On 06/03/2015 LILLIAN CARTER filed a Personal Injury - Other Personal Injury lawsuit against UNIVERSAL STUDIOS INC. This case was filed in Los Angeles County Superior Courts, Stanley Mosk Courthouse located in Los Angeles, California. The Judges overseeing this case are HOWARD L. HALM, BRIAN S. CURREY, WILLIAM BARRY and MAURICE A. LEITER. The case status is Pending - Other Pending.
****3946
06/03/2015
Pending - Other Pending
Los Angeles County Superior Courts
Stanley Mosk Courthouse
Los Angeles, California
HOWARD L. HALM
BRIAN S. CURREY
WILLIAM BARRY
MAURICE A. LEITER
CARTER CRYSTAL
CARTER LILLIAN
CARTER NEKAYA
DOES 1 - 100
JACKSON O'SHEA SR. ICE CUBE
KELLY TOI LIN
KNIGHT MARION SUGE
PRETTYBIRD PICTURES INC.
SLOAN CLE BONE
TAM'S BURGER
UNIVERSAL STUDIOS INC.
YOUNG ANDRE DR. DRE
NBCUNIVERSAL LLC (DOE 1)
TOI LIN KELLY
TAM'S 21 ROSEWOOD INC.
TAM'S BURGERS NO. 21
ANDRE "DR. DRE" YOUNG
NBCUNIVERSAL LLC
O'SHEA "ICE CUBE" JACKSON SR.
CLE "BONE" SLOAN
BERGER MICHAEL JAY ESQ.
DORDICK GARY A. ESQ.
DOUGLAS CARL E. ESQ.
LAW OFFICES OF MICHAEL JAY BERGER
LAW OFFICES OF GARY A. DORDICK
THE DOUGLAS LAW GROUP
DOUGLAS/HICKS LAW
RAFIL & ASSOCIATES PC
OUNJIAN ROBERT ESQ.
CULPEPPER THADDEUS J.
PETRICH LOUIS P. ESQ.
HARRIS MARC S. LAW OFFICES OF
LEOPOLD PETRICK & SMITH LAW OFFICES OF
LAW OFFICES OF LOYST P. FLETCHER
VENABLE LLP
FLETCHER LOYST P. ESQ.
SCHEPER KIM & HARRIS LLP
FOX DANA ALDEN ESQ.
LEWIS BRISBOIS BISGAARD & SMITH
THADDEUS J. CULPEPPER
6/26/2015: Unknown
7/27/2015: Unknown
8/17/2015: Proof of Service (not Summons and Complaint)
8/19/2015: Answer
9/30/2015: Unknown
10/30/2015: Unknown
11/24/2015: Unknown
9/1/2016: Opposition
10/18/2016: Unknown
10/20/2016: Unknown
10/27/2016: Unknown
9/22/2017: Minute Order
8/22/2018: Case Management Statement
9/5/2018: Minute Order
11/28/2018: Minute Order
8/11/2015: NOTICE OF DEMURRER AND DEMURRER BY DEFENDANT PRETTY BIRD PICTURES, INC. TO COMPLAINT OF PLAINTIFFS LILLIAN CARTER, NEKAYA CARTER, AND CRYSTAL CARTER; SUPPORTING MEMORANDUM OF POINTS AND AUTHORITIES
11/8/2016: NOTICE OF ERRATA AND CORRECTION TO PLAINTIFFS' NOTICE OF APPEAL
11/9/2016: NOTICE OF FILING OF NOTICE OF APPEAL (UNLIMITED JURISDICTION)
at 08:30 AM in Department A, Maurice A. Leiter, Presiding; Case Management Conference - Held - Continued
at 08:30 AM in Department A, Maurice A. Leiter, Presiding; Order to Show Cause Re: (name extension) (Dismissal for Failure to Prosecute) - Held - Continued
at 08:30 AM in Department A, Maurice A. Leiter, Presiding; Order to Show Cause Re: (name extension) (Sanctions against Defense Counsel T. Culpepper for Failure to Serve Cross-Complaint) - Held - Continued
at 08:30 AM in Department A, Maurice A. Leiter, Presiding; Nunc Pro Tunc Order
Minute Order ((Case Management Conference; Order to Show Cause Re: Dismissal...)); Filed by Clerk
Minute Order ( (Nunc Pro Tunc Order)); Filed by Clerk
Case Management Statement; Filed by Tam's 21 Rosewood, Inc. (Defendant)
Case Management Statement; Filed by LILLIAN CARTER, INDIVIDUALLY AND AS THE (Plaintiff); ESTATE OF TERRY CARTER (Plaintiff); Lillian Carter (Plaintiff) et al.
