Judge: Mark H. Epstein, Case: 23SMCV00851, Date: 2025-01-06 Tentative Ruling

Case Number: 23SMCV00851    Hearing Date: January 6, 2025    Dept: I

The matter is here for an FSC.  The court issued its FSC order on August 28, 2023.  The court has received no FSC materials.  The court notes that the parties requested a continuance, but the request was denied on December 20, 2024.  The lack of FSC materials might be because the parties have settled, but the parties forgot to file a notice of settlement.  The court hopes that is the case because it would be an excellent reason for not filing such papers.  If that is not the reason, though, then the court will need to understand why it is that the parties elected to ignore the court’s FSC orders.  Either way, the matter is NOT READY FOR TRIAL and the trial date needs to be VACATED.  The court will either set an OSC re: Dismissal (Settlement)—if the case settled—or an OSC re: sanctions not to exceed $5000 as to each party and each counsel for their collective failure to conform to the court’s prior order.