calling the Toll-Free Number: (866) 434-5269, Access Code: 8087837. Throughout the telephonic hearing, each speaker will be expected to identify themselves for the record before speaking. Please note that the conference call-in will be used by all cases that are on the court's calendar for the said date, therefore counsel must be in a quiet area while on the line and must have the telephone muted until your case is called. Members of the public and media will be able to call in to listen to this hearing (use toll free number). Persons granted remote access to proceedings are reminded of the general prohibition against photographing, recording, and rebroadcasting court proceedings. Violation of these prohibitions may result in sanctions, including removal of court-issued media credentials, restricted entry to future hearings, denial of entry to future hearings, or any other sanctions deemed necessary by the Court. Mailed notice (rj, ) 47 Filed & Entered: 02/16/2023
answer to complaint
ANSWER to Complaint by Wendy Doe, Rishad Rajabali, Rajabali Group, Inc., The, Cassey Roe, Westmont Donut, Inc. (Bonadies, Paul) 48 Filed & Entered: 02/20/2023
certificate of service
CERTIFICATE of Service Plaintiff's Rule 26 Disclosures to Defendants by Ali Bakhtiari (Bakhtiari, Ali) 49 Filed & Entered: 03/21/2023
notice of filing
NOTICE by Ali Bakhtiari SERVICE OF DISCOVERY REQUESTS BY PLAINTIFF (Bakhtiari, Ali) 50 Filed & Entered: 03/22/2023
certificate of service
CERTIFICATE of Service of Discovery by Paul Nickolas Bonadies on behalf of Wendy Doe, Rishad Rajabali, Rajabali Group, Inc., The, Cassey Roe, Westmont Donut, Inc. (Bonadies, Paul) 51 Filed & Entered: 04/21/2023
certificate of service
CERTIFICATE of Service __DISCOVERY ANSWERS BY PLAINTIFF to ROG's and RFP's__ by Ali Bakhtiari regarding certificate of service[50] (Bakhtiari, Ali) 52 Filed & Entered: 05/02/2023Terminated: 05/03/2023
motion for discovery
NOTICE of Motion by Plaintiff Ali Bakhtiari for discovery ---NOM---PLAINTIFF'S MOTION TO COMPEL RESPONSE TO DISCOVERY (Bakhtiari, Ali) Modified on 5/3/2023 (axk, ). 53 Filed & Entered: 05/02/2023Terminated: 11/21/2023
motion for miscellaneous relief
MOTION by Plaintiff Ali Bakhtiari--Supporting Memorandum and Exhibits--PLAINTIFF'S MOTION TO COMPEL RESPONSE TO DISCOVERY (Bakhtiari, Ali) 54 Filed & Entered: 05/08/2023
Expedited referral to magistrate judge
Pursuant to Local Rule 72.1, this case is hereby referred to the calendar of Honorable Jeffrey Cummings for the purpose of holding proceedings related to: settlement conference.(rj, )Mailed notice. 55 Filed & Entered: 05/08/2023
attorney appearance
ATTORNEY Appearance for Defendants Wendy Doe, Rishad Rajabali, Rajabali Group, Inc., The, Cassey Roe, Westmont Donut, Inc. by Jacob Patrick Moore Wright (Moore Wright, Jacob) 56 Filed & Entered: 05/10/2023
set deadlines
MINUTE entry before the Honorable Jeffrey Cummings: This case was referred to Magistrate Judge Cummings to conduct a settlement conference [54]. The parties are ordered to submit a joint status report regarding settlement to this Court's settlement correspondence mailbox (Settlement_Correspondence_Cummings@ilnd.uscourts.gov) by 5/24/23. In their status report, the parties shall address the issues set forth in the first paragraph of the second page of the Court's Standing Order For Settlement Conferences and provide the dates that the parties are mutually available in July and August 2023 for a remote video settlement conference. The deadlines for the submission of settlement letters described in the Standing Order and the date for the settlement conference will be promptly set after the joint status report is received. Mailed notice (cc, ) 57 Filed & Entered: 05/12/2023
set/reset hearings
MINUTE entry before the Honorable Jeffrey Cummings: This case has been referred for a settlement conference. Telephonic status hearing set for 5/16/23 at 1:30 p.m. to discuss referring this matter to the Settlement Assistant Program for appointment of an attorney for plaintiff for purposes of settlement only. Members of the public and media will be able to call in to listen to the hearing. The call-in number is (888) 684-8852 and the access code is 3997645. Persons granted remote access to proceedings are reminded of the general prohibition against photographing, recording, and rebroadcasting of court proceedings. Violation of these prohibitions may result in sanctions, including removal of court issued media credentials, restricted entry to future hearings, denial of entry to future hearings, or any other sanctions deemed necessary by the Court. Mailed notice (cc, ) 58 Filed & Entered: 05/16/2023
