Excerpt: ... is granted 10 days' leave to file its First Amended Answer, which will run from service by the clerk of the minute order; new allegations/language must be set in boldface type. To overrule all other special and general demurrers. To deny the motion to strike in its entirety. Explanation: Demurrer General Demurrers Plaintiff raises general demurrers to 44 of the affirmative defenses based on Code of Civil Procedure section 430.20, subdivision (a)...

Excerpt: ...on motion of a party, after notice and hearing, make an order…that the trial of any issue or any part thereof shall precede the trial of any other issue or any part thereof in the case…. Similarly, Code Civ. Proc. § 1048(b) specifies the court's discretion in regard to bifurcating issues for separate trial: The court, in furtherance of convenience or to avoid prejudice, or when separate trials will be conducive to expedition and economy, may...

Excerpt: ...the court shall grant the motion only if it completely disposes of the defense. The plaintiff bears the initial burden to show there is no triable issue of material fact as to the defense and that he or she is entitled to judgment on the defense as a matter of law. In so doing, the plaintiff must negate an essential element of the defense, or establish the defendant does not possess and cannot reasonably obtain evidence needed to support the defe...

Excerpt: ...to consider late‐filed papers so long as the responding party has been given adequate notice and an opportunity to respond. (See Michael H. v. Gerald D. (1987) 191 Cal.App.3d 995, 1004.) Defendants provided a timely, complete reply to Plaintiff's opposition. Plaintiff's late papers will be considered. Burden on Summary Judgment In ruling on a motion for summary judgment or summary adjudication, the court must “consider all of the evidence'...

Excerpt: ...t of $950.00 are ordered against plaintiff's counsel Edward Kerley, and his law firm, Kerley Schaffer LLP, and shall be paid to the court no later than Wednesday, October 16, 2019. Explanation: Sanctions under Code of Civil Procedure section 128.5 Sanctions under this statute must be denied, since subdivision (i) of Code of Civil Procedure Section 128.5 expressly states that this sanctions statute “applies to actions or tactics that were part o...

Excerpt: ...ins unanswered, as plaintiff has failed to provide any valid basis to determine potential damages. Considering that counsel interviewed some fifty of the class members (almost 1/6th of the class) and obtained payroll and time records, the employment of an expert to determine a violation rate and consequent probable damages in a statistically valid manner should be relatively uncomplicated, but is necessary. b. Standards An agreement of the partie...

Excerpt: ...planation: Code of Civil Procedure section 473 authorizes the trial court, in its discretion, to allow amendments in furtherance of justice. (Code Civ. Proc., § 473; Cherrigan v. City etc. of San Francisco (1968) 262 Cal.App.2d 643, 653.) Where no prejudice is shown to the adverse party, “courts are bound to apply a policy of liberality in permitting amendments to the complaint at any stage of the proceedings, up to and including trial.” (At...

Excerpt: ...Explanation: Under Code of Civil Procedure section 387, subdivision (d)(2), “The court may, upon timely application, permit a nonparty to intervene in the action or proceeding if the person has an interest in the matter in litigation, or in the success of either of the parties, or an interest against both.” Also, under Labor Code section 3852, “Any employer who pays, or becomes obligated to pay compensation, or who pays, or becomes obligate...

Excerpt: ...ion of the First Amended Complaint (FAC) alleged against Defendants Laton Unified School District, Laton High School, and Jason Krikava for failing to file the claims within the applicable statute of limitations. Defendants shall have ten (10) court days in which to respond the FAC. Explanation: A general demurrer admits the truth of all material allegations and a Court will “give the complaint a reasonable interpretation by reading it as a who...

Excerpt: ...motion to dismiss, motion for joinder, or such other procedural vehicle as might be appropriate. The demurrer to the Third Cause of Action is sustained without leave to amend, unless Plaintiffs request oral argument and make a specific proffer of facts in accordance with Code of Civil Procedure §430.41, subdivision (e)(1). The demurrers to the Fifth Cause of Action are sustained with leave to amend. Plaintiff may allege the facts as set forth in...

