Judge: Elaine Lu, Case: 21STCV25795, Date: 2023-04-06 Tentative Ruling

Case Number: 21STCV25795    Hearing Date: April 6, 2023    Dept: 26

21STCV25795

4/6/23

No later than April 7, 2023, the parties are to file revised versions of the following trial preparation documents, consistent with Department 26's FSC/trial preparation order:

-          A revised joint verdict form.  The parties are to contact Department 26 to request a template for a joint verdict form. 

The Court requests that Plaintiff’s Counsel email Word format versions of the jury instructions and verdict forms to the Court prior to the continued FSC hearing.

The parties must contact the Judicial Assistant for Department 26 to request a sample juror questionnaire to be used during voir dire.  If the parties have no objection to the Court’s juror questionnaire, then Plaintiff should bring 100 copies of the juror questionnaire to Department 26 on the morning of trial, and Defendant should bring 50 copies of the hardship juror questionnaire.

The parties must also arrange for three copies of the parties’ joint exhibit binder (containing all parties’ exhibits, each properly tabbed, with each page properly paginated to reflect the exhibit number and page number) to be delivered to Department 26 prior to the continued FSC date.  Failure of any party to comply with this order requiring delivery of joint exhibit binders may result in exclusion at trial of non-impeachment exhibits that the parties have failed to include in the exhibit binders delivered to Department 26.

As a COVID-19 precaution, the parties are to meet and confer to discuss the possibility of stipulating to fewer than 12 jurors in order to allow the jurors to be spread out in the courtroom during trial.  If the parties are able to reach such a stipulation, the parties can contact Dept 26’s Judicial Assistant for a sample written stipulation.

The parties must meet and confer to discuss whether they plan to have a court reporter transcribe the trial proceedings.  In order to ensure a proper record for appellate purposes, if the parties do not arrange for a court reporter, then Counsel for the parties will be required to prepare a daily settled statement of witnesses' testimony who have testified each day at trial.

If any party will need a foreign language interpreter to assist any trial witnesses, that party must reserve and make arrangements in advance for the interpreters that party will need. 

The Final Status conference is continued to April 10, 2023 at 8:30 am.

The trial remains firmly set for April 10, 2023 at 9:30 am.

The Court will be ordering a panel of prospective jurors for April 10.  If the parties settle the action prior to then, the parties must immediately notify Department 26 and file a notice of settlement.

Court Clerk to give notice electronically.