Judge: Matthew C. Braner, Case: 37-2022-00034651-CU-OE-CTL, Date: 2024-04-26 Tentative Ruling

SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA,

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HALL OF JUSTICE

TENTATIVE RULINGS - April 25, 2024

04/26/2024  09:00:00 AM  C-60 COUNTY OF SAN DIEGO

JUDICIAL OFFICER:Matthew C. Braner

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Civil - Unlimited  Other employment Motion Hearing (Civil) 37-2022-00034651-CU-OE-CTL STIESMEYER VS COUNTY OF SAN DIEGO [IMAGED] CAUSAL DOCUMENT/DATE FILED:

No tentative ruling. The court will hear from the parties as to the scope of an in camera review and regarding the below comments.

First, the court agrees Defendant has demonstrated good cause for at least an in camera review of Plaintiff's employee records for her current employer, the City of Coronado, as some may be relevant to the issue of mitigation, and arguably to Plaintiff's claim for emotional distress damages.

Second, Defendant's requests are overbroad. Even in a typical employment case not involving the Pitchess procedure, the court would scrutinize efforts to obtain wholesale access to a plaintiff's employment records held by a third-party. In the context of a Pitchess motion and the confidentiality of a police officer's personnel records, the scrutiny is elevated. In particular, the court is not persuaded Defendant's requested categories nos. 1-5, and 11 are relevant to the issue of mitigation, and the assertion that such categories nos. 1-3, 5, and 11 are relevant to her claim for emotional distress damages is highly speculative. However, psychological and/or medical evaluations (category no. 4), if they exist, are relevant to the emotional distress claim.

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