Excerpt: ...the motion is denied as to any of the causes of action, then the entire motion must be denied. (Homestead Savings v. Superior Court (1986) 179 Cal.App.3d 494, 497‐498.) Next, Sarantos contends that he is entitled to summary judgment as to all causes of action because neither he nor any manager of Club 500 authorized, directed, or ratified the conduct of their employee, Nai Saelee, when she wrote “Blackiiee” on plaintiff's receipt and told h...

Excerpt: ...n order relieving them from their waiver of objections to the request for production of documents, set one. (Code Civ. Proc. § 2031.300, subd. (a).) To grant defendants' motion for a protective order precluding them from producing documents containing proprietary and confidential information. (Code Civ. Proc. § 2031.060, subd. (a), (b).) Explanation: Motion for Relief from Waiver of Objections: Defendants seek relief under Code of Civil Procedu...

Excerpt: ...for discovery over trial by surprise, must construe the facts before it liberally in favor of discovery, may not use its discretion to extend the limits on discovery beyond those authorized by the Legislature, and should prefer partial to outright denials of discovery. [Citation.]” (Williams v. Superior Court (2017) 3 Cal.5th 531, 540; see Code Civ. Proc. §2017.010.) “Unless otherwise limited by order of the court in accordance with this tit...

Excerpt: ...dure section 36, subdivision (a), A party to a civil action who is over 70 years of age may petition the court for a preference, which the court shall grant if the court makes both of the following findings: (1) The party has a substantial interest in the action as a whole. (2) The health of the party is such that a preference is necessary to prevent prejudicing the party's interest in the litigation. (Code Civ. Proc., § 36, subd. (a).) “U...

Excerpt: ...mend. Defendant Taja Investments, LLC, is granted 10 days' leave to file its answer to the complaint, with the time to run from service by the clerk of the minute order. Explanation: Standing to Sue Defendant begins by arguing that plaintiff does not have legal capacity to sue, and refers to Code of Civil Procedure section 430.10, subdivision (b), but then it argues that plaintiff is not a real party in interest and therefore lacks standing, with...

Excerpt: ...0 days of the date of service of this order. All new allegations shall be in boldface. 3 Explanation: First, to the extent that plaintiff has objected that defendant's demurrer contains a number of typographical errors that render the demurrer overly confusing with regard to which causes of action and parties are at issue, defendant has now filed notices of errata that clarify that the demurrer relates to the first and fifth causes of action for ...

Excerpt: ...breach as the proximate or legal cause of the resulting injury.” (Ladd v. County of San Mateo (1996) 12 Cal.4th 913, 917, internal citation and quotation marks omitted.) In the instant action, Plaintiff alleges that he was employed by the State as an inhome caregiver; was a member of the union; was told that when he began work, he would be provided with medical insurance within a few months; and that medical insurance was not provided for over ...

Excerpt: ... to defendant if leave is granted on the eve of trial. “ ‘Code of Civil Procedure section 473, which gives the courts power to permit amendments in furtherance of justice, has received a very liberal interpretation by the courts of this state.... In spite of this policy of liberality, a court may deny a good amendment in proper form where there is unwarranted delay in presenting it.... On the other hand, where there is no prejudice to the adv...

Excerpt: ...plaintiff to answer defense counsel's question regarding the documents she consulted before her deposition. To deny the motion to the extent that defendant seeks to compel plaintiff to provide further responses regarding the redacted responses to requests for production of documents. To grant defendant's request for sanctions against plaintiff, in the amount of $1,950. Plaintiff shall pay sanctions within 30 days. Explanation: First, plaintiff im...

Excerpt: ...les of Court, Rule 3.1350(b).) This action was filed by plaintiff Cold Springs against Wells Fargo only, contending that plaintiff is the only entity with right to the funds on deposit with Wells Fargo in accounts XXXX‐1634, XXXX‐5109, XXXX‐8420, and XXXX‐8655. Wells Fargo filed a Cross‐Complaint in Interpleader on July 30, 2018, naming Cold Springs and Santa Rosa (the only other tribe claiming an interest in the accounts) as cross‐de...

Excerpt: ...right to file this case – as a result of defendant's refusal to pay mediation costs, pursuant to Roldan v. Callahan & Blaine (2013) 219 Cal.App.4th 87 and Tillman v. Rheingold, Valet, Rheingold, Shkolnik & McCartney (9th Cir. 2016) 825 F.3d 1069. On a procedural note, defendant argues that this court should not consider plaintiff's opposition because the arbitration agreement is governed by the CAA, which requires plaintiff to respond within 10...

