Judge Torres Refers Possible Settlement in SEC v. Ripple Case to Magistrate Netburn

Judge Who Ordered Release of Hinman Docs to Oversee Possible Settlement in Ripple Case.

Following the release of the summary judgment decision in the SEC v. Ripple case, US District Judge Analisa Torres referred the next stage of the case to Magistrate Sarah Netburn.

According to paperwork filed yesterday, as Fox Business journalist Eleanor Terrett reported, Judge Torres transferred judiciary oversight of selected portions of the case to her colleague Netburn.

?NEW: District Judge Torres has referred the @Ripple case to Magistrate Judge Netburn for General Pretrial (includes scheduling, discovery, non-dispositive pre-trial motions and settlement). ?? pic.twitter.com/EyrA3flpXC

— Eleanor Terrett (@EleanorTerrett) July 17, 2023

Netburn to Oversee General Pretrial of SEC v. Ripple

Per the single-page document, Netburn will oversee the case’s General pretrial, representing the next stage of the lawsuit.

For context, the General Pretrial relates to a hearing before a trial. During this stage, the plaintiff and defendants’ attorneys are expected to determine the facts, issues, and laws before the court trial.

Notably, this case stage involves scheduling, discovery, non-dispositive pretrial motions, and settlement proceedings.

Parties Ordered to Agree on Settlement Conference Dates

In line with the settlement aspect of the case, Magistrate Netburn has ordered the SEC and Ripple to select three dates for a possible settlement conference if they deem fit.

The Crypto Basic reported earlier that the court ordered the parties to select the date at least six to eight weeks beforehand due to its busy schedule.

With Judge Torres referring the General Pretrial of the Ripple case to Netburn, XRP community members have expressed optimism that the pretrial phase will favor the leading blockchain company.

Reason Behind XRP Community’s Optimism

It is worth noting that Netburn has been involved in the case from its initial stage. Magistrate Netburn has a history of ruling in favor of Ripple against the SEC.

She ordered the SEC to surrender the hotly contested Hinman documents, the drafts of William Hinman’s June 14, 2018 speech.

The judge also accused the SEC of hypocrisy while criticizing the regulator’s litigation tactics during the legal tussle for Hinman documents. Furthermore, Netburn noted that the SEC only “adopts litigation positions to further its goals and not out of a faithful allegiance to the law.” 

Based on her history in the case, many XRP enthusiasts hope she will continue to issue rulings in Ripple’s favor based on the facts of the case.