Civil Litigation Attorney Nakase Wade
367. Real party in interest requirement
Every action must be prosecuted in the name of the real party in interest, except as otherwise provided by statute.
367.3.
(a) For purposes of this section, the following definitions apply:
(1) “Identifying characteristics” means the name or any part thereof, address or any part thereof, city or unincorporated area of residence, age, marital status, relationship to other parties, and race or ethnic background, telephone number, email address, social media profiles, online identifiers, contact information, or any other information, including images of the protected person, from which the protected person’s identity can be discerned.
(2) “Online identifiers” means any personally identifying information or signifiers that would tie an individual to a particular electronic service, device, or internet application, website, or platform account, including, access names, access codes, account names, aliases, avatars, credentials, gamer tags, display names, handles, login names, member names, online identities, pseudonyms, screen names, user accounts, user identifications, usernames, Uniform Resource Locators (URLs), domain names, Internet Protocol (IP) addresses, and media access control (MAC) addresses.
(3) “Protected person” means a person who is an active participant in the address confidentiality program created pursuant to Chapter 3.1 (commencing with Section 6205) of Division 7 of Title 1 of the Government Code.
(b)
(1) A protected person who is a party in a civil proceeding may proceed using a pseudonym, either John Doe, Jane Doe, or Doe, for the true name of the protected person and may exclude or redact from all pleadings and documents filed in the action other identifying characteristics of the protected person. A protected person who proceeds using a pseudonym as provided in this section shall file with the court and serve upon all other parties to the proceeding a confidential information form for this purpose that includes the protected person’s name and other identifying characteristics being excluded or redacted. The court shall keep the confidential information form confidential.
(2) In cases where a protected person proceeds using a pseudonym under this section, the following provisions shall apply, subject to sanction for an intentional violation:
(A) Except as provided in subparagraph (B), all parties and their agents and attorneys shall use the pseudonym in all pleadings, discovery requests or discovery motion documents, and other documents filed or served in the action, and at hearings, trial, and other court proceedings that are open to the public.
(B) A party seeking discovery in which the true name of the protected person and identifying information must be divulged for the purposes of fair and reasonable discovery, may use the true name of the protected person and identifying information for purposes of that discovery. The discovery request and all information collected through the discovery process shall not be made public and, if filed in court, shall be subject to subparagraph (C).
(C)
(i) A party filing a pleading, discovery document, or other document in the action shall exclude or redact any identifying characteristics of the protected person from the pleading, discovery document, or other document, except for a confidential information form filed pursuant to this subdivision.
(ii) A party excluding or redacting identifying characteristics shall file with the court and serve upon all other parties a confidential information form that includes the protected person’s name and other identifying characteristics being excluded or redacted. The court shall keep the confidential information form confidential.
(D) Following final disposition of the proceedings a party in possession of any pleading, discovery document, or other document containing confidential information of the protected person obtained in the course of the action shall treat the documents as a nonpublic consumer record in accordance with Section 1798.81 of the Civil Code, subject to penalty for violations of that section.
(E) If the protected person is a minor dependent or minor ward of the state, the minor’s parent, guardian, or attorney shall inform the minor’s social worker or probation officer of the minor’s participation in the action. The social worker or probation officer shall keep this information confidential.
(3) The responsibility to exclude or redact identifying characteristics of the protected person from documents filed with the court rests solely with the parties and their attorneys. This section does not require the court to review pleadings or other papers for compliance.
(4) The court, on motion of the protected person, may order a record or part of a record to be filed under seal in accordance with Rules 2.550 and 2.551 of the California Rules of Court, as those rules may be amended.
(c) In an action filed under this section, the plaintiff shall state in the caption of the complaint “ACTION BASED ON CODE OF CIVIL PROCEDURE SECTION 367.3.”
(d) This section does not alter or negate any rights, obligations, or immunities of an interactive service provider under Section 230 of Title 47 of the United States Code. This section does not limit or preclude a plaintiff from securing or recovering any other available remedy.
(e) The Judicial Council shall coordinate with the Secretary of State to adopt or revise as appropriate rules and forms to implement this section, on or before January 1, 2021.
(f) The provisions of this section are severable. If any provision of this section or its application is held invalid, that invalidity shall not affect other provisions or applications that can be given effect without the invalid provision or application.
(Added by Stats. 2019, Ch. 439, Sec. 1. (AB 800) Effective January 1, 2020.)
367.5.
(a) It is the intent of this section to promote uniformity in the procedures and practices relating to telephone appearances in civil cases. To improve access to the courts and reduce litigation costs, courts should, to the extent feasible, permit parties to appear by telephone at appropriate conferences, hearings, and proceedings in civil cases.
(b) Except as provided in subdivision (c), in all general civil cases, as defined in the California Rules of Court, a party that has provided notice may appear by telephone at the following conferences, hearings, and proceedings:
(1) A case management conference, provided the party has made a good faith effort to meet and confer before the conference as required by law and has timely served and filed a case management statement.
(2) A trial setting conference.
(3) A hearing on law and motion, except motions in limine.
