FARZANEH PAYROVI VS. DOLBY LABORATORIES, INC. ET AL

SF Superior Court - Law & Motion / Discovery Dept 302 - CGC22598560 - August 11, 2025 Hearing date: August 11, 2025 Case number: CGC22598560 Case title: FARZANEH PAYROVI VS. DOLBY LABORATORIES, INC. ET AL Case Number: | | CGC22598560 | Case Title: | | FARZANEH PAYROVI VS. DOLBY LABORATORIES, INC. ET AL | Court Date: | | 2025-08-11 09:00 AM | Calendar Matter: | | Notice Of Motion For Terminating Sanctions And Monetary Sanctions, Or In The Alternative, Issue, Evidentiary, And Monetary Sanctions, Due To Deliberate Destruction Of Evidence And Concealment Of Same, Pursuant To Ccp 2023.030 | Rulings: | | Set for Law and Motion/Discovery Calendar on Monday, August 11, 2025, Line 1. 2 - DEFENDANTs DOLBY LABORATORIES, INC., and THAO HOVANKY's Motion For Terminating Sanctions And Monetary Sanctions, Or In The Alternative, Issue, Evidentiary, And Monetary Sanctions, Due To Deliberate Destruction Of Evidence And Concealment Of Same, Pursuant To Ccp 2023.030

Defendant's motion to compel further production to Requests for Production of Documents, Set One, without objection is granted. The discovery at issue appears reasonably calculated to lead to the discovery of admissible evidence. (See Code of Civil Procedure section 2017.010.)

Plaintiff waived her objections by failing to timely respond to the discovery by May 7, 2024. (Sherman Decl., pars. 3-5, 7, Ex. B.) Plaintiff never obtained a further extension of time. (CCP 2031.270(b) [extension of time; written confirmation].)

Plaintiff's second amended responses are non-responsive. They are generic and do not adequately respond to the call of the production request. (See, e.g., RFP 74 re emotional distress.) Plaintiff also failed to produce documents she said would be produced. (See, e.g., RFP 69, 71.)

Contrary to CCP 2031.230, Plaintiff failed to note in her responses that she destroyed her journal even though the information in that journal was responsive. (Sherman Decl., Ex. G [Plaintiff's Depo. 515:19-20]; Sherman Decl., Ex. A [RFP 65 (referring to journals)].)

Plaintiff shall provide objection-free, Code compliant further responses to RFPs 1 through 76 no later than August 29, 2025. The court does not find Plaintiff acted with substantial justification in connection with this discovery and motion. Plaintiff Farzaneh Payrovi shall pay $2,760 as sanctions to Defendant Dolby Laboratories, Inc. by August 29, 2025. (See Code of Civil Procedure sections 2023.010, 2023.030, 2031.310(h).)

For the 9:00 a.m. calendar, all attorneys and parties may appear in Department 302 remotely or in person. Remote hearings will be conducted by videoconference using Zoom. (Dept. 302 Zoom ID 160 409 7690; Passcode 516287.) To appear remotely at the hearing, go to the court's website at sfsuperiorcourt.org under "Online Services," navigate to "Tentative Rulings," and click on the appropriate link, or dial the corresponding phone number.

Any party who contests a tentative ruling must send an email to contestdept302tr@sftc.org with a copy to all other parties by 4pm stating, without argument, the portion(s) of the tentative ruling that the party contests. The subject line of the email shall include the line number, case name and case number. The text of the email shall include the name and contact information, including email address, of the attorney or party who will appear at the hearing.

Counsel for the prevailing party is required to prepare a proposed order which repeats verbatim the substantive portion of the tentative ruling and must email it to contestdept302tr@sftc.org prior to the hearing even if the tentative ruling is not contested.

The court no longer provides a court reporter in the Law & Motion Department. Parties may retain their own reporter, who may appear in the courtroom or remotely. A retained reporter must be a California certified court reporter (CSR), for only a CSR's transcript may be used in California courts. If a CSR is being retained, include in your email all of the following: their name, CSR and telephone numbers, and their individual work email address. =(302/JMQ) | |