Judge: Lee S. Arian, Case: 23STCV06505, Date: 2025-02-18 Tentative Ruling

Case Number: 23STCV06505    Hearing Date: February 18, 2025    Dept: 27

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA

FOR THE COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES - CENTRAL DISTRICT

 

MAHOGANY WILLIAMS            Plaintiff,

            vs.

 

JI SHIM, et al

 

                        Defendants.

 

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CASE NO.: 23STCV06505

 

[TENTATIVE RULING] MOTION TO COMPEL INITIAL RESPONSES IS GRANTED

 

Dept. 27

1:30 p.m.

February 18, 2025

 

On May 28, 2024, Plaintiff served Defendant Ji Shim with Form Interrogatories (Set One). Defendant’s responses were due by July 2, 2024. Plaintiff subsequently re-served the discovery request via email, which Defendant had previously indicated in a court proceeding was her preferred method of receiving service and communication. As of January 16, 2025, Plaintiff’s counsel has not received any response the discovery at issue. Plaintiff now moves the Court to compel initial responses.

Defendant has not filed an opposition or any other document indicating that the responses have been served. Accordingly, Plaintiff’s motion is granted. Defendant is ordered to provide complete and verified responses to Plaintiff’s Form Interrogatories (Set One) within 20 days of today.

Plaintiff requests sanctions in the amount of $875, which the Court finds reasonable given that Defendant failed to respond for nine months despite Plaintiff reserving the discovery requests using Defendant’s preferred method of service. The court finds that Defendant did not act with substantial justification. Sanctions are imposed against Defendant SHIM in the amount of $875, payable to Plaintiff within 20 days of today.

 

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’s 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.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hon. Lee S. Arian

Judge of the Superior Court