telephone conference
MINUTE entry before the Honorable Jeffrey Cummings: Telephonic status hearing held on 5/16/23. The Court requests an attorney from the Settlement Assistance Program to represent plaintiff for a settlement conference in this case. The parties are ordered to submit a joint status report regarding settlement to this Court's settlement correspondence mailbox (Settlement_Correspondence_Cummings@ilnd.uscourts.gov) within 14 days of the appointment of plaintiff's counsel. In their status report, the parties shall address the issues set forth in the first paragraph of the second page of the Court's Standing Order For Settlement Conferences and provide the dates that the parties are mutually available in July 2023 for a remote video settlement conference. The deadlines for the submission of settlement letters described in the Standing Order and the date for the settlement conference will be promptly set after the joint status report is received. Mailed notice (cc, ) 59 Filed: 06/20/2023Entered: 06/21/2023
limited assignment of settlement assistance program counsel
LIMITED Assignment of Settlement Assistance Program Counsel appointing Bennett W. Lasko for Ali Bakhtiari. Signed by the Honorable Jeffrey Cummings on 6/20/2023: Mailed notice. (jk2, ) 60 Filed & Entered: 06/26/2023
limited appearance for settlement
LIMITED APPEARANCE FOR SETTLEMENT by Bennett W. Lasko for Plaintiff Ali Bakhtiari (Lasko, Bennett) 61 Filed & Entered: 06/30/2023Terminated: 07/11/2023
motion to withdraw as attorney
MOTION by Attorney Mackenzie F Beideman to withdraw as attorney for Wendy Doe, Rishad Rajabali, Rajabali Group, Inc., The, Cassey Roe, Westmont Donut, Inc.. No party information provided Presented before Presiding Judge (Beideman, Mackenzie) 62 Filed & Entered: 06/30/2023
notice of motion NOTICE of Motion by Mackenzie Franklin Beideman for presentment of motion to withdraw as attorney, [61] before Honorable Sara L. Ellis on 7/12/2023 at 09:45 AM. (Beideman, Mackenzie) 63 Filed & Entered: 07/05/2023
status report
STATUS Report Joint Settlement Conference by Wendy Doe, Rishad Rajabali, Rajabali Group, Inc., The, Cassey Roe, Westmont Donut, Inc. Presented before Magistrate Judge (Moore Wright, Jacob) 64 Filed & Entered: 07/11/2023
order on motion to withdraw as attorney
MINUTE entry before the Honorable Sara L. Ellis: The Court grants Defendants' motion for leave to withdraw the appearance of counsel [61] and withdraws the appearance of Mackenzie F. Beideman as counsel for Defendants. Mailed notice (rj, ) 65 Filed & Entered: 07/25/2023
set/reset hearings
MINUTE entry before the Honorable Jeffrey Cummings: Remote settlement conference set for 10/5/2023 at 1:00 p.m. In advance of the settlement conference, counsel for the parties will receive the instructions for participation in the remote settlement conference and for participation in a brief pre-settlement conference practice session with the Court's staff. Plaintiff's settlement demand letter in conformance with the Court's Standing Order on Settlement Conferences is due 9/7/2023, and defendant's conforming settlement offer letter is due 9/21/2023. Each party shall email a copy of its letter to Judge Cummings' chambers on the same day that it is provided to opposing counsel. The settlement letters shall be submitted to the Court by e-mail to the Court's settlement correspondence e-mail address (Settlement_Correspondence_Cummings@ilnd.uscourts.gov). Mailed notice (cc, ) 66 Filed & Entered: 08/16/2023
terminate deadlines and hearings
