RAMIREZ vs ROSS STORES, INC.

25CV154861: RAMIREZ vs ROSS STORES, INC. 05/28/2026 Hearing on Motion to Compel Further Discovery Responses filed by ROSS STORES, INC. (Defendant) CRS# 189636463439 in Department 512

Tentative Ruling - 05/27/2026 Jenna Whitman

The Motion to Compel Further Discovery Responses filed by ROSS STORES, INC. on 04/21/2026 is Granted in Part.

This Tentative Ruling addresses defendant Ross Dress for Less, Inc. (“Defendant”) Motions to Compel plaintiff’ Mary Ramirez’s (“Plaintiff”) Further Responses to Special Interrogatories (“SROG”) No. 47 and 48 and For Monetary Sanctions; and (2) Further Responses to Requests for Production of Documents (“RFPD”) Nos. 20 and 24 and for Monetary Sanctions

ANALYSIS OF MOTION TO COMPEL FURTHER RESPONSES TO SROG

The Court GRANTS IN PART Defendant’s Motion to Compel Further Responses to SROG.

The Court ORDERS Plaintiff to serve a verified Further Response No. 48 no later than 3:00 p.m. on Friday, 6/04/2026. Plaintiff’s Second Further Response is incomplete in that it does not contain addresses and telephone numbers as requested. Plaintiff’s Further Response shall provide business addresses and telephone numbers for the medical providers named in Plaintiff’s Second Further Responses.

Plaintiff has not demonstrated that her position is substantially justified. The Court ORDERS Plaintiff to pay Defendant a monetary sanction in the reasonable amount of $1,000 on the Motion to Compel Further SROG Responses. This amount is reasonable, considering the scope and issues involved in the motion. Further, the Court considers that Defendant’s moving declaration was unnecessarily voluminous, covering matters that are not relevant to the present Motion to Compel. This work is not compensable and unnecessarily burdens the Court. Further, the moving Wohlfeil Declaration at ¶ 19 admits Defendant rushed to file this Motion to Compel even after Plaintiff had agreed to provide Further Responses by 4/24/2026. The Court nonetheless awards sanctions because one of Plaintiff’s Second Further Responses is still not fully responsive.

ANALYSIS OF MOTION TO COMPEL FURTHER RESPONSES TO RFPD

The Court GRANTS IN PART Defendant’s Motion to Compel Plaintiff’s Further Responses to RFPD Nos. 20 and 24.

The Court ORDERS Plaintiff no later than 3:00 p.m. on 6/5/2026 to provide Defendant with Plaintiff’s cell phone number at the time of the incident so that Defendant may seek to subpoena those records directly from Verizon Wireless, if Defendant wishes to do so. The Court otherwise DENIES Defendant’s request for a further Response to RFPD No.