Judge: Thomas D. Long, Case: 24STCV23558, Date: 2025-03-18 Tentative Ruling

Case Number: 24STCV23558    Hearing Date: March 18, 2025    Dept: 48

 

 

 

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA

FOR THE COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES - CENTRAL DISTRICT

 

MARIO BRAVO,

                        Plaintiff,

            vs.

 

CARY WATSON JONES,

 

                        Defendant.

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      CASE NO.: 24STCV23558

 

[TENTATIVE] ORDER GRANTING MOTIONS TO COMPEL DISCOVERY RESPONSES

 

Dept. 48

8:30 a.m.

March 18, 2025

 

On September 12, 2024, Plaintiff Mario Bravo filed this action against Defendant Cary Watson Jones.

On October 24, 2024, Defendant propounded Special Interrogatories (Set No. 1), Form Interrogatories (Set No. 1), and Demand for Inspection and Production of Documents (Set No. 1) on Plaintiff.  (Cox Decl. ¶ 2.)  Plaintiff never served responses.

On February 14, 2025, Defendant filed three motions to compel discovery responses.  Each motion includes a request for sanctions of $455.34.  Plaintiff did not file any oppositions.

Where a party fails to serve timely responses to discovery requests, the court may make an order compelling responses.  (Code Civ. Proc., §§ 2030.290 [interrogatories], 2031.300 [documents]; Healthcare Consulting, Inc. v. Pacific Healthcare Consultants (2007) 148 Cal.App.4th 390, 403.)   A party that fails to serve timely responses waives any objections to the request, including ones based on privilege or the protection of attorney work product.  (Code Civ. Proc., §§ 2030.290, subd. (a), 2031.300, subd. (a).)

Plaintiff filed no oppositions to these motions and did not serve timely verified responses.  It does not appear that Plaintiff served verified responses prior to the hearing.

Accordingly, the motions are GRANTED.  Plaintiff is ordered to provide verified responses, without objections, to Defendant’s Special Interrogatories (Set No. 1), Form Interrogatories (Set No. 1), and Demand for Inspection and Production of Documents (Set No. 1) within 30 days.

The requests for sanctions are granted.  Plaintiff is ordered to pay total sanctions of $1,366.02 ($455.34 for each of three motions) to Defendant within 30 days.

Moving party to give notice.

Parties who intend to submit on this tentative must send an email to the Court at SMCDEPT48@lacourt.org indicating intention to submit.  If all parties in the case submit on the tentative ruling, no appearances before the Court are required unless a companion hearing (for example, a Case Management Conference) is also on calendar.

 

         Dated this 18th day of March 2025

 

 

 

 

Hon. Thomas D. Long

Judge of the Superior Court