Excerpt: ...n of bullying, harassment and discrimination based on race by coworker Joyce Kennedy and supervisor Sharon Murphy. Plaintiff was terminated following an investigation into a potential threatening or harassing email sent by plaintiff to Murphy. Plaintiff contends that the termination was pretextual. Defendants move for summary adjudication of plaintiff's fifth cause of action for wrongful termination in violation of public policy. When a plaintiff...

Excerpt: ...y September 13, 2019. To set a return date of Thursday, May 21, 2020 for a report to the Court of the final distribution and amendment of the judgment pursuant to Code of Civil Procedure section 384(b). Explanation: 1. Final Approval of Settlement California Rules of Court, Rule 3.769(g) states: “Before final approval, the court must conduct an inquiry into the fairness of the proposed settlement.” Subsection (h) states: “If the court appro...

Excerpt: ... by the parties and submitted to the court for signature. Explanation: Plaintiffs originally moved to compel nonparty Fresno County Public Defender (“FCPD”) to produce documents responsive to seven requests for production of documents contained in a deposition subpoena. Following a continuance so that the parties could file a joint separate statement of items in dispute, the discovery dispute has been narrowed to four categories of documents ...

Excerpt: ...filed motions to quash service of summons on the grounds that the manner of service actually performed was not “personal service” in accordance with Code of Civil Procedure §415.10, et seq. According to the representations by Plaintiff in her opposition, the summons and complaint were left in envelopes with the secretary at the office of Defendant School District. Defendants claim the envelopes were unmarked, but Plaintiff has provided photo...

Excerpt: ...motion for leave to file a First Amended Complaint. Plaintiff seeks (1) to add a new Doe Defendant, Laboratory Corporation of America, as Plaintiff's joint employer; and (2) to add a cause of action for failure to hire Plaintiff in violation of FEHA. The court's discretion will usually be exercised liberally to permit amendment of the pleadings. (Nestle v. Santa Monica (1972) 6 Cal.3d 920, 939.) If a motion to amend is made in a timely fashion, a...

Excerpt: ...Defendants Wildwood Packing and Cooling, Inc. and Luke Woods to Continue Trial in Case Number 15CECG03406. Tentative Ruling: To deny the motion for summary judgment or, in the alternative, for summary adjudication in Case Number 15CECG03406. To grant the motion for consolidation. Case Number 15CECG03406 is thereby ordered consolidated with Case Number 18CECG03169 for all purposes. All trial dates and associated discovery deadlines are thereby ord...

Excerpt: ...order. Explanation: This is a legal malpractice action. Plaintiff alleges that he retained defendants Nicholas Wagner and Wagner, Jones, Kopfman & Artenian to represent him in a wrongful discharge matter filed in federal court against his employer. In his causes of action for legal malpractice and breach of fiduciary duty, plaintiff alleges that SK Foods filed for bankruptcy, and defendants negligently represented him in that they (1) failed to p...

Excerpt: ...ute a cause of action against that defendant. The grounds for the motion must appear on the face of the challenged pleading or from matters that may be judicially noticed. The trial court must accept as true all material facts properly pleaded[.]” (Stevenson Real Estate Services, Inc. v. CB Richard Ellis Real Estate Services, Inc. (2006) 138 Cal.App.4th 1215, 1219, internal citations and quotation marks omitted.) “A dangerous condition exists...

Excerpt: ...seph A. West to pay the sum of $1,030 in sanctions to Cochran, Davis & Associates within 30 days of the clerk's service of this order. Explanation: Special Interrogatories, Set Two were served on plaintiff by mail on March 29, 2019. (Hansen Decl. ¶ 1; Ex. A.) Responses were mailed August 1, 2019, after this motion was filed June 17, 2019. (West Decl. ¶ 2.) The motion to compel the initial responses to the form interrogatories is moot, save for ...

Excerpt: ...tion to strike punitive damage allegations with leave to amend. A Fourth Amended Complaint must be filed and served within 10 days of the clerk's service of this minute order. New allegations must be in boldface type font. Explanation: Demurrer: First Cause of Action – Breach of Insurance Contract CACI No. 2300 sets forth three elements of a claim for breach of an insurance contract by nonpayment: (1) plaintiff suffered a loss, which was covere...

