Excerpt: ... which provides, in pertinent part that fees may be awarded to a successful party against one or more opposing parties in any action which has resulted in the enforcement of an important right affecting the public interest if : (a) a significant benefit, whether pecuniary or nonpecuniary, has been conferred on the general public or a large class of persons, (b) the necessity and financial burden of private enforcement… are such as to make th...

Excerpt: ...no's demurrer to the second, third, fifth, and sixth causes of action in the First Amended Complaint, with leave to amend. To overrule defendant City of Fresno's demurrer as to the first and fourth causes of action in the First Amended Complaint. Plaintiff is granted 10 days' leave to file the Second Amended Complaint, which will run from service by the clerk of the minute order. New allegations/language must be set in boldface type. Explanati...

Excerpt: ...di scretion to stay a civil proceeding where there is a related criminal proceeding pending. The decision whether to stay civil proceedings in the face of a parallel criminal proceeding should be made 'in light of the particular circumstances and competing interests involved in the case.' [Citation.] This means the decisionmaker should consider 'the extent to which the defendant's fifth amendment rights are implicated.' [Cita...

Excerpt: ...s shall pay monetary sanctions within 20 days of the date of service of this order. However, the court intends to deny the request to enter an immediate default judgment against defendants, as plaintiff still needs to submit a default jud gment application with evidence to prove up its damages. Explanation: Code of Civil Procedure section 2023.010(g) makes “[d]isobeying a court order to provide discovery” a “misuse of the discovery process,...

Excerpt: ...ministrator actually charged for its services. Explanation: 1. Class Certification The court has already determined that the proposed class meets the requirements for certification when it granted preliminary approval of the proposed settlement. There have been no objections to the court's decision, and nothing has happened since the preliminary approval order that would cause the court to reconsider its determination. Therefore, the court inte...

Excerpt: ...e of this order. All new allegations shall be in boldface. Explanation: First Cause of Action: “Establishing that claim [for breach of contract] requires a showing of ‘(1) the existence of the contract, (2) plaintiff's performance or excuse for nonperformance, (3) defendant's breach, and (4) the resulting damages to the plaintiff.'” (D'Arrigo Bros. of California v. United Farmworkers of America (2014) 224 Cal.App.4th 790, 800, c...

Excerpt: ...nc. and Modivcare Solutions, LLC (collectively, the “Modivcare Defendants”) demur to the entirety of the complaint on the ground that the complaint fails to state a cause of action, and each cause of action is uncertain and time -barred by the applic able statute of limitations. While plaintiff may and does utilize the Judicial Council form complaint, the usage of the form does not change the statutory requirement that the complaint contain �...

Excerpt: ...tion: Defendants timely filed their Memorandum of Costs, and plaintiff timely filed his motion to tax those costs. Defendants are entitled to claim costs as prevailing parties, since a dismissed defendant is deemed the prevailing party. (Code Civ. P roc., § 1032, subd. (a)(4); City of Long Beach v. Stevedoring Services of America (2007) 157 Cal.App.4th 672, 678.) This is so whether the dismissal was voluntary or (as here) involuntary. (Crib Re...

Excerpt: ...a public entity defendant. Specifically, the allegations on paragraph 93, pages 16:23 – 17:5, paragraph 102, pages 17:24 - 18:5, paragraph 111, pages 18:24 – 19:6, paragraph 120, pages 19:23 – 20:5, paragraph 129, pages 20:23 – 21:4, and Prayer for Relief, paragraphs 3, page 32:10 -11 and 12, page 33:23 are stricken from the First Amended Complaint. The court also intends to deny leave to amend. If oral argument is timely requested, such...

Excerpt: ... a First Amended Complaint. The time in which such pleading may be filed will run from service by the clerk of the minute order. All new allegations in the First Amended Complaint are to be set in boldface type. If oral argument is timely requested, su ch argument will be entertained at 9:00 a.m. on Friday, February 23, 2024, in Department 501. Explanation: A motion to strike can be used to cut out any “irrelevant, false or improper” matters...

Excerpt: .... Class Certification a. Standards First, the court must determine whether the proposed class meets the requirements for certification before it can grant preliminary approval of the proposed settlement. An agreement of the parties is not sufficient t o establish a class for settlement purposes. There must be an independent assessment by a neutral court of evidence showing that a class action is proper. (Luckey v. Superior Court (2014) 228 Cal....

Excerpt: ...rules all of plainti
¯'s objections to the Hamilton Declaration, all of plainti
¯'s objections to the Wijnen Declaration, plainti
¯'s one objection to the Le
¯al Declaration, and the objection to paragraph 3 of the Bryan Declaration. The court sustains plainti
¯'s hearsay objection to paragraph 4 of the Bryan Declaration. The court overrules defendant's objections numbers 1, 3, 4, 6, and 7. The court sustains defendant's objections numbers 2...

Excerpt: ... will be entertained on Tuesday, February 20, 2024, at 3:30 p.m. in Department 403. Tentative Ruling: To grant plainti
¯'s motion to compel testimony from person most knowledgeable for defendant Fresno Surgery Center. To grant plainti
¯'s motion to compel further responses to request for production of documents served with deposition notices. Defendant shall make its persons most knowledgeable available for the next noticed deposition dates, an...

