Stewart v. Colonial Western Agency, Inc.
California Court of Appeal
105 Cal. Rptr. 2d 115 (2001)
Mary Stewart (plaintiff), suing Colonial Western Agency (defendant) for wrongful termination after the company claimed she was insubordinate, deposed Colonial Western's managing agent and asked about her supervisor's treatment of other subordinates, including a prior secretary and a female branch manager. Colonial Western's attorney objected to these questions as irrelevant and instructed the witness not to answer, prompting Stewart to end the deposition and move to compel; the trial court granted the motion and sanctioned Colonial Western's attorney $2,400, who then appealed.
Whether, in the discovery context, information is relevant if it might reasonably assist a party in evaluating the case, preparing for trial, or facilitating settlement.