Declaration Jill D Levy In Support of Plaintiffs Steven Ray Cruze Sr And Debra Lee Cruzes Motion To Consolidate

Motion

Cal. Super. - 2nd Dist.September 4, 2019

Electronically FILED by Supe G H O Z L A N D L A W F I R M 62 6 Wi ls hi re Bl vd ., Su it e 11 70 Lo s An ge le s, Ca li fo rn ia 90 01 7 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 r Court of California, County of Los Angeles on 04/24/2020 08:53 AM Sherri R. Carter, Executive Officer/Clerk of Court, by S. Lopez, Deputy Clerk MICHAEL GHOZLAND, ESQ. (SBN 223032) michael@ghozlandlawfirm.com JILL LEVY, ESQ. (SBN 225408) jill@ghozlandlawfirm.com GHOZLAND LAW FIRM, P.C. 626 Wilshire Boulevard, Suite 1170 Los Angeles, California 90017 Phone: (213) 334-4570 Fax: (213) 334-4569 Attorneys for Plaintiffs, STEVEN RAY CRUZE, SR and DEBRA LEE CRUZE SUPERIOR COURT OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES - SPRING STREET J.C., a Minor and Heir to Decedent Steven Ray Cruze, Jr.; and THE ESTATE OF STEVEN RAY CRUZE, JR., Plaintiff, Vs. THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA, a Government Corporation; THE CITY OF LOS ANGELES, a Municipal Corporation; THE CITY OF SANTA MONICA, a Municipal Corporation; THE SANTA MONICA PIER CORPORATION, a NonProfit Corporation; and DOES 1 THROUGH 25, inclusive, Defendants. N r N r N a N a N a N a N a N a N a N a N a N a N a N a N a N a N a N a N a SN N e N e N e Case No.: 19STCV31202 Department No: 32 DECLARATION OF JILL D. LEVY IN SUPPORT OF PLAINTIFFS STEVEN RAY CRUZE, SR. AND DEBRA LEE CRUZE’S MOTION TO CONSOLIDATE [Filed concurrently with Plaintiffs’ Notice of Motion and Motion to Consolidate; and [Proposed] Order] Motion: Date: Time: Dept.: Complaint Filed: September 4, 2019 FSC Date: February 17, 2021 Trial Date: March 3, 2021 DECLARATION OF JILL D. LEVY IN SUPPORT OF PLAINTIFFS’ MOTION TO CONSOLIDATE G H O Z L A N D L A W F I R M 62 6 Wi ls hi re Bl vd ., Su it e 11 70 Lo s An ge le s, Ca li fo rn ia 90 01 7 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 og 28 STEVEN RAY CRUZE, SR, an individual, ) Case No.: 19STCV31592 DEBRA LEE CRUZE, an individual y Dept. No.: 32 Plaintiff, Vs. ) ) ) THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA, a ) Government Corporation; THE CITY OF ) LOS ANGELES, a Municipal Corporation; ) THE CITY OF SANTA MONICA, a ) Municipal Corporation; THE SANTA ) MONICA PIER CORPORATION, a Non- Co ) 2 tts Corparahion; and DOES | THROUGH 5. Filed: September 6, 2019 ) FSC Date: February 19, 2021 Defendants. ) Trial Date: March 5, 2021 N r N a N a N a N e SN N e DECLARATION OF JILL D. LEVY 1, Jill D. Levy, declare as follows: I. I am an attorney licensed to practice before all courts in the State of California and am an attorney at the Ghozland Law Firm, counsel of record for STEVEN RAY CRUZE, SR and DEBRA LEE CRUZE, Plaintiffs in the within matter. I have personal knowledge of the facts contained in this Declaration and, if called upon as a witness, I could and would competently testify thereto. 2. The J.C. plaintiff (J.C., a minor and the Estate of Stevent Ray Cruze, Jr.) and the Steven Ray Cruze, Sr. plaintiffs (Steven Ray Cruze, Sr. and Debra Lee Cruze) seek damages arising from the wrongful death of Steven Ray Cruze, Jr. 3. Steven Ray Cruze, Jr. is the son of Steven Ray Cruze, Sr. and Debra Lee Cruze; father J.C., a minor. 4. The J.C. plaintiffs do not oppose consolidation in this matter. 11 11 2 DECLARATION OF JILL D. LEVY IN SUPPORT OF PLAINTIFFS’ MOTION TO CONSOLIDATE G H O Z L A N D L A W F I R M 62 6 Wi ls hi re Bl vd ., Su it e 11 70 Lo s An ge le s, Ca li fo rn ia 90 01 7 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 og 28 =; The Defendants in each action are the same, the damages sought will be similar, and issues regarding liability and apportionment between the defendants will be central issues to the determination of damages and responsibility for those damages. 6. The above-captioned lawsuits all involve similar causes of action for wrongful death stemming from the death of Steven Ray Cruze, Jr. a result of a September 20, 2018 homicide. 7. On September 20, 2018, the decedent Steven Ray Cruze, Jr. was fatally attacked while sleeping in a hammock under the Santa Monica Pier. 8. Defendants are, upon information and belief, the owners, operators, managers and/or controllers of the Pier. 9. The Steven Ray Cruze, Sr. plaintiffs and the J.C. plaintiffs each named State of California, City of Los Angeles, City of Santa Monica and Santa Monica Pier Corporation as defendants. No other actions have been filed by the Steven Ray Cruze, Sr. plaintiffs against any other defendant related to September 20, 2018 incident. 10. ~~ The Court already deemed the above action related on February 21, 2018. 11. The common factor of each claim will be a determination regarding liability and apportionment of fault between the defendants. This inquiry will be a central, vital and overarching issue in each action. I declare under penalty of perjury under the laws of the State of California that the foregoing is true and correct. Executed this 23 day of April 2020, at Los Angeles, California. rhe Jill DJ Levy _3- DECLARATION OF JILL D. LEVY IN SUPPORT OF PLAINTIFFS’ MOTION TO CONSOLIDATE G H O Z L A N D L A W F I R M 62 6 Wi ls hi re Bo ul ev ar d, Su it e 11 70 Lo s An ge le s, Ca li fo rn ia 90 01 7 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 PROOF OF SERVICE STATE OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES: I, Diane Canton, am employed in the aforesaid county, State of California; I am over the age of 18 years and not a party to the within action; my business address is 626 Wilshire Blvd. Ste. 1170, Los Angeles, CA 90017. On April 23, 2020, I served the foregoing: DECLARATION OF JILL D. LEVY IN SUPPORT OF PLAINTIFFS STEVEN RAY CRUZE, SR. AND DEBRA LEE CRUZ’S MOTION TO CONSOLIDATE on the parties in this action by placing a true copy thereof, enclosed in a sealed envelope, addressed as follows: Betty Chu-Funita, Esq. STATE OF CALIFORNIA 300 South Spring Street, Suite 1702 Los Angeles, CA 90013 Tel: (213) 269-6141 Fax: (213) 897-2810 Email: betty.chufujita@doj.ca.gov Attorneys for Defendant: THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA Sireen Sawaf, Esq. Deputy City Attorney Office of the City Attorney General Civil Litigation Division 200 N. Main Street, 6 Floor Los Angeles, CA 90012 Tel: (213) 978-6923 Fax: (213) 978-8789 Email: siren.sawaf(@lacity.org Attorneys for Defendant: THE CITY OF LOS ANGELES Lane H. Dilg, Esq. City Attorney Lance S. Gams, Esq. Chief Deputy City Attorney CITY OF SANTA MONICA 1685 Main Street, Room 310 Santa Monica, CA 90401 Tel: (310) 458-8336 Fax: (310) 451-5862 Email: attorney@smgov.net Attorneys for Defendant: THE CITY OF SANTA MONICA Mark E. Lowary, Esq. Jasmin Daneshgar, Esq. Berman Berman Berman Schneider & Lowary, LLP 3890 Tenth Street Riverside, CA 92501 Tel: (951) 682-8300 Fax: (951) 682-8331 Email: melowary@b3law.com jdaneshgar@b3law.com Attorneys for Defendant: THE SANTA MONICA PIER CORPORATION Douglas A. Rochen, Esq. Borislav Kasreliovich, Esq. ABIR COHEN TREYZON SALO, LLP 16001 Ventura Boulevard, Suite 200 Encino, CA 91436 Tel: (310) 407-7888 Fax: (424) 288-4368 Email: drochen@actslaw.com skasreliovich@actslaw.com Attorneys for Defendant: JAMES CRUZE PROOF OF SERVICE G H O Z L A N D L A W F I R M 62 6 Wi ls hi re Bo ul ev ar d, Su it e 11 70 Lo s An ge le s, Ca li fo rn ia 90 01 7 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 og 28 [ 1 (BY MAIL) I placed such envelope with postage thereon fully paid in the United States mail at Los Angeles, California. I am “readily familiar” with this firm’s practice of collecting and processing correspondence for mailing. It is deposited with U.S. Postal Service on that same day in the ordinary course of business. I am aware that on motion of party served, service is presumed invalid if postal cancellation date or postage meter date is more than 1 day after date of deposit for mailing in affidavit. [ 1] (BY PERSONAL SERVICE) I personally delivered said envelope to the office of the person and address identified above. [ X] (BY ELECTRONIC SERVICE) I served the above documents to the email listed on the service caption above. A true and correct copy of transmittal will be produced if requested by any party or the court. [1] (BY FACSIMILE) I caused such document to be faxed to the addressee. [X] (STATE) I certify (or declare) under penalty of perjury under the laws of the State of California that the foregoing is true and correct. [ 1] (FEDERAL) I declare (or certify, verify or state) under penalty of perjury that the foregoing is true and correct, and that I am employed in the office of a member of the bar of this Court at whose direction the service was made. Executed on April 23, 2020, at Los Angeles, California Diane (Canton DIANE CANTON 2 PROOF OF SERVICE