UNITED STATES v. COLBURN (2020)

United States District Court, D. Massachusetts.

UNITED STATES of America, v. Gregory COLBURN, et al., Defendants.

Criminal Action No. 19-10080-NMG

Decided: October 19, 2020

Eric S. Rosen, Alexia R. De Vincentis, Justin D. O'Connell, Kristen A. Kearney, Stephen E. Frank, Leslie Wright, United States Attorney's Office MA, Boston, MA, Karin Michelle Bell, U.S. Attorney's Office - MA, Worcester, MA, for USA. David S. Schumacher, Hooper, Lundy & Bookman, P.C., Boston, MA, Jordan R.C. Kearney, Pro Hac Vice, Hooper, Lundy Bookman, P.C., San Francisco, CA, Patric Hooper, Pro Hac Vice, Hooper, Lundy & Bookman, PC, Los Angeles, CA, for Defendants Gregory Colburn, Amy Colburn. Brian T. Kelly, Joshua C.H. Sharp, Lauren Maynard, Nixon Peabody LLP, Robert L. Sheketoff, Boston, MA, Donald J. Campbell, Campbell & Williams, Las Vegas, NV, for Defendant Gamal Abdelaziz. Stephen H. Sutro, Pro Hac Vice, Duane Morris LLP, San Francisco, CA, Christian G. Kiely, David E. Meier, Melinda L. Thompson, Todd & Weld, Boston, MA, for Defendants Diane Blake, Todd Blake. Chase A. Scolnick, Pro Hac Vice, Jennifer L. Keller, Pro Hac Vice, Reuben Camper Cahn, Pro Hac Vice, KELLER/ANDERLE LLP, Irvine, CA, for Defendant I-Hsin Chen. Eoin P. Beirne, Mark E. Robinson, R. Robert Popeo, Cory S. Flashner, Mathilda McGee-Tubb, Peter Charles Mulcahy, Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky and Popeo, PC, Boston, MA, for Defendant Elisabeth Kimmel. Jack W. Pirozzolo, Sidley Austin LLP, Boston, MA, Joan M. Loughnane, Pro Hac Vice, Sidley Austin LLP, New York, NY, John C. Hueston, Pro Hac Vice, Newport Beach, CA, Marshall A. Camp, Pro Hac Vice, Brittani A. Jackson, Pro Hac Vice, Hueston Hennigan LLP, Los Angeles, CA, for Defendant William McGlashan, Jr. Allen J. Ruby, Pro Hac Vice, Jack P. DiCanio, Pro Hac Vice, Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP, Palo Alto, CA, Michael K. Loucks, Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP, Boston, MA, for Defendant Marci Palatella. Andrew E. Tomback, Pro Hac Vice, McLaughlin & Stern, LLP, New York, NY, Michael Kendall, Yakov Malkiel, White & Case, LLP, Boston, MA, for Defendant John Wilson. Megan A. Siddall, Seth B. Orkand, Tracy A. Miner, Miner Orkand Siddall LLP, Boston, MA, for Defendant Homayoun Zadeh. Matthew L. Schwartz, Pro Hac Vice, Sara K. Winik, Pro Hac Vice, Boies Schiller Flexner LLP, New York, NY, Nicholas C. Theodorou, Foley Hoag LLP, Martin G. Weinberg, Martin G. Weinberg, PC, Michael Pabian, Michael Pabian Law Office, LLC, Boston, MA, for Defendant Robert Zangrillo.

MEMORANDUM & ORDER

The Court has carefully considered the assented-to motion to continue January 2021 trial filed by defendants I-Hsin “Joey” Chen, Amy Colburn, Gregory Colburn, Elisabeth Kimmel, William McGlashan, Jr. and Marci Palatella (“Group 2 defendants”) (Docket No. 1512) and the declarations filed ex parte and under seal in support of that motion (Docket Nos. 1516, 1517, 1518, 1522 & 1526). The Court will allow the motion because of the current logistical difficulties in conducting a multiple-defendant, criminal jury trial while maintaining the necessary safeguards during the continuing pandemic. The continuance is not, however, to be understood as warranting an indefinite postponement of the trial based upon current procedural difficulties faced by the parties and witnesses.

In the extended time provided during this continuance, counsel shall make arrangements 1) to complete discovery by taking video depositions, 2) to meet in person or by videoconference with parties and witnesses such that documents can be reviewed and witnesses prepared remotely and 3) for parties and witnesses who must be present at trial to do whatever is necessary, including requisite quarantining, to be available in person at trial. The parties are encouraged to agree upon the appearance of witnesses at trial by video deposition where at all possible.

This is a criminal case in which the initial indictments were returned in March, 2019 and, even in light of the difficulties caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, two years is long enough to wait for trial.

ORDER

For the foregoing reasons, the motion of the Group 2 defendants to continue the January 2021 trial (Docket No. 1512) is ALLOWED. The following amended pretrial schedule deadlines shall apply:

1) Government expert disclosures: January 15, 2021;

2) Reciprocal discovery from defendants: January 25, 2021;

3) Government exhibit/witness lists: February 5, 2021;

4) Defense expert disclosures: February 15, 2021;

5) Defense exhibit/witness lists: March 5, 2021;

6) Meet/confer on documents, etc.: March 10, 2021;

7) Rebuttal expert disclosures: March 17, 2021;

8) All parties motions in limine, voir dire, jury instructions: March 19, 2021;

9) All responses to motions in limine, voir dire, jury instructions: March 26, 2021;

10) Final pretrial conference: Tuesday, April 13, 2021 at 3:00 P.M.; and

11) Jury trial to commence on: Tuesday, April 20, 2021 at 9:00 A.M.

So ordered.

GORTON, United States District Judge

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