Judge: Daniel M. Crowley, Case: 21STCV14353, Date: 2022-08-23 Tentative Ruling

Case Number: 21STCV14353    Hearing Date: August 23, 2022    Dept: 28

on Defendant University of Southern California’s Unopposed Motions to Compel Responses to Form Interrogatories, Special Interrogatories and Request for Production, and to Deem Request for Admissions Admitted.

            Having reviewed Defendant University of Southern California’s unopposed Motions to Compel Responses to Form Interrogatories, Special Interrogatories, and Request for Production of Documents, and to Deem Request for Admissions Admitted, the Court rules as follows.

            On February 1, 2022, Defendant University of Southern California served Form Interrogatories, Set No. One, Special Interrogatories, Set No. One, Request for Production of Documents, Set No. One, and Request for Admissions, Set One, on Plaintiff Theodor Rininger.

            Responses were due on March 8, 2022. Plaintiff Theodor Rininger has failed to provide timely responses. Defendant University of Southern California now move to compel code-compliant responses and deem the requests for admissions admitted.

            The Court grants the motions to compel responses to the form and special interrogatories pursuant to Code of Civ. Proc. § 2030.290(b) and orders Plaintiff Theodor Rininger 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 deem requests for admission admitted pursuant to Code of Civ. Proc. § 2033.280 and deems the requests to be admitted.

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 Theodor Rininger 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 22, 2022.

Defendant University of Southern California request monetary sanctions totaling $1,500.00. The Court awards sanctions pursuant to Code of Civ. Proc. § 2023.030 (a), Code of Civ. Proc. § 2030.290 (c), Code of Civ. Proc. § 2033.280 (c) and Code of Civ. Proc. § 2031.300 (c) in the amount of $1,965.00, calculated as follows:

Defendant requests $375.00 in sanctions for each motion, based upon 1.4 hours of attorney’s work, at a rate of $225 per hour, and one $60.00 filling fee. The Court finds this request reasonable and grants it in full.

The $1,560 in sanctions are payable by Plaintiff Theodor Rininger and his counsel by September 22, 2022.

Moving Party is to give notice of this ruling.