Judge: Michelle C. Kim, Case: 22STCV26992, Date: 2024-05-22 Tentative Ruling

Case Number: 22STCV26992    Hearing Date: May 22, 2024    Dept: 31

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA  

FOR THE COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES - CENTRAL DISTRICT 

 

MARIA VASQUEZ, ET AL., 

Plaintiff(s),  

vs. 

 

COVINA-VALLEY UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT, ET AL., 

 

Defendant(s). 

) 

) 

) 

) 

) 

) 

) 

) 

) 

) 

) 

      CASE NO: 22STCV26992 

 

[TENTATIVE] ORDER TAKING (1) MOTION TO COMPEL EXPERT DEPOSITION AND/OR TO REOPEN DISCOVERY OFF-CALENDAR 

 

Dept. 31 

1:30 p.m.  

May 22, 2024 

 

Plaintiffs Maria Vasquez and Esther Vasquez (collectively, “Plaintiffs”) filed this action against defendants City of Covina, Covina-Valley Unified School District, and Does 1-100 for damages arising from an alleged dangerous condition of public property.   

 

On March 19, 2024, Covina-Valley Unified School District (“Defendant”) filed the instant motion for an order compelling the depositions of Plaintiffs’ experts, Jon Gardiner (“Gardiner”) and Laurent Rubens, D.C. (“Dr. Rubens”). In the alternative, Defendant requests discovery to be reopened for the limited purpose of taking Gardiner’s and Dr. Ruben’s depositions only.  

 

On March 20, 2024, the Court granted Defendant’s ex parte application to advance the hearing date or in the alternative reopen discovery for limited purposes. The Court found good cause to re-open discovery only, and encouraged the parties to work together to allow this case to be tried on its merits. (Min. Order, March 20, 2024.) No additional briefs have been filed since then. 

 

Accordingly, Defendant’s motion appears moot and will be taken off-calendar.   

 

Moving party 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 17th day of May 2024 

 

  

 

 

Hon. Michelle C. Kim 

Judge of the Superior Court