Baja Village Markets, Inc. v. Baja Supermarket, Inc.

This is an appeal from the trial court’s order striking the pleadings of, and entering a Final Default Judgment against, the appellant. The trial court’s action was based on the appellant’s failure to comply with a court order directing that it retain new counsel within thirty days from the time its prior counsel was permitted to withdraw from the case. It is well-settled that the striking of a party’s pleadings is a severe sanction which can only be imposed upon a party’s willful and deliberate disregard of a court’s authority. Mere negligence does not suffice to justify such an extreme…