JENNIFER SARKANY ET AL VS. CHRISTIE WEST ET AL

Matter on calendar for Wednesday, July 9, 2025, Line 2, PLAINTIFF JENNIFER SARKANY, RAMSEY ABOUREMELEH, SANDRA FIERRO, NINA ROBINS' Motion For Contempt And To Compel Document Production From Defendant Christie West; Request For Monetary Sanctions Against Defendant Christie West.

Plaintiffs Jennifer Sarkany et al. move for an order compelling document production by defendant Christie West, for monetary sanctions, and for an order of contempt. The motion is unopposed. The court grants the motion in part and denies it in part.

Sarkany shows that West was previously ordered to produce documents pursuant to her request for production. The transcript of hearing from the initial debtor's examination (Exhibit E to Hooshmand Dec.) shows that West redacted some of the documents in part. The Hooshmand Declaration further demonstrates that West has not produced all documents responsive to the deposition subpoena personally served on her. (See Hooshmand Dec. paras. 10, 12 & Ex. C.)

The court orders West to produce unredacted documents responsive to the deposition subpoena attached as Exhibit C to the Hooshmand Declaration by August 1, 2025, a date in advance of the continued examination. The court finds that West has misused the discovery process. The court grants the motion for sanctions and orders West to pay $3525 to Plaintiffs by August 1, 2025.

Sarkany further seeks a contempt order. Contempt (which can subject the contemnor to jail or to other penalties such as fines that accrue daily) is a last resort. The court denies the request but cautions West that further violations of court orders may subject her to an order to show cause why she should not be subject to contempt sanctions.

For the 9:00 a.m. calendar, all attorneys and parties may appear in Department 301 remotely or in person. Remote hearings will be conducted by videoconference using Zoom. (Dept. 301 Zoom ID 161 502 4290; Passcode 700956.) 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 contestdept301tr@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 moving party is required to prepare a proposed order which repeats verbatim the substantive portion of the tentative ruling and must email it to contestdept301tr@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 or Discovery 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. =(301/CVA). |