Judge: Joseph Lipner, Case: 23STCV16017, Date: 2024-12-17 Tentative Ruling
Case Number: 23STCV16017 Hearing Date: December 17, 2024 Dept: 72
SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA
COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES
DEPARTMENT 72
TENTATIVE
RULING
|
GEORGE RAHME, Plaintiff, v. THE BICYCLE CASINO, L.P., et al., Defendants. |
Case No:
23STCV16017 Hearing Date: December 17, 2024 Calendar Number: 5 |
Plaintiff George Rahme (“Plaintiff”) moves to compel certain
discovery. Defendant TBC (“TBC”) and
Hashem Minaiy (“Minaiy”) oppose. The
Court rules as follows with respect to each motion.
Motions to Compel Documents and Interrogatory Responses
Plaintiff moves (a) to compel TBC to provide further
responses, without objection, to form interrogatories-employment law (Set One);
(b) to compel TBC to provide further responses, without objection, to request
for production of documents (Set One); (c) to compel Minaiy to provide further responses,
without objection, to form interrogatories-employment law (Set One); (d) to
compel Minaiy to produce responsive documents, including attorney client
privileged communications; (e) to compel Minaiy to provide further responses,
without objection to requests for production of documents (Set One); (f) to
compel TBC to provide further responses, without objection, to form
interrogatories-General; (g) to compel TBC to provide further responses,
without object, to form interrogatories-general.
The Court DENIES these motions. TBC and Minaiy have served supplemental
responses, mooting these motions.
Moreover, Plaintiff has not supported his argument that failure to
timely respond to supplemental discovery waives all objections. This is
particularly true where the party who missed the deadline is claiming that
happened because of an emergency.
The Court GRANTS Plaintiff’s request for sanctions as
follows. TBC shall within 30 days pay $2,000 to Plaintiff’s counsel. Minaiy shall within 30 days pay an additional
$2,000 to Plaintiff’s counsel. Filing
these motions appear to have been necessary to obtain compliance with the
supplemental discovery request. The Court would have dispensed with any
sanctions had TBC and Minaiy demonstrated an emergency and a prompt supplemental
response to the discovery requests. TBC
and Minaiy, however, waited months before providing supplemental responses.
Motion to Compel TBC’s Person Most Knowledgeable
Plaintiff has filed a motion to compel TBC’s person most
knowledgeable. The Court GRANTS
Plaintiff’s motion in part as follows. The
deposition must continue within the next 30 days. Plaintiff is entitled to answers about whether
Parkwest took over the liability of TBC.
In addition, TBC shall within the next 30 days pay attorney’s fees directly
to Plaintiff’s counsel in the amount of $1,000.
TBC’s Protective Order Motion