Judge: Michelle C. Kim, Case: 21STCV18499, Date: 2023-09-13 Tentative Ruling

Case Number: 21STCV18499    Hearing Date: September 13, 2023    Dept: 31

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA  

FOR THE COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES - CENTRAL DISTRICT 

 

MARTA ESPINOZA, 

Plaintiff(s), 

vs. 

 

SUPER CENTER CONCEPTS, INC., a California corporation, ET AL., 

Defendant(s). 

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Case No.: 21STCV18499 

 

[TENTATIVE] ORDER GRANTING MOTION TO BE RELIEVED AS COUNSEL  

 

Dept. 31 

1:30 p.m. 

September 13, 2023 

 

 

Plaintiff Marta Espinoza (“Plaintiff”) attorney of record, Peter M. Williamson, Esq. of Rafii & Associates (“Counsel”), moves to be relieved as counsel, contending irreconcilable differences have arisen between Counsel and the Plaintiff, which makes it impossible for Counsel to continue to represent Plaintiff.  

 

Counsel declares the moving papers were served on Plaintiff via mail at Plaintiff’s last known address, which counsel has been confirmed by telephone. The Court is satisfied with the additional declaration submitted, in which Counsel’s office spoke to Plaintiff over the phone to confirm her current residential address. Counsel has filed proof of service of the motion, declaration, and proposed order on Plaintiff and on Defendant. (Cal. Rules of Court, rule 3.1362(d).) 

 

The motion is granted; the ruling is effective upon filing proof of service of the final order.  Trial is currently set for February 22, 2024. Therefore, there is sufficient time for Plaintiff to seek other counsel or otherwise prepare prior for trial. 

   

Moving Counsel is ordered to give notice. 

 

PLEASE TAKE NOTICE: 

  • Parties are encouraged to meet and confer after reading this tentative ruling to see if they can reach an agreement. 

  • If a party intends to submit on this tentative ruling,¿the party must send an email to the court at¿sscdept31@lacourt.org¿with the Subject line “SUBMIT” followed by the case number.¿ The body of the email must include the hearing date and time, counsel’s contact information, and the identity of the party submitting.¿¿ 

  • Unless¿all¿parties submit by email to this tentative ruling, the parties should arrange to appear remotely (encouraged) or in person for oral argument.¿ You should assume that others may appear at the hearing to argue.¿¿ 

  • If the parties neither submit nor appear at hearing, the Court may take the motion off calendar or adopt the tentative ruling as the order of the Court.¿ After the Court has issued a tentative ruling, the Court may prohibit the withdrawal of the subject motion without leave.¿ 

 

Dated this 12th day of September 2023 

 

  

 

 

Hon. Michelle C. Kim 

Judge of the Superior Court