Motion for Discovery Referee and to compel Roger Mahony to comply with discovery, both hearings May 16th as civil cases prepare for jury trials

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(Calendar for next week listed below)
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It takes a court order to get Roger Mahony to comply with discovery law. On May 16th Katherine Freberg asks Judge Haley Fromholz to compel the archbishop to answer interrogatory questions and produce documents needed for the July 9 Hagenbach cases jury trial. In addition plaintiffs request a Discovery Referee in a hearing May 16th as every time plaintiffs try to depose a witness, the church blocks them.

When Mahony did respond he gave this answer to almost every question: “Responding party responds that discovery is just commencing. Based on this, current lack of information responding party must respond that it denies this request.” (Responding party must respond that he does not respond?)

“Plaintiffs have filed numerous motions to compel due to Defense Counsel’s egregious conduct,” writes Tony DeMarco. “Repeatedly defendants have used the tactic of instructing witnesses not to answer appropriate questions designed to illicit information bearing on key elements of plaintiffs’ cases.

“For example plaintiffs have been forced to seek the assistance of this court in order to obtain discovery depositions of:

Monsignor Arthur Lirette
Monsignor Charles O’Gorman
Bishop John Ward
Bishop Juan Arzube
Father George Neville Rucker

Just to name a few.

While church attorneys prevent witnesses from speaking, “Plaintiffs depositions have been taken and plaintiffs have provided supplemental responses to discovery requests,” writes Katherine Freberg.


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HEARINGS NEXT WEEK:

NOTE: Mahony Hearings were continued from May 2nd

05/01/2007 at 08:31 am in department 20 at 111 North Hill Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012
MOT-COMPEL PRODUCTION OF DOCUMENTS (MOTION TO COMPEL INTERROGATORIES(PAPERS FILED ON 3/06)**CONT FROM 4/24**RE: BC308065)

05/01/2007 at 08:31 am in department 20 at 111 North Hill Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012
Hearing on Demurrer (AND MOTION TO QUASH AND DISMISS BY LIAISON COUNSEL(PAPERS FILED ON 3/07)**CONT FROM 4/17**RE: BC308530)

05/01/2007 at 08:31 am in department 20 at 111 North Hill Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012
Motion to Strike (AND DISMISS COMPLAINT BY DOE-SANTA TERESITA SCHOOL/PARISH(PAPERS FILED ON 3/07)**CONT FROM 4/18**RE: BC308530)

05/01/2007 at 08:31 am in department 20 at 111 North Hill Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012
Hearing on Demurrer (AND MOTION TO DISMISS(PAPERS FILED ON 3/07)**CONT FROM 4/25**RE: BC299243)

05/02/2007 at 08:31 am in department 20 at 111 North Hill Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012
Motion to Compel (MOTION TO COMPEL FOR ADMISSION MOTION TO COMPEL DOCUMENTS MOTION TO COMPEL DOCUMENTS SET TWO MOTION TO COMPEL TO STANDARDIZED INTERROGATORIES **CONT TO 5/16**(PAPERS FILED 4/10) RE: BC308294)

05/02/2007 at 08:31 am in department 20 at 111 North Hill Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012
Motion Hearing (TO UNSEAL DEFENDANT DOE 1'S MOTION FOR SUMMARY JUDGMENT, OR ALTERNA-TIVELY SUMMARY ADJUDICATION;(PAPERS FILED ON 04-03-07)RE: BC308294)

05/02/2007 at 08:31 am in department 20 at 111 North Hill Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012
Conference-Case Management
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Tomorrow's blog:
16 church attorneys at one deposition, no questions answered.

In one week, more than 60 documents filed, two of them from plaintiffs, the rest by church attorneys. Several of those documents were “Notice of Association of Counsel” announcing the archdiocese is adding another top-heavy law firm to the hundreds of attorneys already fighting plaintiffs.


More on Hearing May 16

“At the deposition of Monsignor Weber, there were 16 lawyers present," writes Tony DeMarco, "several of whom had traveled great distances to attend. Defense counsel completely frustrated plaintiffs’ discovery efforts by repeatedly instructing the witness not to answer, such that Plaintiffs’ Liaison Counsel was forced to suspend the deposition."


More tomorrow. . .