Plaintiffs’ MIL No. 1; Plaintiffs’ MIL No. 2; Plaintiffs’ MIL No. 3; Plaintiffs’ MIL No. 4; Defendant’s MIL No. 1
34-2021-00303135-CU-OE-GDS: Britney Brown vs. Amazon.Com Services LLC 12/19/2025 Status Conference (Pre-Trial Conference) in Department 22
Tentative Ruling
APPEARANCES REQUIRED for Pre-Trial Conference. Counsel shall be prepared to update the Court regarding readiness for trial. The Court will also hear any arguments regarding its tentative rulings on the Motions in Limine, as set forth below.
The Court advises Counsel of the following deadlines and expectations:
December 22, 2025: Deadline to exchange trial exhibits and witness lists o Witness lists shall include time estimates for examination of each witness.
December 29, 2025: Deadline to submit opening statement briefs. o The briefs shall not exceed 15 pages. o Each party shall also email a courtesy copy of their brief to Dept22@saccourt.ca.gov, copying opposing counsel.
January 5, 2026 at 9:00 a.m.: Phase 1 trial begins.
No later than the start of trial: o Counsel shall email the following documents to Dept22@saccourt.ca.gov.
1. Joint exhibit list in Word format. Please describe each exhibit objectively and place the date of the exhibit (if applicable) within the description, as well as the number of pages. Please do not reserve numbers as blank, as this can cause confusion when exhibits are marked during trial. Each original exhibit must be labeled with a sticker that includes both the exhibit number and case number.
2. Joint witness list with time estimates for direct and cross-examination. This is to ensure the trial schedule is as accurate as possible. The Court will hold the parties to their estimates absent exceptional circumstances.
3. Any stipulations regarding facts or admissibility reached between the parties. o Exhibits: Counsel shall provide a thumb drive that includes PDFs of all exhibits so that the documents can be viewed from the computer on the bench. The Court also requires a copy of all exhibits for the witness stand. This can be provided electronically on a separate thumb drive (which should be identical to the one provided for the judge and will be displayed on a laptop on the witness stand) or in binders. 30 days after oral closing arguments: Closing argument briefs due.
34-2021-00303135-CU-OE-GDS: Britney Brown vs. Amazon.Com Services LLC 12/19/2025 Status Conference (Pre-Trial Conference) in Department 22
o The briefs shall not exceed 20 pages. o Each party shall also email a courtesy copy of their brief to Dept22@saccourt.ca.gov, copying opposing counsel.
Looking for case law or statutes not cited here? Search published authorities
Examples: “Why did the court rule this way?” · “What were the procedural grounds?” · “Is appearance required?”
The Court issues the following tentative rulings on the Parties Motions in Limine:
Plaintiffs Motions
Plaintiffs MIL No. 1 to preclude Defendant from calling witnesses not identified by Defendant during discovery is DENIED without prejudice because the motion is too general for the Court to rule. While it may be appropriate to exclude witnesses not identified during discovery in response to discovery requests that seek their identity, the Court declines to do so in the abstract. Defendant is not required to include rebuttal witnesses on its witness list, so the Court will not exclude a rebuttal witness on that basis alone.
Plaintiffs remain free to object to specific witness(es) during trial. To avoid unnecessary delays during trial, Counsel shall be sufficiently familiar with the discovery requested in this case so that if a question arises regarding whether a rebuttal witness should have previously been disclosed, they can explain why the discovery requests did or did not include a demand for the witnesss identity.
Plaintiffs MIL No. 2 to preclude Defendant from using evidence that Defendant did not identify or produce during discovery is DENIED without prejudice because the motion is too general for the Court to rule. While it may be appropriate to exclude evidence not identified or produced during discovery in response to discovery requests seeking that evidence, the Court declines to do so in the abstract. Defendant is correct that it is not required to produce or disclose on its exhibit list materials in its possession that were not responsive to discovery requests and that it may use to impeach Plaintiffs witnesses. (Def.s Opp. at p. 3.) Plaintiffs remain free to object to specific evidence during trial. Counsel shall be sufficiently familiar with the discovery requested in this case to be able to explain during trial whether a particular undisclosed document was or was not requested.
Plaintiffs MIL No. 3 to preclude improper lay opinions by Defense witnesses is DENIED without prejudice because the motion is too general for the Court to rule.
Plaintiffs MIL No. 4 to preclude Defendants expert from giving opinions regarding the absence of an industry standard is DENIED without prejudice because the motion is too general for the Court to rule.
Defendants Motion
Defendants MIL No. 1 to exclude documents, testimony, or argument not relevant to Phase 1 is DENIED without prejudice because the motion is too general for the Court to rule.
SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA COUNTY OF SACRAMENTO
34-2021-00303135-CU-OE-GDS: Britney Brown vs. Amazon.Com Services LLC 12/19/2025 Status Conference (Pre-Trial Conference) in Department 22
This minute order is effective immediately. No formal order pursuant to CRC Rule 3.1312 or other notice is required.
The Court has ordered the Parties appearance. The Parties are encouraged to appear via Zoom with the links below:
To join by Zoom link - https://saccourt-ca-gov.zoomgov.com/my/sscdept22 To join by phone dial (833) 568-8864 ID 16184738886
Parties requesting services of a court reporter may arrange for private court reporter services at their own expense, pursuant to Government code §68086 and California Rules of Court, Rule 2.956. Requirements for requesting a court reporter are listed in the Policy for Official Reporter Pro Tempore available on the Sacramento Superior Court website at https://www.saccourt.ca.gov/court-reporters/docs/crtrp-6a.pdf. The list of Court Approved Official Reporters Pro Tempore is available at https://www.saccourt.ca.gov/courtreporters/docs/crtrp-13.Pdf.
If you are not using a reporter from the Courts Approved Official Reporter Pro Tempore list, a Stipulation and Appointment of Official Reporter Pro Tempore (CV/E-206) must be signed by each party, the private court reporter, and the Judge. The signed form must be filed with the clerk prior to the hearing.
If a litigant has been granted a fee waiver and requests a court reporter, the party must submit a Request for Court Reporter by a Party with a Fee Waiver (CV/E-211). The form must be filed with the clerk at least 10 days prior to the hearing or at the time the hearing is scheduled if less than 10 days away. Once approved, the clerk will forward the form to the Court Reporters Office and an official reporter will be provided.
Please note that the Complex Civil Case Department now provides information to assist you in managing your complex case on the Court website at https://www.saccourt.ca.gov/civil/complex-civil-cases.aspx. The Court strongly encourages parties to review this website regularly to stay abreast of the most recent complex civil case procedures. Please refer to the website before directly contacting the Court Clerk for information.