Excerpt: ...eing stricken under Code of Civil Procedure section 435. It appears to be appropriate to raise this issue at the pleading stage via a motion to strike. In Reply defendant cited to Interactive Multimedia Artists, Inc. v. Superior Court (Allstate Ins. Co.) (1998) 62 Cal.App.4th 1546 for this issue. However, there the motion to strike was brought as a motion in limine (Id. at p. 1550), so it was not done at the pleading stage. However, in Nationwide...

Excerpt: ...or legal] cause between the breach and (4) the plaintiff's injury.” (Mendoza v. City of Los Angeles (1998) 66 Cal.App.4th 1333, 1339.) Whether a duty exists is a question of law. (Doe v. United States Youth Soccer Assn., Inc. (2017) 8 Cal.App.5th 1118, 1128.) “[E]ach person has a duty to use ordinary care and is liable for injuries caused by his [or her] failure to exercise reasonable care in the circumstances. (Parsons v. Crown Disposal ...

Excerpt: ... class action is proper. Luckey v. Superior Court (2014) 228 Cal. App. 4th 81 (rev. denied). See also Newberg, Newberg on Class Actions (T.R. Westlaw, 2017) Section 7:3: “The parties' representation of an uncontested motion for class certification does not relieve the Court of the duty of determining whether certification is appropriate.” The case so requiring is Amchem Prods., Inc. v. Windsor (1997) 521 U.S. 591, 620 (“Amchem”): “Confr...

Excerpt: ...ailure to state facts sufficient to constitute a cause of action. (Code Civ. Proc. § 430.10, subd. (e).) To deny the motions to strike the allegations and prayers for punitive damages and attorney's fees. To grant leave to amend, except as stated below. Plaintiffs shall serve and file their second amended complaint within 10 days of the date of service of this order. All new allegations shall be in boldface. Explanation: A. Demurrer Untimely Opp...

Excerpt: ...n: Attorney's Fees While the fee awards should be fully compensatory, the trial court's role is not to simply rubber stamp the defendant's request. (Ketchum v. Moses (2001) 24 Cal.4th 1122, 1133; Robertson v. Rodriguez (1995) 36 Cal.App.4th 347, 361.) Rather, the court must ascertain whether the amount sought is reasonable. (Robertson v. Rodriguez, supra, 36 Cal.App.4th at p. 361.) The party seeking attorney's fees has the burden of e...

Excerpt: ...demurrer to test the truth of the plaintiff's allegations or the accuracy with which [plaintiff] describes the defendant's conduct.” (Del E. Webb Corp. v. Structural Materials Co. (1981) 123 Cal.App.3d 593, 604.) However, though “allegations of a complaint must be accepted as true for purposes of demurrer, the facts appearing in exhibits attached to the complaint will also be accepted as true and, if contrary to the allegations in the...

Excerpt: ...be just, relieve a party or his or her legal representative from a judgment, dismissal, order, or other proceeding taken against him or her through his or her mistake, inadvertence, surprise, or excusable neglect.” (Code Civ. Proc. §473(b).) “Where a default is entered because defendant has relied upon a codefendant or other interested party to defend, the question is whether the defendant was reasonably justified under the circumstances in ...

Excerpt: ...h was a proximate or legal cause of injuries suffered by the plaintiff.” (United States Liab. Ins. Co. v. Haidinger– Hayes, Inc. (1970) 1 Cal.3d 586, 594.) Likewise, in order to establish premises liability on a negligence theory, a plaintiff must prove duty, breach, causation and damages. (Ortega v. Kmart Corp. (2001) 26 Cal.4th 1200, 1205. Defendant's motion is based solely on the theory that property owners are not liable for damages cause...

Excerpt: ...Hospital & Medical Center's the motion to strike the fourth cause action and the prayer for relief for civil penalties pursuant to Health & Safety Code § 7158.3(b)(4), without leave to amend. (Code Civ. Proc. § 436(a).) Defendants shall file their answers to the Fifth Amended Complaint within 10 days of service of the order by the clerk. Explanation: Initially the court notes that Fresno Community Hospital Medical Center (“Community Hospital�...