Response to OSC Re: Service; Filed by Marion Suge Knight (Defendant)
at 08:30 AM in Department A, Maurice A. Leiter, Presiding; Order to Show Cause Re: (name extension) (Dismissal for Failure to Prosecute) - Held - Continued
Proof-Service/Summons; Filed by Lillian Carter (Plaintiff); Nekaya Carter (Plaintiff); Crystal Carter (Plaintiff)
AMENDMENT TO COMPLAINT
Amendment to Complaint; Filed by Attorney for Plaintiff/Petitioner
Amendment to Complaint; Filed by Lillian Carter (Plaintiff); Nekaya Carter (Plaintiff); Crystal Carter (Plaintiff)
Summons; Filed by null
Complaint; Filed by LILLIAN CARTER, INDIVIDUALLY AND AS THE (Plaintiff); ESTATE OF TERRY CARTER (Plaintiff); Lillian Carter (Plaintiff) et al.
COMPLAINT FOR DAMAGES (PERSONAL INJURY) 1. WRONGFUL DEATH/NEGLIGENCE; ETC
SUMMONS
Civil Case Cover Sheet; Filed by Nekaya Carter (Plaintiff)
Complaint
Case Number: BC583946 Hearing Date: July 28, 2020 Dept: A
# 13. Lilian Carter v. Universal Studios, Inc., et al.
Case No.: BC583946
Matter on calendar for: Motion to Deem Requests for Admissions as Admitted; Motion to Set Trial Date
Tentative ruling:
Background
This action arises out of a collision in which Defendant Marion “Suge” Knight struck Terry Carter with his car, and killed him, near 1201 Rosecrans Avenue, Compton, on January 29, 2015. Plaintiffs Lilian Carter, individually and as personal representative as the estate of Terry Carter, Nekaya Carter, and Crystal Carter filed a complaint alleging:
Wrongful Death;
Negligence;
Assault and Battery.
Plaintiffs move to deem their Requests for Admission, Set One, as admitted by Defendant Knight. Plaintiffs move separately for the Court to set a trial date; the previous date was vacated pursuant to the general orders issued by the Chief Justice and the Presiding Judge of this Court due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The motions originally were set for hearing on June 23, 2020. The motion to deem the requests as admitted was continued to July 28, 2020, and the motion to set a trial date was taken off-calendar for lack of proper notice. Plaintiffs have re-served the motion to set a trial date.
For the reasons set forth below, the Court denies the motion to deem the request for admissions as admitted. The motion to set a trial date is granted in part.
Standard
Motion to Deem Requests for Admission as Admitted
“ ‘Requests for admission . . . are primarily aimed at setting at rest a triable issue so that it will not have to be tried. Thus, such requests, in a most definite manner, are aimed at expediting trial.’ [Citation.]” (St. Mary v. Superior Court (2014) 223 Cal.App.4th 762, 774–775.) Under Code of Civil Procedure § 2033.280(d), if a party fails to timely respond to requests for admission, the propounding party may move for an order deeming the matter admitted. (Id. at 775.) “The court must also impose monetary sanctions upon the party and/or the attorney for the failure to serve a timely response to the RFAs. [C.C.P., § 2033.280(c).]” (Ibid.) If the responding party serves its responses before the hearing the court must deny the motion. (Ibid.) “ ‘But woe betide the party who fails to serve responses before the hearing. In that instance the court has no discretion but to grant the admission motion, usually with fatal consequences for the defaulting party.’ [Citation.]” (Ibid.)
Motion to Specially Set a Trial Date
California Rules of Court, Rule 3.1335(a), requires a party requesting to advance, specially set, or reset a case for trial to file a noticed motion or ex parte application. The moving party must make an affirmative showing of good cause based on a declaration that is served with the motion or application. (Cal. Rules of Court, Rule 3.1335(b).)
