Ruben Rivas Flores filed suit under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 against Officers Jason Gonzalez, Kayla Wainwright, Chase Hammons, and Jeffrey Martin, as well as the City of Bakersfield, alleging unreasonable seizure and excessive force in violation of the Fourth Amendment. The incident occurred on November 26, 2022, in Kern County. Defendants maintain that all actions were lawful and reasonable, and they are preserving a qualified immunity defense.
Magistrate Judge Kirk E. Sherriff issued a tentative pretrial order on January 13, 2026, following a final pretrial conference the day before. The order sets a jury trial for June 16, 2026, estimated to last three to four days, with a trial confirmation hearing on June 8, 2026. The jury will consist of eight jurors.
The parties have staked out sharply opposing evidentiary positions ahead of trial. Flores intends to move to admit all body-worn camera footage from seven named officers, his medical records from Kern Medical Center, and expert testimony from Roger A. Clark on police use-of-force standards. Defendants plan to seek exclusion of Clark's opinions entirely, along with any evidence of prior lawsuits, citizen complaints, EIS notifications, internal affairs investigations, or discipline of the defendant officers or other officer witnesses; any argument that officers were not sufficiently trained on the use of force; and any reference to the fact that Flores was not criminally charged following the incident.
The City of Bakersfield also faces a Monell-style challenge: Flores disputes whether the city maintained policies or customs — including failures to train, supervise, and discipline, as well as ratification of unconstitutional conduct through inadequate investigation, and deliberate indifference to constitutional rights — that caused the alleged violations. Defendants contest that framing and seek dismissal of the case along with fees and costs.
The pretrial order bifurcates the punitive damages question. If the jury finds punitive liability in the first phase, a second phase will address the amount of any punitive damages. Both sides have reserved their rights to seek attorneys' fees under 42 U.S.C. § 1988.
The court noted at the pretrial conference that a settlement conference may be productive and directed the parties to contact the courtroom deputy of Magistrate Judge Christopher D. Baker within seven days to schedule one before trial.
Motions in limine are due May 12, 2026, with oppositions due May 26. Proposed jury instructions and verdict forms are due May 19, 2026.