Judge: Kerry Bensinger, Case: 22STCV31244, Date: 2023-10-02 Tentative Ruling

Case Number: 22STCV31244    Hearing Date: October 2, 2023    Dept: 27

Tentative Ruling

Judge Kerry Bensinger, Department 27

HEARING DATE:     October 2, 2023                                 TRIAL DATE:  March 25, 2024

CASE:                                Maritza Ramirez v. City of Los Angeles, et al.

CASE NO.:                 22STCV31244

MOTION TO COMPEL FURTHER RESPONSES TO DISCOVERY

MOVING PARTY:               Defendant City of Los Angeles

RESPONDING PARTY:     Plaintiff Maritza Ramirez

            On April 12, 2023, Defendant, City of Los Angeles, filed this this motion to compel Plaintiff, Maritza Ramirez, to provide further responses to Defendant’s Special Interrogatories, Set One.  Defendant seeks sanctions against Plaintiff and her counsel.

On August 7, 2023, the parties participated in an Informal Discovery Conference (IDC) regarding the foregoing discovery.  Plaintiff represented to the Court that her supplemental responses to the discovery requested would be produced by August 21, 2023.  Pursuant to oral stipulation, the Court continued the IDC to September 5, 2023.  The Court directed the parties to meet and confer within 5 days after supplemental discovery is produced  and to electronically file a Joint Report Re: Status Discovery five court days prior to the September 5, 2023.  The hearing for this motion was continued to October 2, 2023.

On August 29, 2023, the parties filed a Joint Report indicating that Plaintiff had served supplemental responses which Defendant still found to be deficient.

On September 5, 2023, the parties participated in another IDC.  The issues were not resolved.  The Court directed the parties to meet and confer regarding discovery response.  Defendant was directed to file a Notice of Outcome within 5 days following the meet and confer.

The Court notes Defendant has not filed a Notice of Outcome.  Nor is there any indication of what discovery issues, if any, remain.

Accordingly, the hearing for this Motion is CONTINUED to October 31, 2023 in Department 27 of Spring Street Courthouse.  If Defendant still takes issue with Plaintiff’s supplemental responses, Defendant is to file a supplemental brief and separate statement identifying the interrogatories at issue and explaining why a further response should be compelled.  Defendant is to file the supplemental brief no later than October 13, 2023.  Plaintiff may file a response no later than October 26, 2023.

Moving party to give notice, unless waived.

Dated:   October 2, 2023                                           ___________________________________

                                                                                    Kerry Bensinger

                                                                                    Judge of the Superior Court

            Parties who intend to submit on this tentative must send an email to the Court at SSCDEPT27@lacourt.org indicating intention to submit on the tentative as directed by the instructions provided on the court website at www.lacourt.org.  Please be advised that if you submit on the tentative and elect not to appear at the hearing, the opposing party may nevertheless appear at the hearing and argue the matter.  Unless you receive a submission from all other parties in the matter, you should assume that others might appear at the hearing to argue.  If the Court does not receive emails from the parties indicating submission on this tentative ruling and there are no appearances at the hearing, the Court may, at its discretion, adopt the tentative as the final order or place the motion off calendar.