Motion to Deem Requests for Admissions Admitted and for Monetary Sanctions; Motion to Compel Responses to Special Interrogatories and Form Interrogatories and for Monetary Sanctions; Motion to Compel Responses to Requests for Production of Documents and for Monetary Sanctions
23CV046564: WILLIAMS vs MARTIN, et al. 07/30/2026 Hearing on Motion to Compel PLAINTIFF AND CROSS-DEFENDANT JOHN WILLIAMS MOTION TO COMPEL DEFENDANTS DISCOVERY RESPONSES TO PLAINTIFFS SPECIAL INTERROGATORIES, SET ONE, AND FORM INTERROGATORIESGENERAL, SET ONE; AND FOR MONETARY SANCTIONS; filed by John Williams (Plaintiff) CRS# 638979551032 in Department 512
Tentative Ruling - 07/28/2026 Elizabeth Riles
The Motion to Compel 1. PLAINTIFF AND CROSS-DEFENDANT JOHN WILLIAMS NOTICE OF MOTION AND MOTION TO COMPEL DEFENDANTS DISCOVERY RESPONSES TO PLAINTIFFS SPECIAL INTERROGATORIES, SET ONE, AND FORM INTERROGATORIESGENERAL, SET ONE; AND FOR MONETARY SANCTIONS filed by John Williams on 06/26/2026 is Granted in Part.
This Tentative Ruling addresses plaintiff John Williams (Plaintiff) three discovery motions as follows: (1) Motion to Deem Requests for Admissions, Set Two (RFA) Admitted and for Monetary Sanctions; (2) Motion to Compel defendant Martina Simeon Martin (Defendant) initial Responses to Special Interrogatories Set Two (SROG) and Form Interrogatories, Set Three (FROG) and for Monetary Sanctions; and (3) Motion to Compel Defendants Initial Responses to Requests for Production of Documents, Set Three (RFPD) and for Monetary Sanctions.
The Court GRANTS IN PART all three of Defendants unopposed Discovery Motions.
The Court ORDERS that Plaintiffs RFA Nos. 6-33 are DEEMED ADMITTED by Defendant.
The Court ORDERS Defendant to serve verified Responses to the SROG, FROG and RFPD without objections no later than 5:00 p.m. on Monday, 8/24/2026.
Plaintiff requests monetary sanctions on the three motions totaling $5,200. Although the Court finds that the $325 hourly rate to prepare the Motions to be reasonable, the Court finds the number of hours worked to be excessive in light of the facts that the motions are highly duplicative and none of them required a separate statement.
Wherefore, the Court AWARDS Plaintiff a reasonable monetary sanction payable by Defendant on the three discovery motions in the total amount of $3,430 ([$325/hr x 10 hrs] + [$60 motion fee x three motions] = $3,430).
CONTESTING TENTATIVE RULINGS
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