Analysis
Judicial notice
Plaintiffs request judicial notice of the Presiding Judge’s July 10, 2020 general order. This request is granted. (Evid. Code, § 452(c).)
Motion to Deem Requests for Admission as Admitted
Knight served responses to plaintiffs’ requests for admission prior to the hearing. Plaintiffs argue Knight failed to properly verify the responses, making the responses are invalid. (Appleton v. Superior Court (1988) 206 Cal.App.3d 632, 636.) (Knight is incarcerated, and his counsel provided a transcript of a telephone call in which Knight orally verified the responses.) Knight subsequently signed a verification and re-served the responses. This issue is now moot.
Under Code of Civil Procedure § 2033.280, an untimely response to requests for admission results in a waiver of all objections unless “[t]he court, on motion” relieves the responding party from its waiver. Relief requires that (1) the party has subsequently served a statutorily compliant response and (2) “the party’s failure to serve a timely response was the result of mistake, inadvertence, or excusable neglect.” (C.C.P. § 2033.280(a).) Knight has shown inadvertence and excusable neglect for his failure to timely serve his responses. He was served while pro per and incarcerated, with an envelope not labeled as legal mail (Opp. Exh. 19), and while it was known he was in the process of retaining counsel.
Plaintiffs argue that the Court should disregard Knight’s showing of mistake, inadvertence or excusable neglect because Knight made that showing in his opposition to plaintiffs’ motion, rather than in a separately-filed motion. The argument is unpersuasive; it is a distinction without difference. The requests for admission are currently before the Court, as is Knight’s showing that he is entitled to relief.
Knight has served responses and shown he is entitled to relief from waiver. The motion to deem the requests for admission as admitted are denied.
Motion to Set Trial Date
Plaintiffs ask that the Court set this case for trial within the five-year statutory period under Code of Civil Procedure § 583.310. This case was filed on June 3, 2015. Section § 583.310 mandates that an action be “brought to trial within five years after the action is commenced against the defendant.” The five-year date would have passed on June 3, 2020. However, the Judicial Council of California issued Emergency Rules to address issues arising from the Covid-19 pandemic; those rules include a 60-day extension to section 583.310’s deadline. (Cal. Rules of Court, Emer. Rule 10(a).) Accounting for the emergency rule, the new five-year date for this case would be August 3, 2020.
Plaintiffs also argue that the five-year date should be extended by an additional sixteen months, to account for a period in which they were prevented from moving the case forward by Defendant Knight’s inability to secure counsel. The case was remitted to this Court from the Court of Appeal on July 25, 2018. The Court held status conferences on April 11, 2019, May 9, 2019, and June 28, 2019, but Knight’s counsel failed to appear. The Court then granted Knight’s request for additional time to secure counsel on September 13, 2019. On December 6, 2019, Knight represented that he had hired an attorney, Dawn Christensen, to represent him. The Final Status Conference then was scheduled for March 3, 2020, with a trial date of April 6, 2020. As noted, ultimately Knight retained a different lawyer.
Code of Civil Procedure § 583.340 governs the calculation of the five-year limit and excludes time during which “[b]ringing the action to trial . . . was impossible, impracticable, or futile.” (C.C.P., § 583.340(c).) “ ‘What is impossible, impracticable, or futile is determined in light of all the circumstances of a particular case, including the conduct of the parties and the nature of the proceedings.’ [Brown & Bryant, Inc. v. Hartford Accident & Indemnity Co. (1994) 24 Cal.App.4th 247, 251.]” (Moss v. Stockdale, Peckham & Werner (1996) 47 Cal.App.4th 494, 502.)
The Court concludes that plaintiffs were delayed by eight months, April 2019 to December 2019, by no fault of their own. During that period bringing the action to trial would have been impossible or impracticable. Accordingly, the date by which this action must be brought to trial is extended by eight months, to April 3, 2021.
Knight, in his opposition, argues that plaintiffs have not shown reasonable diligence because they searched for Mr. Culpepper, Knight’s prior counsel, only in the state corrections system, and not in the federal system. (Opp. at 9.) This is unpersuasive; it does not change the analysis.
Ruling
The motion to deem the requests for admission as admitted is denied.
The motion to set a trial date is granted, in part. The trial date will be set at hearing.
Next dates:
Notice: