Judge: Kimberly Knill, Case: 30-2022-01258344-CU-BC-CJC, Date: 2023-08-11 Tentative Ruling

Defendants’ Motion to Compel Plaintiff Digital Foundation Group, Inc.’s Verified Further Responses to Form Interrogatories (Set One), and Request for Monetary Sanctions

Defendants’ Motion to Compel Plaintiff Digital Foundation Group, Inc.’s Verified Further Responses to Special Interrogatories (Set One), and Request for Monetary Sanctions

Defendants’ Motion to Compel Plaintiff Digital Foundation Group, Inc.’s Verified Further Responses to Requests for Production of Documents (Set One), and Request for Monetary Sanctions

Defendants’ Motion to Compel Plaintiff Digital Foundation Group, Inc.’s Verified Further Responses to Requests for Admission (Set One), and Request for Monetary Sanctions

The Motions are CONTINUED to 11/3/2023 at 10:00 AM. All parties and/or counsel are ORDERED to appear in person; no Zoom appearances will be allowed. 

The parties/counsel have not engaged in sufficient attempts to meet and confer. (See Code Civ. Proc., § 2016.040; Clement v. Alegre (2009) 177 Cal.App.4th 1277, 1293 [Discovery Act requires moving party to declare he or she has made a serious attempt to obtain an informal resolution of each issue; rule designed to encourage parties to work out their differences informally to avoid necessity for formal order, which lessens burden on court and reduces unnecessary expenditure of resources by litigants]; Sinaiko Healthcare Consulting, Inc. v. Pacific Healthcare Consultants (2007) 148 Cal.App.4th 390, 402 [central precept of Discovery Act that discovery be self-executing].)

The parties/counsel are ORDERED to engage in additional attempts to meet and confer in person, telephonically, or over remote videoconferences (not email) no later than 16 court days before the new hearing date.

The parties/counsel are ORDERED to file a JOINT STATUS REPORT indicating whether court intervention remains the only option to resolve this discovery dispute, and if so, why, no later than 9 court days before the new hearing date. The court is considering ordering a discovery referee pursuant to Code of Civil Procedure sections 638 or 639. The parties/counsel should address the issue in their Joint Status Report.

Failure to comply with this order may result in sanctions against the non-compliant party and/or their counsel pursuant to Code of Civil Procedure section 177.5.

The parties/counsel are strongly encouraged to familiarize themselves with Department C17’s General Policies and Procedures listed on the court’s website.

Clerk to give notice.