Judge: Layne H. Melzer, Case: 21-01229269, Date: 2022-08-18 Tentative Ruling

Dft. Doe 1, A Religious Corporation Sole
Motion for Reclassification

Defendant’s motion to deem this case complex and have it transferred to the complex panel is denied without prejudice. 

 “A ‘complex case’ is an action that requires exceptional judicial management to avoid placing unnecessary burdens on the court or the litigants and to expedite the case, keep costs reasonable, and promote effective decision making by the court, the parties, and counsel.” (Cal. Rules of Ct., Rule 3.400(a).)

“With or without a hearing, the court may decide on its own motion, or on a noticed motion by any party, that a civil action is a complex case or that an action previously declared to be a complex case is not a complex case.” (Cal. Rules of Ct., Rule 3.403(b).)

Rule 3.400(b) provides:

In deciding whether an action is a complex case under (a), the court must consider, among other things, whether the action is likely to involve:

(1) Numerous pretrial motions raising difficult or novel legal issues that will be time-consuming to resolve;

(2) Management of a large number of witnesses or a substantial amount of documentary evidence;

(3) Management of a large number of separately represented parties;

(4) Coordination with related actions pending in one or more courts in other counties, states, or countries, or in a federal court; or

(5) Substantial postjudgment judicial supervision.

Except as provided in Rule 3.400(d), “an action is provisionally a complex case if it involves one or more of the following types of claims:

(1) Antitrust or trade regulation claims;

(2) Construction defect claims involving many parties or structures;

(3) Securities claims or investment losses involving many parties;

(4) Environmental or toxic tort claims involving many parties;

(5) Claims involving mass torts;

(6) Claims involving class actions; or

(7) Insurance coverage claims arising out of any of the claims listed in (c)(1) through (c)(6).

(Cal. Rules of Ct., Rule 3.400(c).)

The above list is not exhaustive. “Complex litigation’ means those cases that require specialized management to avoid placing unnecessary burdens on the court or the litigants. Complex litigation is not capable of precise definition but may involve, for example, multiple related cases, extensive pretrial activity, extended trial times, difficult or novel issues, and postjudgment judicial supervision …; however, no particular criterion is controlling and each situation must be examined separately.” (First State Ins. Co. v. Superior Court (2000) 79 Cal.App.4th 324, 332.)

The complex litigation procedure is intended to facilitate pretrial resolution of evidentiary and other issues, and to minimize the time and expense of lengthy or multiple trials. (Rutherford v. Owens-Illinois, Inc. (1997) 16 Cal.4th 953, 966 [citations omitted].) Individualized case management orders in complex cases are not preempted pursuant to California Rules of Court 3.20 so long as they do not conflict with any statute or Judicial Council rule. (Hernandez v. Superior Court (2003) 112 Cal.App.4th 285, 295.)

This case fails to qualify as provisionally complex.  Also, it does not at this juncture appear to present the “manageability” challenges that often merit transfer to the complex panel.