Judge: Lisa R. Jaskol, Case: 21STCV20495, Date: 2023-10-03 Tentative Ruling

Case Number: 21STCV20495    Hearing Date: October 3, 2023    Dept: 28

Having reviewed Defendant Apple SoCal LLC’s unopposed motions to compel responses to form interrogatories, special interrogatories, and request for production of documents, the Court rules as follows. 

On February 20, 2023, Defendant Apple SoCal LLC served form interrogatories, set one, special interrogatories, set one, and request for production of documents, set one, on Plaintiff Ali Tweini. 

Responses were due on April 18, 2023. Plaintiff Ali Tweini failed to provide timely, verified responses. Defendant Apple SoCal LLC now moves to compel code-compliant responses. 

The Court grants the motions to compel responses to the form and special interrogatories under Code of Civil Procedure section 2030.290, subdivision (b), and orders Plaintiff Ali Tweini to provide verified responses to the interrogatories compliant with Code of Civil Procedure sections 2030.210, subdivision (a), and 2030.220 without objections by November 2, 2023. 

The Court grants the motion to compel responses to the request for production of documents under Code of Civil Procedure section 2031.300 and orders Plaintiff Ali Tweini to provide verified responses compliant with Code of Civil Procedure section 2031.210 and to produce the documents, electronically stored information, and/or other things requested without objections by November 2, 2023. 

Defendant Apple SoCal LLC requests monetary sanctions of $675.00 for the motion to compel interrogatory responses based on 4.5 hours of attorney’s work at a rate of $150.00 per hour. Defendant requests $630.00 in sanctions for the motion to compel responses to the request for production of documents based on 4.2 hours of attorney’s work at a rate of $150.00 per hour. 

Defendant Apple SoCal LLC should have filed two separate motions to compel responses to the interrogatories, one for the form interrogatories and another for the special interrogatories.  Defendant must pay one additional filing fee to the Court. 

The motions are substantially similar, they are unopposed, and they are set to be heard together. The Court awards sanctions of $450.00 for all motions based on 3 hours of attorney’s work.  (See Code Civ. Proc., §§ 2023.030, subd. (a), 2030.290, subd. (c), 2031.300, subd. (c).) 

The Court orders Plaintiff Ali Tweini and Plaintiff’s counsel to pay Defendant Apple SoCal LLC $450 by November 2, 2023. 

The Court orders Defendant Apple SoCal LLC to pay the Court one additional filing fee. 

Moving party is to give notice of this ruling.