Central District of California denies remand of a misappropriation-of-likeness suit, holding that a plaintiff’s rejection of a $75,001 settlement offer is an “other paper” that started the 30-day removal clock and itself proved the amount in controversy.
Central District of California holds that a ramp agent’s product-liability and negligence claims against airport equipment companies do not “arise under” California workers’ compensation law and may be removed to federal court despite Section 1445(c).
Central District of California affirms denial of Supplemental Security Income, holding that the ALJ properly evaluated a consultative examiner’s opinion and that 23,000 cashier-II jobs in the national economy is a “significant number” at step five.
Central District of California denies remand of a Chevrolet Silverado lemon-law case, holding that civil penalties for an alleged willful Song-Beverly violation count toward the federal amount-in-controversy requirement and that the manufacturer need not prove willfulness to invoke that calculation.
Judge Christina Snyder granted motions to intervene by two animal welfare groups in Triumph Foods’ constitutional challenge to California’s Proposition 12 farm animal confinement law, while imposing conditions including coordinated joint filings, no discovery between intervenors and Triu
Judge Anne Hwang sua sponte remanded a Mercedes-Benz lemon-law case after finding the defendant’s actual-damages calculation ignored the new January 2025 statutory offsets under Cal. Civ. Code § 871.27 and the conclusory willfulness allegation could not support adding $124,012 in civil penalti
Central District of California denies remand of a Song-Beverly lemon-law case, holding that a state-court civil case cover sheet checking a damages box is not an “initial pleading” or “other paper” that starts the 30-day removal clock.
Central District of California remands a putative wage-and-hour class action, holding that an employer’s speculative estimate of the named plaintiff’s attorneys’ fees cannot satisfy the $75,000 federal amount-in-controversy requirement.
Central District of California denies a federal prisoner’s petition to be transported approximately 1,500 miles to testify in person at a private Texas civil trial, finding the cost and security burdens outweigh the benefits.
Judge Kenly Kiya Kato ordered ADA plaintiff Darwin Boggs to show cause why his suit against Hunter’s Nursery should not be dismissed for lack of Article III standing, finding his ‘wishes to return’ deterrence allegations were boilerplate and conclusory under Murthy v. Missouri and
Magistrate Judge Karen E. Scott affirmed a Social Security denial, holding the ALJ reasonably interpreted Dr. Abrahimi’s ‘simple work’ opinion as compatible with Level Two reasoning jobs given the plaintiff’s daily activities and part-time work as a hair stylist (a Level Four
Magistrate Judge Stephanie S. Christensen remanded a car-accident case to Los Angeles Superior Court after The Hertz Corporation — the only out-of-state defendant whose removal had created federal jurisdiction — was dismissed, leaving only California citizens and destroying complete diversity.
Judge Hernán D. Vera remanded a music-rights case to Los Angeles Superior Court after Pardis Music dropped its federal copyright infringement claims (which it could not pursue federally because it lacked a registered copyright under 17 U.S.C. § 411(a)), eliminating federal-question jurisdiction.
Judge Christina Snyder awarded $247,897 in attorneys’ fees and $4,037 in costs to plaintiffs after a $1.6 million fraud verdict against former Baldwin Park City Attorney Tafoya, but declined to apply any lodestar multiplier — finding the legal issues were not extraordinary, counsel displayed o
Judge Percy Anderson denied remand of a FedEx wage-and-hour class action, holding CAFA’s minimal diversity and $5 million amount-in-controversy thresholds were both established by conservative assumptions and workforce evidence. The court rejected plaintiff’s Sonner argument because the
Judge Dale S. Fischer remanded a FEHA whistleblower-retaliation suit against U.S. Bank, holding that Bogaski’s self-serving denial declaration could not establish fraudulent joinder where the plaintiff could possibly amend to allege the FEHA aiding-and-abetting elements (knowledge plus substan
Judge Fernando Aenlle-Rocha ordered serial ADA plaintiff German Perez to show cause why the court should not decline supplemental jurisdiction over his Unruh Act claim under Schutza v. Cuddeback, requiring a declaration on his high-frequency-litigant status under Cal. Code Civ. Proc. § 425.55.
Magistrate Judge Karen E. Scott reversed a Social Security denial because the vocational expert failed to explain how the claimant — who could not walk or stand for six hours — could perform the ‘light work’ alternative jobs identified, where the DOT’s definition of light work pote
Magistrate Judge Pedro V. Castillo denied remand of a 2019 GMC Sierra 2500 lemon-law case, holding documented actual damages of $41,341 plus civil penalties (twice actual damages, supported by nine unsuccessful repair attempts) brought the amount in controversy to roughly $124,023 — well over the $7
After two Ninth Circuit reversals, Judge Jesus G. Bernal entered judgment for Claremont Unified School District following a bench trial in this First Amendment retaliation case, finding the cancelled and reduced field trips to Riley’s Farm reflected parental consent withdrawals (mandated by Ca
Judge David O. Carter sua sponte remanded an Amazon employee’s wrongful-termination suit, refusing to credit speculative emotional-distress, punitive, and attorneys’ fees damages — leaving roughly $71,780 in calculated wages and vacation, just under the $75,000 threshold. He again called
Judge Fernando Aenlle-Rocha dismissed pro se plaintiffs’ fifth duplicative lawsuit alleging a $22 billion mining-royalty price-fixing conspiracy, granted defendants’ motion for § 1927 sanctions for bad-faith ex parte filings (despite two prior warnings), and ordered plaintiffs to show ca
Judge R. Gary Klausner denied a remand motion in a Foot Locker premises-liability case, holding that ‘Employee Sam’ — identified only by first name and physical description — remained a fictitious defendant whose California citizenship must be disregarded under 28 U.S.C. § 1441(b)(1).
Judge John F. Walter sua sponte ordered defendants to show cause why a Textron-related case should not be remanded after Alliance Ground International’s filings inconsistently identified it as both ‘Inc.’ and ‘LLC,’ leaving the court unable to verify whether complete di