Excerpt: ...surprise, mistake or excusable neglect under Code of Civil Procedure section 473, subdivision (b).3 Code of Civil Procedure section 473, subdivision (b) provides, in pertinent part: The court may, upon any terms as may 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. Application for t...

Excerpt: ...y name; when the defendant's true name is discovered, plainti
¯ must amend their pleading accordingly. (Code Civ. Proc. §474.) The court may strike out any irrelevant, false or improper matter inserted in any pleading; or strike out all or any part of any pleading not drawn or Þled in conformity with the laws of this state, a court rule or an order of the court. (Code Civ. Proc. §436(a) and (b).) In the case at bench, Defendants move to strik...

Excerpt: ...posed judgment consistent with this ruling. To direct defendant Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. to remit $500 in Þling fees for the consideration of the summary judgment motion. Explanation: Defendants Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (“Volkswagen”) and Michael Cadillac, Inc. (“Michael Cadillac”) move for summary judgment of the Complaint Þled by plainti
¯ Hubert Williams (“Plainti
¯”). The Complaint states 5 causes of action: ...

Excerpt: ...nal request and response, the request as amended following meet and confer, and any amended response, in addition to the moving party's statement of the factual and legal reasons for compelling a further response and an opposing response thereto. (Cal. Rules of Court, rule 3.1345, subd. (c).) The Joint Separate Statement shall be Þled at least ten court days before the continued hearing. Explanation: A motion to compel a further response to dema...

Excerpt: ...7) 66 Cal.2d 738, 746.) An order staying an action until determination of criminal charges allows plainti
¯ to prepare his or her action “while alleviating [defendant's] di
¯icult choice between defending either the civil or criminal case.” (See Pacers, Inc. v. Superior Court (1984) 162 Cal.App.3d 686, 690.) The requesting party is generally entitled to a stay in the civil action until disposition of the criminal matter. (See id.) Here, def...

Excerpt: ...in his Þrst amended complaint (the "FAC") that he purchased a 2021 Chevrolet Silverado (the "Vehicle") in November 2021. The plainti
¯ alleges the defendant, General Motors LLC, ("GM") had exclusive knowledge that the Vehicle had a "Transmission Defect," based on multiple sources of information, including internal reports, customer complaints made directly to GM, and technical service bulletins. This information was not available to the public,...

Excerpt: ...to the present. To deny plainti
¯'s r e q u e s t f o r m o n e t a r y sanctions against defendants. Explanation: Defendants move to quash plainti
¯'s business records subpoena under Code of Civil Procedure sections 1985.3 and 1987.1, contending that the subpoena is overbroad, burdensome, harassing, seeks conÞdential and private information, and seeks information that is not relevant or likely to lead to the discovery of admissible evidence. ...

Excerpt: ... action has no merit if the party has shown that one or more elements of the cause of action … cannot be established, or that there is a complete defense to the cause of action.” (Code Civ. Proc. § 437c, subd. (p)(2).) If the defendant does not meet that burden, the motion must be denied, even if the plainti
¯ has not opposed it adequately or at all. (Villa v. McFerren (1995) 35 Cal.App.4th 733, 742743.) Once the moving defendant has met it...

Excerpt: ...eave to Þle the Fourth Amended Cross-Complaint, which will run from service by the clerk of the minute order. New allegations/language must be set in boldface type. Explanation: Cross- Defendant SpotOn Transact, LLC (“SpotOn”) demurs to the third and fourth causes of action in cross complainants' third amended cross-complaint (TACC) on the basis that each fails to state facts su
¯icient to state a cause of action. (Code Civ. Proc. §430.10,...

Excerpt: .... Proc., S 436, subd. (b); Code Civ. Proc., S 1021.) Explanation: Untimely Amendment Plaintiff and Cross-Defendant Guardian Angel's Adult Day Health Care, LLC ("Guardian Angel") moves to strike the entirety of Defendant and Cross-complainant's Second Amended Complaint, filed on June 21, 2023, on the ground of untimeliness, or in the alternative, to strike the request for attorneys' fees. When the court sustains a demurrer with leave to amend, ord...

Excerpt: ...juries suffered when plaintiff Roland Diaz was attacked in his office at Fresno City Hall Annex by Joseph Roy. Plaintiffs contend that locks and doors within the building did not operate as expected, due to the negligence of defendants, such that Mr. Roy was able to enter plaintiff's office and injure Mr. Diaz. However, the evidence shows that Sierra Lock did not install, service and/or repair any lock involved in the subject incident. (UMF 1-7.)...

Excerpt: ...hired the plaintiff, Mr. Lopez, an experienced licensed roofing contractor, to work on their roof. (Fact Nos. 2, 6; Plaintiffs Fact ["P-Fact"l Nos. 1, 2.) Mr. Lopez brought his own ladder and tools to the premises to perform work on the roof. (Fact No. 7.) Mr. Lopez's typical practice is to place his ladder and test it to make sure it is steady and secure before using it to avoid falls. (Fact No. 8.) Mr. Lopez placed his ladder at the back of the...