Brown v. Lea County Sheriff's Department et al

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
DISTRICT OF NEW MEXICO
ZANE BROWN,
Plaintiff, No. 2:23-cv-355 DHU/GJF
v.
LEA COUNTY BOARD OF
COUNTY COMMISSIONERS,
COREY HELTON, and MICHAEL WALKER,
Defendants.
ORDER GRANTING IN PART UNOPPOSED MOTION
TO EXTEND DISPOSITIVE MOTIONS DEADLINE
THIS MATTER is before the Court on the Joint Motion to Extend Dispositive Motions
Deadline [Dkt. 74]. In the Motion, which represents the fourth time the parties have sought to
extend the original scheduling order, the parties seek (1) an extension of the dispositive motions
deadline by another six weeks, from March 27 to May 8, 2026, and (2) an extraordinary 90-day
extension of the ordinary 14-day deadline for Plaintiff’s response to Defendants’ forthcoming
motion for summary judgment and qualified immunity. In light of the looming June 1, 2026 jury
trial setting that has been in place for more than a year [see Dkt. 54] and in light of the obvious
effect on the trial date that granting this Motion would have, the undersigned solicited the views
of the presiding judge on the instant Motion.
IT IS THEREFORE ORDERED that the Motion is GRANTED to the following extent:
Dispositive Motion deadline is extended only until April 10, 2026.
Plaintiff is authorized 45 days in which to respond to Defendants’ forthcoming Motion for
Summary Judgment and Qualified Immunity, with Defendants’ reply due 14 days thereafter.
The Motion is DENIED in all other respects.
Case 2:23-cv-00355-DHU-GJF Document 75 Filed 03/26/26 Page 1 of 2

The presiding judge will VACATE AND RESET the trial date by separate order.
_______________________________________
THE HONORABLE GREGORY J. FOURATT
UNITED STATES MAGISTRATE JUDGE
Case 2:23-cv-00355-DHU-GJF Document 75 Filed 03/26/26 Page 2 of 2