Judge: Mark H. Epstein, Case: 20SMCV00872, Date: 2022-10-27 Tentative Ruling

Case Number: 20SMCV00872    Hearing Date: October 27, 2022    Dept: R

The application to continue the trial is GRANTED.  The parties have shown good cause to move the trial.  Although the Court is generally reluctant to do so where the trial is less than a month away, here the parties have reached an agreement to settle the case.  The agreement is contingent upon an event, so it is not a “done deal” such that a notice of settlement and OSC re: Dismissal (Settlement) can be set, but it is firm enough to warrant putting the brakes on the trial so as to stop the parties from incurring what will be (hopefully) unnecessary costs.  The Court would also be less than frank if it were not to point out that counsel have largely been able to work well together despite the strong views of their respective clients, and that generally good working relationship factors into the Court’s thinking. 

Accordingly, the current final status conference and trial dates are VACATED.  The Court will discuss with the parties an appropriate date in June 2023 or later for the new trial date, or, alternatively, an earlier status conference date to see if the settlement is going through or not.  The Court will also discuss whether the parties intend to continue any discovery or motion cut-off dates (as the joint submission does not address that issue).