Superior Court of California

County of Los Angeles

Department 50

LYNN ANDREA COUCH, Plaintiff, vs. A. G. LAYNE, INC., et al. Defendants.	Case No.:	22STCV19989
	Hearing Date:	May 5, 2023
	Hearing Time:	10:00 a.m.
	ORDER RE: DEFENDANT’S MOTION TO COMPEL PLAINTIFF’S RESPONSES TO FORM INTERROGATORIES, SET ONE; REQUEST FOR SANCTIONS IN THE AMOUNT OF $960.00; DEFENDANT’S MOTION TO COMPEL PLAINTIFF’S DISCOVERY RESPONSES TO REQUESTS FOR PRODUCTION OF DOCUMENTS, SET ONE; REQUEST FOR SANCTIONS IN THE AMOUNT OF $860.00; DEFENDANT’S MOTION TO COMPEL PLAINTIFF’S RESPONSES TO SPECIAL INTERROGATORIES, SET ONE; REQUEST FOR SANCTIONS IN THE AMOUNT OF $660.00

Defendant A.G. Layne, Inc. (“A.G. Layne”) moves for orders compelling Plaintiff Lynn Andrea Couch to (1) provide verified responses without objections to A.G. Layne’s Form Interrogatories, Set One, (2) provide verified responses without objections to A.G. Layne’s Requests for Production of Documents, Set One, and (3) provide verified responses without objections to A.G. Layne’s Special Interrogatories, Set One. A.G. Layne also seeks monetary sanctions in connection with each motion.

A.G. Layne’s motions will be continued to a new date as set forth below. NO HEARINGS WILL TAKE PLACE ON MAY 5, 2023.

Pursuant to the Court’s power to “amend and control its process and orders so as to make them conform to law and justice” (Code Civ. Proc., § 128(a)(8)), the Court orders the parties in this case to participate in an Informal Discovery Conference (“IDC”). (Note:¿The Court’s policy regarding IDCs appears in the Courtroom Information available in Dept. 50 and on the Court’s website.)¿Lead or other designated counsel for the parties with full authority are ordered to participate in person in an IDC. After consulting with opposing counsel regarding available dates, A.G. Layne must make a prompt reservation for the IDC using the Court’s online reservation system. A.G. Layne must file Dept. 50’s one-page IDC form in the department seven days prior to the IDC, and the responding parties may file the same form in the department setting forth a response three days prior to the IDC.

Once A.G. Layne has confirmed an IDC date, A.G. Layne must use the Court’s online reservation system to continue the motions to a post-IDC discovery hearing date. The parties are ordered to have with them whatever materials are needed to make the IDC session productive and successful. Prior to the IDC date, lead or other designated counsel for the parties, with full authority, are to meet and confer, in person or via telephone in a further attempt to resolve as many of the issues as possible before the IDC. (See CRC Rule 3.670(f)(2).) If the parties resolve their discovery disputes before the IDC date, A.G. Layne is ordered to take both the IDC and the motions off calendar as soon as possible.

A.G. Layne is ordered to provide notice of this Order.

DATED: May 5, 2023 ________________________________

Hon. Teresa A. Beaudet

Judge, Los Angeles Superior Court