Judge: Thomas D. Long, Case: 25STCV02841, Date: 2025-05-27 Tentative Ruling

Case Number: 25STCV02841    Hearing Date: May 27, 2025    Dept: 48

SUPERIOR COURT OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA

FOR THE COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES - CENTRAL DISTRICT

On February 3, 2025, Plaintiff Lorenzo Luis Luna filed this Song-Beverly action against Defendant General Motors LLC.

On April 29, 2025, Defendant filed a motion for protective order.  Defendant requests entry of a protective order based on the Model Los Angeles County Superior Court Confidential Protective Order.  (See Gale Decl., Ex. 5.)  Defendant argues that is policies and procedures for handling warranty claims and repurchase requests by California consumers are proprietary and confidential.  (Motion at p. 6.)

Plaintiff argues that the motion “is not supported by any document-specific showing of harm or legal necessity,” and “[i]t merely asserts, in conclusory fashion, that some materials are confidential— without tying those claims to any statutory or factual foundation.”  (Opposition at p. 3.)  According to Plaintiff, Defendant “seeks to impose broad confidentiality restrictions on routine corporate documents that are subject to mandatory disclosure under Code of Civil Procedure section 871.26.”  (Id. at p. 4.)

A protective order does not relieve Defendant of its discovery obligations and the new mandatory disclosures under Code of Civil Procedure section 871.26.  Rather, it permits the parties to designate as “Confidential” any documents, testimony or information that the designating party in good faith believes to contain non-public information that is entitled to confidential treatment under applicable law.  (Protective Order at p. 2.)  This designation process will facilitate, not hinder, the discovery process by making confidential materials more easily produced with less need for privacy objections.  If a party wants to challenge a “Confidential” designation, it may do so by noticed motion.

The motion for protective order is GRANTED.  The Court will sign the proposed order submitted on April 29, 2025.

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 27th day of May 2025