Excerpt: ... the reply brief, is denied without prejudice. Explanation: Plaintiff Armida Gonzales has filed this motion for leave to file a First Amended Complaint. Plaintiff seeks to add causes of action for vicarious liability for the tortious acts and omissions of an employee and/or independent contractors, violation of a mandatory duty, and dangerous condition of public property against Defendants City of Fresno and Fresno Housing Authority (FHA). The FA...

Excerpt: ...e statement, then plaintiffs' separate statement shall be filed by August 8, 2019, and opposing parties' responsive separate statement shall be filed by August 21, 2019. Explanation: Plaintiffs move to compel nonparty County of Fresno Public Defender to produce documents responsive to seven requests for production of documents contained in a deposition subpoena. However, plaintiffs have not filed the required separate statement, which the court b...

Excerpt: ... and file his first amended complaint within 10 days of the date of service of this order. All new allegations shall be in boldface. Explanation: Demurrer: Defendant Saelee demurs to the first cause of action for violation of the Unruh Act, contending that the Unruh Act only applies to “business establishments” and not individuals, and therefore plaintiff cannot state a claim against her. However, defendant has failed to show that plaintiff c...

Excerpt: ...be answered will run from service by the clerk of the minute order plus 5 days for service via mail. (CCP § 1013.) Explanation: Demurrer to a Common Count A common count is not usually subject to a general demurrer for failure to state sufficient facts given that it is not a specific cause of action. “[R]ather, it is a simplified form of pleading normally used to aver the existence of various forms of monetary indebtedness, including that aris...

Excerpt: ... Civ. Proc. §§ 435, 436.) Plaintiff shall serve and file her first amended complaint within 10 days of the date of service of this order. All new allegations shall be in boldface. Explanation: Demurrer: First, it is somewhat unclear exactly which causes of action plaintiff is actually attempting to allege. The form complaint has boxes checked for breach of contract and personal injury, as well as an attached claim labeled “negligent inflictio...

Excerpt: ...ervice via mail. (CCP § 1013) Finally, the Third Amended Complaint must be served on all named Defendants on the grounds that the defaults have been opened. (Engebretson & Co., Inc. v. Harrison (1981) 125 Cal.App.3d 436, 442‐443) Explanation: Background This action concerns property located at 536 E. Street, Fresno. It is a 2 bedroom, one bathroom house consisting of 472 sq. feet. On December 27, 2017, the Plaintiffs filed a verified Complaint...

Excerpt: ...vidence is provided. Plaintiff does point to the provision within the settlement agreement authorizing attorney's fees and costs, but no evidence is provided as to the nature and value of the services rendered by plaintiff's attorney, Mr. Thornton. Such is required before attorney's fees can be awarded. (See City of Colton v. Singletary (2012) 206 Cal.App.4th 751, 784 [The party seeking attorney's fees has the burden of establishing entitleme...

Excerpt: ...ttorney's fees in the amount of $1,260 and costs in the amount of $60. To deny the request for sanctions pursuant to Code of Civil Procedure section 128.7. Explanation: Code of Civil Procedure Section 664.6 provides as follows: “If parties to pending litigation stipulate, in a writing signed by the parties outside of the presence of the court . . . for settlement of the case . . . the court, upon motion, may enter judgment pursuant to the terms...

Excerpt: ...ive class actions are provisionally designated complex upon filing. California Rules of Court, Rule 3.400(c)(6). Subpart (b) of that rule states “In deciding whether an action is a complex case under (a), the court must consider, among other things, whether the action is likely to involve: (1) Numerous pretrial motions raising difficult or novel legal issues that will be time‐consuming to resolve; (2) Management of a large number of witnesses...

Excerpt: ...roc. § 1033.5, subd. (c)(4).) All allowable costs must be reasonably necessary to the conduct of the litigation rather than merely convenient or beneficial to its preparation, and they must be reasonable in amount and actually incurred. (Code Civ. Proc. § 1033.5, subd. (c)(1), (2) and (3).) On a motion to tax costs, the initial burden depends on the nature of the costs that are being challenged. [T]he mere filing of a motion to tax costs may be...