(4) A hearing on a discovery motion.
(5) A conference to review the status of an arbitration or mediation.
(6) A hearing to review the dismissal of an action.
(7) Any other hearing, conference, or proceeding if the court determines that a telephone appearance is appropriate.
(c) The court may require a party to appear in person at a hearing, conference, or proceeding listed in subdivision (b) if the court determines on a hearing-by-hearing basis that a personal appearance would materially assist in the determination of the proceedings or in the effective management or resolution of the particular case.
(d) Consistent with its constitutional rulemaking authority, the Judicial Council shall adopt rules effectuating the policies and provisions in this section by January 1, 2008, and may adopt rules relating to matters not covered by subdivision (a). The rules may prescribe, but are not limited to prescribing, the notice to be given by a party requesting a telephone appearance under subdivision (a), the manner in which telephone appearances are to be conducted, the conditions required for a party to be permitted to appear by telephone, and provisions relating to the courts’ use of private vendors to provide telephone services.
(e) This section does not apply to any types of cases or types of conferences, hearings, and proceedings except those specified in subdivision (b). Consistent with its constitutional rulemaking authority, the Judicial Council may by rule provide for the procedures and practices, and for the administration of, telephone appearances for all types of cases and matters not specified in subdivision (b). For these other cases and matters, the Judicial Council may specify the types of cases and matters in which parties may appear by telephone, the types of cases and matters in which parties shall appear personally, the conditions under which a party may be permitted to appear by telephone, and any other rules governing telephone and personal appearances that are within its rulemaking authority.
(Added by Stats. 2007, Ch. 268, Sec. 1. Effective January 1, 2008.)
367.6.
(a) On or before July 1, 2011, the Judicial Council shall establish statewide, uniform fees to be paid by a party for appearing by telephone, which shall supersede any fees paid to vendors and courts under any previously existing agreements and procedures. The fees to be paid for telephone appearances shall include:
(1) A fee for providing the telephone appearance service pursuant to a timely request to the vendor or court.
(2) An additional fee for providing services if the request is made shortly before the hearing, as defined by the Judicial Council.
(3) A fee for canceling a telephone appearance request.
(b) If a party has received a waiver of fees pursuant to Article 6 (commencing with Section 68630) of Chapter 2 of Title 8 of the Government Code, neither a vendor nor a court shall charge that party any of the fees authorized by this section, subject to the following:
(1) The vendor or court that provides the telephone appearance service shall have a lien, as provided by rule of court, on any judgment, including a judgment for costs, that the party may receive, in the amount of the fee that the party would have paid for the telephone appearance.
(2) If the vendor or court later receives a fee or a portion of a fee for appearance by telephone that was previously waived, that fee shall be distributed consistent with Section 72011 of the Government Code.
(c) The fee described in this section shall be a recoverable cost under Section 1033.5 of the Code of Civil Procedure.
(Amended (as added by Stats. 2010, Ch. 720, Sec. 3) by Stats. 2012, Ch. 41, Sec. 1. (SB 1021) Effective June 27, 2012.)
368.
In the case of an assignment of a thing in action, the action by the assignee is without prejudice to any set-off, or other defense existing at the time of, or before, notice of the assignment; but this section does not apply to a negotiable promissory note or bill of exchange, transferred in good faith, and upon good consideration, before maturity.
(Enacted 1872.)
368.5.
An action or proceeding does not abate by the transfer of an interest in the action or proceeding or by any other transfer of an interest. The action or proceeding may be continued in the name of the original party, or the court may allow the person to whom the transfer is made to be substituted in the action or proceeding.
(Added by Stats. 1992, Ch. 178, Sec. 11. Effective January 1, 1993.)
369.
(a) The following persons may sue without joining as parties the persons for whose benefit the action is prosecuted:
(1) A personal representative, as defined in subdivision (a) of Section 58 of the Probate Code.
(2) A trustee of an express trust.
(3) Except for a person upon whom a power of sale has been conferred pursuant to a deed of trust or mortgage, a person with whom, or in whose name, a contract is made for the benefit of another.
(4) Any other person expressly authorized by statute.
(b) Notwithstanding subdivision (a), a trustee upon whom a power of sale has been conferred pursuant to a deed of trust or mortgage may sue to exercise the trustee’s powers and duties pursuant to Chapter 2 (commencing with Section 2920) of Title 14 of Part 4 of Division 3 of the Civil Code.
(Amended by Stats. 1992, Ch. 178, Sec. 12. Effective January 1, 1993.)
369.5.
(a) A partnership or other unincorporated association, whether organized for profit or not, may sue and be sued in the name it has assumed or by which it is known.
(b) A member of the partnership or other unincorporated association may be joined as a party in an action against the unincorporated association. If service of process is made on the member as an individual, whether or not the member is also served as a person upon whom service is made on behalf of the unincorporated association, a judgment against the member based on the member’s personal liability may be obtained in the action, whether the liability is joint, joint and several, or several.
(Added by Stats. 1992, Ch. 178, Sec. 13. Effective January 1, 1993.)
California Code of Civil Procedure