MINUTE entry before the Honorable Sara L. Ellis: In light of the settlement conference scheduled for 10/5/2023, the Court strikes the status date set for 8/16/2023 and resets it to 10/25/2023 at 9:30 AM. The parties should file a joint status report by 10/18/2023 indicating the status of fact discovery, the status of settlement discussions, whether the parties require expert discovery prior to dispositive motion practice, and proposed schedules for expert discovery and summary judgement briefing, where applicable. If the parties file a stipulation of dismissal prior to the next status hearing, no appearance is required. Attorneys/Parties should appear for the hearing by calling the Toll-Free Number: (866) 434-5269, Access Code: 8087837. Throughout the telephonic hearing, each speaker will be expected to identify themselves for the record before speaking. Please note that the conference call-in will be used by all cases that are on the court's calendar for the said date, therefore counsel must be in a quiet area while on the line and must have the telephone muted until your case is called. Members of the public and media will be able to call in to listen to this hearing (use toll free number). Persons granted remote access to proceedings are reminded of the general prohibition against photographing, recording, and rebroadcasting court proceedings. Violation of these prohibitions may result in sanctions, including removal of court-issued media credentials, restricted entry to future hearings, denial of entry to future hearings, or any other sanctions deemed necessary by the Court. Mailed notice (rj, ) 67 Filed & Entered: 08/28/2023
notice of change of address
NOTICE by Paul Nickolas Bonadies of Change of Address (Bonadies, Paul) 68 Filed & Entered: 08/28/2023
notice of change of address
NOTICE by Jacob Patrick Moore Wright of Change of Address (Moore Wright, Jacob) 69 Filed & Entered: 09/27/2023
set/reset hearings
MINUTE entry before the Honorable Jeffrey Cummings: The Court has reviewed the parties' settlement letters. This matter is set for an off-the-record telephonic status conference on 10/2/23 at 11:00 a.m. to discuss whether it will be productive to proceed with the scheduled settlement conference on 10/5/23 given the parties' divergent viewpoints of what occurred during the incident which led to this lawsuit and the wide gulf between plaintiffs' demand and defendants' offer. The parties are further ordered to meet and confer prior to the status conference regarding the realistic prospects of settling this case at the upcoming settlement conference. The Court's staff will provide counsel for the parties with the dial-in information. Mailed notice (ao, ) 70 Filed & Entered: 10/02/2023
telephone conference
MINUTE entry before the Honorable Jeffrey Cummings: Off-the-record status conference regarding settlement held. Plaintiff's counsel will confer with his client and submit to the Court's settlement correspondence mailbox, (Settlement_Correspondence_Cummings@ilnd.uscourts.gov), an email with a response to the question of whether plaintiff will consider a settlement in the range that was discussed during the status conference and plaintiff's response to defendants' settlement offer by the 5:00 p.m. on 10/3/23. The Court will thereafter determine whether it will be productive to proceed with the settlement conference scheduled for 10/5/23. Mailed notice (cc, ) 71 Filed & Entered: 10/03/2023
terminate hearings
MINUTE entry before the Honorable Jeffrey Cummings: The Court has reviewed plaintiff's submission to the Court's settlement correspondence inbox. The 10/5/23 settlement conference will proceed but, on the Court's own motion, is re-set to begin at 2:00 p.m. and will conclude no later than 5:00 p.m. By agreement of the parties, the conference will proceed in person in Courtroom 2266. Mailed notice (cc, ) 72 Filed & Entered: 10/06/2023
settlement conference
MINUTE entry before the Honorable Jeffrey Cummings: Remote video settlement conference held on 10/5/23, the parties have reached an agreement to settle the case, and they will file a joint stipulation to dismiss the case with prejudice in due course. All matters related to this referral having been concluded, the referral is closed and the case is returned to the assigned District Judge. Magistrate Judge Cummings no longer assigned to the case. Mailed notice (cc, ) 73 Filed & Entered: 11/02/2023
stipulation of dismissal
STIPULATION of Dismissal with Prejudice pursuant to Settlement Agreement (Lasko, Bennett) 74 Filed & Entered: 11/21/2023
terminated case
MINUTE entry before the Honorable Sara L. Ellis: Pursuant to the stipulation to dismiss [73] this case is dismissed with prejudice and with each party to bear their own costs. Civil case terminated. Mailed notice (rj, )
CASE ASSIGNED to the Honorable Sara L. Ellis. Designated as Magistrate Judge the Honorable Jeffrey I. Cummings. Case assignment: Random assignment. (jn, )
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