Excerpt: ...general rule . . . is that if it is sufficiently egregious, misconduct committed in connection with the failure to produce evidence in discovery may justify the imposition of nonmonetary sanctions even absent a prior order compelling discovery, or its equivalent. Furthermore, a prior order may not be necessary where it is reasonably clear that obtaining such an order would be futile.” (New Albertsons, Inc. v. Superior Court (2008) 168 Cal.App.4...

Excerpt: ...est for judicial notice of documents filed in the instant case is denied. It is unnecessary to ask the court to take judicial notice of materials previously filed in this case. “[A]ll that is necessary is to call the court's attention to such papers.” (Weil & Brown, Cal. Practice Guide: Civil Procedure Before Trial (The Rutter Group 2020) ¶ 9.53.1a.) Relevant Background As relevant here, the Complaint in this action alleges that Plaintiffs T...

Excerpt: ... any other period as the court may prescribe, the challenged paper, claim, defense, contention, allegation, or denial is not withdrawn or appropriately corrected.” (Code Civ. Proc., § 128.7, subd. (c)(1).) Strict compliance, not substantial compliance, with the safe harbor notice provisions is required. (CPF Vaseo Associates, LLC v. Gray (2018) 29 Cal.App.5th 997, 1007; Cromwell v. Cummings (1998) 65 Cal.App.4th Supp. 10, 15.) This serves the ...

Excerpt: ... than five court days before the time appointed for the hearing”].) However, because Plaintiff has actually obtained a copy of the motion and has opposed it on the merits without asking for a continuance or contending it was prejudiced, the Court will reach the merits of the motion. (See Carlton v. Quint (2000) 77 Cal.App.4th 690, 696-697.) Defendant moves to vacate the judgment entered on March 25, 2022 and to remove the lien from his house. (...

Excerpt: ...ly speaking, violation of a discovery order is required for imposition of issue or evidentiary sanctions. While Plaintiff contends Sandoval's responses to written discovery were insufficient, Plaintiff did not move to compel further responses to that discovery. Failing to respond to an authorized method of discovery is a misuse of the discovery process. (Code Civ. Proc., § 2023.010, subd. (d).) So, too, is disobeying a court order to provide dis...

Excerpt: ...d, the amended complaint substituting a new defendant for a fictitious Doe defendant filed after the statute of limitations has expired is deemed filed as of the date the original complaint was filed.' ” (Id. at p. 387, fn. omitted.) “‘Section 474, however, . . . is restricted to the knowledge of the plaintiff at the time of the filing of the complaint.' [Citations.] “The lack of knowledge of the true name of the defendant ... must be 're...

Excerpt: ...o. 54, and denied as to nos. 55 through 59. Code of Civil Procedure section 2031.010 provides, in relevant part, that “any party may obtain discovery” by “inspecting, copying, testing, or sampling documents, tangible things, land or other property, and electronically stored information in the possession, custody, or control of any other party to the action.” (Code Civ. Proc., § 2031.010, subd. (a).) Section 2031.210 requires a party resp...

Excerpt: ...e expressly prohibited by statute, a prevailing party is entitled to recover costs as a matter of right. (Code Civ. Proc., § 1032, subd. (b).) Code of Civil Procedure section 1033.5, subdivision (a) specifies cost items that are allowable, including filing and motion fees, deposition costs, and court reporter fees. (Code Civ. Proc., § 1033.5, subd. (a)(3).) Allowable costs “shall be reasonably necessary to the conduct of the litigation rather...

Excerpt: ...ubmitted no argument on the issue in their briefs on appeal. Accordingly, we deem plaintiffs to have abandoned the issue.”].) As a result, the demurrer is sustained with 15 days leave to amend. MOTION TO STRIKE The arguments in Defendants' motion to strike portions of the FAC also have merit. However, the ruling on the demurrer renders moot most of the motion, except for the following. Gross Negligence and Intentional Conduct In the background ...

Excerpt: ...ent Standard “[F]rom commencement to conclusion, the party moving for summary judgment bears the burden of persuasion that there is no triable issue of material fact and that he is entitled to judgment as a matter of law.” (Aguilar v. Atlantic Richfield Co. (2001) 25 Cal.4th 826, 850.) A “party moving for summary judgment bears an initial burden of production to make a prima facie showing of the nonexistence of any triable issue of material...

Excerpt: ...ng Defendants were not named in the FAC. (ROA 132.) Defendants were again added by amendments on March 1, 2019, designating them this time as Doe Defendants Nos. 1 and 4. (ROA Nos. 148 and 151.) “It has long been the rule that an amended complaint that omits defendants named in the original complaint operates as a dismissal as to them.” (Fireman's Fund Ins. Co. v. Sparks Construction, Inc. (2004) 114 Cal.App.4th 1135, 1142; See also Kuperman ...

Excerpt: ...nia Rules of court, rule 3.720(b) provides: “A court by local rule may exempt specified types or categories of general civil cases from the case management rules in this chapter, . . . . The court must include the alternative procedures in its local rules.” Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this Court approved Local Emergency Rule 1, which suspended case management conferences through March 31, 2021. Local Emergency Rule 1 also set forth that for...

Excerpt: ...vide for filing a document after a reply has been filed. Plaintiff did not seek prior leave of court to file the document. A special demurrer for uncertainty is strictly construed, even where a complaint is in some respects uncertain, because ambiguities can be clarified under modern discovery procedures.” (Khoury v. Maly's of California, Inc. (1993) 14 Cal.App.4th 612, 616.) Errors and confusion created by “the inept pleader” are to be for...

