In In re: Aftermarket Automotive Lighting Products Antitrust Litigation, Central District of California Judge George H. Wu lifted a stay on multidistrict litigation against automotive lighting manufacturer Eagle Eyes Traffic Industrial Co. Ltd. Although a parallel criminal case is on-going, Judge Wu concluded that the plaintiffs would suffer from additional delay.
In 2008, direct purchasers of automotive lighting filed a class action, and some defendants settled. After the Department of Justice indicted Eagle Eyes (a non-settling defendant) and two executives, the court stayed the case. The plaintiffs moved to lift the stay after the trial date for the criminal proceeding was moved back to September, arguing that delay would make it harder to present their case. In overturning the stay, Judge Wu expressed skepticism that the September date would hold up. Although he ordered the parties to move forward, he stated that he would defer to the court handling the criminal case on discovery matters.