Judge: Mark H. Epstein, Case: SC129762, Date: 2023-03-13 Tentative Ruling

Case Number: SC129762    Hearing Date: March 13, 2023    Dept: R

The court has been informed that the parties have been unable to settle.  The court, frankly, is disappointed.  At the last hearing, it appeared that all parties were in agreement as to how to settle the case; the problem was that they could not agree on a way to write it down with sufficient protections against one party or another double-crossing.  The court sent the case to Judge Gross to try and help the parties draft or craft appropriate language.  But despite Judge Gross’s excellent skills, the parties were unable to come together.  The court has no additional information as to what happened at the MSC and the court does not want any.

Given that, the court supposes that this case will just barrel along to trial, with the attendant expenses and inconveniences pertaining thereto.

The current summary judgment motion is stale, and is therefore taken off calendar without prejudice to a new motion.

The court will set a trial date, likely in the January 2025 time frame.  The parties would, frankly, be well advised to minimize their court appearances.  At this point, it appears to the court that the thing stopping a resolution of the case is someone’s ego (or perhaps multiple people) and nothing more.  The discovery cut-offs and motion cut offs, including summary judgment, are tied to the prior trial date except for the motion the court just took off calendar, which may be re-filed.