Judge Payne grants joint motion setting discovery deadlines and class certification hearing

District Judge Robert E. Payne granted the parties' joint motion to set discovery deadlines on January 30, 2026. The order establishes a schedule that will govern discovery activities in the case.

The court set a hearing on the plaintiffs' motion for class certification for July 24, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. This hearing will determine whether the case can proceed as a class action. The docket number for the joint motion is 22, but the case's filing date and court remain unspecified in the public record.

The discovery schedule will shape the pace and scope of fact and expert discovery leading up to the class certification hearing. The plaintiffs must meet procedural and substantive requirements to secure class status, which could significantly affect the case's trajectory.

Judge Payne's order signals the court's intent to move the case forward on a defined timetable. The parties now face deadlines for exchanging evidence and briefing the class certification issues. The case remains active with no further rulings issued since the discovery order.