Alexander v. Superior Court

Opinion

LUCAS, C. J.

Petitioners are plaintiffs in a medical malpractice action. Real parties in interest (defendants in the underlying action) are various physicians and the Granada Hills Community Hospital (Granada Hills or Hospital). Petitioners sought to discover from Hospital the physicians’ applications and reapplications for staff privileges at Granada Hills. The trial court declined to order discovery, and petitioners sought writ relief in the Court of Appeal. That court—without affording real parties an opportunity for oral argument—filed a decision directing issuance of a peremptory…