Judge: Daniel M. Crowley, Case: 19STCV44398, Date: 2022-08-24 Tentative Ruling

Case Number: 19STCV44398    Hearing Date: August 24, 2022    Dept: 28

Ruling on Defendant Liberty Linehaul West, Inc.’s Unopposed Motions to Compel Responses to Special Interrogatories and Request for Production.

            Having reviewed Defendant Liberty Linehaul West, Inc.’s unopposed Motions to Compel Responses to Special Interrogatories and Request for Production of Documents, the Court rules as follows.

            On October 21, 2021, Defendant Liberty Linehaul West, Inc. served Special Interrogatories, Set No. Two and Request for Production of Documents, Set No. Two on Plaintiff Peter Sandoval.

            Responses were due on November 26, 2021. Plaintiff Peter Sandoval has failed to provide timely responses. Defendant Liberty Linehaul West, Inc. now move to compel code-compliant responses.

            The Court grants the motions to compel responses to the special interrogatories pursuant to Code of Civ. Proc. § 2030.290(b) and orders Plaintiff Peter Sandoval to provide verified responses to the interrogatories compliant with Code of Civ. Proc. §§ 2030.210 (a) and 2030.220 without objections by August 6, 2022. The Court grants the motion to compel responses to the request for production and production of items pursuant to Code of Civ. Proc. § 2031.300 and orders Plaintiff Peter Sandoval to provide verified responses pursuant to Code of Civ. Proc. § 2031.210 and to produce the documents, electronically stored information, and/or other things requested without objections by September 23, 2022.

Defendant Liberty Linehaul West, Inc. request monetary sanctions totaling $720.00.  The Court awards sanctions pursuant to Code of Civ. Proc. § 2023.030 (a), Code of Civ. Proc. § 2030.290 (c) and Code of Civ. Proc. § 2031.300 (c) in the amount of $720.00 calculated as follows:

Defendant requests $260.00 in sanctions for the special interrogatories motion and $460.00 for the request for production. These amounts are based on one and two hours of attorney’s work drafting the motion, respectively, at a rate of $200.00 per hour. The Court finds this request reasonable and grants it in full.

The $720 in sanctions are payable by Plaintiff Peter Sandoval and his counsel by September 23, 2022.

Moving Party is to give notice of this ruling.