Excerpt: ...ts of a petition to confirm, correct, or vacate the arbitration award. Within this Petition, Petitioners seek confirmation of an appraisal award, pursuant to Code of Civil Procedure section 1286. Code Civil Procedure section 1286 provides that an arbitration award shall be confirmed, unless it is vacated or corrected. “‘[A]greements providing for valuations, appraisals and similar proceedings' are within the definition of ‘agreements' subje...

Excerpt: ...but did not produce any documents. In response to requests no. 44, 48 and 49, Brand Genetix said it would “comply with this request” and that “all responsive documents that are in Plaintiff's [sic] custody or control will be produced.” (Lu Decl., at ¶ 21, Exh. 8 [ROA 1503].) The court has expressed in prior rulings that the trial court should tailor the sanction for such conduct to “fit the crime.” (Reedy v. Bussell (2007) 148 Cal.Ap...

Excerpt: ...er evidence to show that Defendant Macco Corporation informally does business as Macco Pacific (erroneously sued as Macco Pacific, Inc.) and Shattuck Companies. (Waters Decl., at ¶¶ 5-6; SSUF 19, 25.) In other words, Macco Pacific and Shattuck Companies are fictitious business names of the legal entity Macco Corporation. Because Plaintiff did not oppose the motion, it does not appear that she disputes this assertion. Macco Corporation was Plain...

Excerpt: ... moving party that states: (1) what application was previously made; (2) when and to what judge; (3) what order was made; and (4) what new or different facts, circumstances or law are claimed to be shown. (Code Civ. Proc., § 1008, subd. (a).) A party seeking reconsideration also must provide a satisfactory explanation for the failure to produce the evidence at an earlier time. (New York Times Co. v. Superior Court (2005) 135 Cal.App.4th 206, 213...

Excerpt: ...llowable; (2) reasonably necessary to the conduct of the litigation; and (3) reasonable in amount. (Doppes v. Bentley Motors, Inc. (2009) 174 Cal.App.4th 967, 998.) The lodestar method is applicable to calculating attorney's fees under the Song-Beverly Consumer Warranty Act. (Id. at p. 997.) An experienced trial judge is the best judge of the value of professional services rendered in his or her court. (Ibid.) The court's analysis begins with the...

Excerpt: ...nt, including, that: Martinez “pawned some of your stolen items”; “a majority of the stolen items remain in the possession, custody or control of [Martinez]”; Martinez “continues to have possession, custody or control of the majority of the stolen items”; Martinez “wrongfully converted the stolen items for her own use and possession without plaintiff's knowledge or consent”; Martinez “acted willfully, fraudulently, maliciously, ...

Excerpt: ... pages. No reply or closing memorandum may exceed 10 pages. The page limit does not include the caption page, the notice of motion and motion, exhibits, declarations, attachments, the table of contents, the table of authorities, or the proof of service.” (Emphasis added.) A memorandum exceeding the permissible page limits “must be filed and considered in the same manner as a late-filed paper”; i.e., the court in its discretion may refuse to...

Excerpt: ... regarding the sufficiency of the allegations set forth in the complaint. (Lambert v. Carneghi (2008) 158 Cal.App.4th 1120, 1126.) The challenge is limited to the “four corners” of the pleading (which includes exhibits attached and incorporated therein) or from matters outside the pleading which are judicially noticeable under Evidence Code sections 451 or 452. Although California courts take a liberal view of inartfully drawn complaints, it ...

Excerpt: ...APP law is “not [to] insulate defendants from any liability for claims arising from the protected rights of petition or speech. It only provides a procedure for weeding out, at an early stage, meritless claims arising from protected activity.” (Baral v. Schnitt (2016) 1 Cal.5th 376, 384.) There are four categories of protected speech for an anti-SLAPP motion (Code Civ. Proc., § 425.16, subd. (e)): 1. statements made before a legislative, exe...

Excerpt: ...has been set.” (Code Civ. Proc., § 2024.050, subd. (a).) Plaintiffs contend they are entitled to an order deeming the attorney-client privilege waived and reopening discovery on a limited basis to take discovery “related to any purported advice Defendants received from counsel regarding their submission of claims to Plaintiffs.” Plaintiffs claim that the Equaltox Defendants, in opposing Plaintiffs' motions in limine nos. 1, 3, 4, and 8, pu...

Excerpt: ...ion, whether or not the motion seeks relief against such parties. (See, e.g., Code Civ. Proc., § 1014; Winikow v. Superior Court (2000) 82 Cal.App.4th 719, 727 [service of notice not required on defendants who have not yet appeared].) Legal Standard for Punitive Damages Against Corporate Employer Under California law, an agent's or employee's acts in the course and scope of employment are attributed to the employer for purposes of tort liability...

Excerpt: ...ing good cause for the late submission. (Mackey v. Board of Trustees v. California State Univ. (2019) 31 Cal.App.5th 640, 657; Bozzi v. Nordstrom, Inc. (2010) 186 Cal.App.4th 755, 765.) On September 6, 2022, Plaintiff Jeanette Easter belatedly filed a document entitled “Opposition to motion for summary judgment and opposition in the alternative to summary adjudication of issues; memorandum of points and authorities in support of opposition; sep...