Padda v. Super. Ct.

This case arose from employment-related contract disputes. In 2013, petitioners, who were gastroenterologists, were recruited by GI Excellence, to work as physicians in GI Excellence’s gastroenterology service in Temecula, California. They each entered into separate physician recruitment agreements and physician employment agreements. The relationships did not last long: the two petitioners became dissatisfied with their conditions of employment and compensation and resigned in April and May 2014. GI Excellence sued them in separate actions for breach of the employment and recruitment contracts and other claims. Petitioners separately cross-complained for breach of contract, fraud, violation of Labor Code section 970, and other cross-claims. Litigation proceeded for about four years, with at least four continuances in the last year. Petitioners’ expert witness fell ill, and they asked for another continuance. GI Excellence filed an “opposition” which recognized the expert would likely not be available for trial. The superior court denied the ex parte application for continuance; petitioners filed this petition for writ of mandate and/or prohibition the next day, requesting an immediate stay of trial while the petition was being considered. GI Excellence filed an informal letter response. The Court of Appeal issued an order staying the trial and any proceeding requiring the participation of the expert pending determination of the petition. “A motion to postpone a trial on the ground of the absence of evidence can only be made upon affidavit showing the materiality of the evidence expected to be obtained, and that due diligence has been used to procure it. The court may require the moving party, where application is made on account of the absence of a material witness, to state upon affidavit the evidence which he expects to obtain; and if the adverse party thereupon admits that such evidence would be given, and that it be considered as actually given on the trial, or offered and overruled as improper, the trial must not be postponed.” Generally, a trial court abuses its discretion when it denies a request for continuance of trial due to the absence of a properly called and subpoenaed witness. Accordingly, the Court of Appeal determined the trial court abused its discretion in denying petitioners’ request for a continuance, and that the petition should have been granted. Therefore, the Court declared a peremptory writ of mandate issue, directing the Superior Court of Riverside County to vacate its order of May 16, 2018, in Riverside Superior Court case No. MCC1400959, denying petitioners’ ex parte application for a continuance of the trial, and to enter a new and different order granting the request. View "Padda v. Super. Ct." on Justia Law