A Los Angeles Superior Court judge extended a temporary restraining order against Southern California Edison (SCE) for another week, requiring the utility to preserve evidence related to the Eaton fire. This decision came after a request from attorneys representing homeowners who lost their homes in the blaze.
A Los Angeles Superior Court judge on Tuesday, February 18, extended a temporary restraining order against Southern California Edison (SCE) for another week. The order mandates the utility to preserve documents, data, and physical evidence related to the Eaton fire while attorneys representing SCE and homeowners who lost their homes in the massive blaze work towards a long-term evidence preservation agreement.
This decision came after a request from the plaintiffs' attorneys last week seeking sanctions against SCE. However, the judge indicated that this matter would be addressed separately and that reaching an agreement on the scope of evidence preservation was more crucial.Ali Moghaddas, an attorney for the Edelson law firm representing the plaintiffs, expressed satisfaction with the outcome. He stated, “We left today with clear guardrails about the preservation of key power infrastructure and a court enforceable commitment from Southern California Edison … to show all data as to why a de-energized line appears to have started this fire.” Moghaddas emphasized the judge’s determination to prevent SCE from destroying evidence under her watch. He added, “We look forward to continuing to put pressure on Southern California Edison to make sure that they preserve the equipment and data that they are obligated to do.”Doug Dixon, an attorney for SCE, argued in court that the utility had already been diligently preserving evidence and intended to continue doing so. The conflict arose last week when Edelson attorneys accused SCE of misleading the court after discovering that the utility had re-energized four transmission lines on January 19 without prior notification to the plaintiffs' attorneys. This action, Edelson claimed, potentially compromised or damaged physical evidence before their experts could conduct independent testing on the de-energized lines. Kathleen Dunleavy, a SCE spokeswoman, vehemently denied these allegations, stating, “Flat out false. We sent a letter on January 17, and we did notify them.” Dunleavy asserted that SCE was committed to factual accuracy and condemned Edelson for disseminating harmful narratives that could negatively impact the community and victims of the fire. The Eaton fire ignited around 6:30 p.m. on January 7 in Eaton Canyon and scorched 14,021 acres before firefighters managed to contain it a month later. Approximately 9,000 structures were either damaged or destroyed, predominantly in Altadena, and 17 fatalities were reported. SCE maintains that there is currently no evidence to suggest its equipment was responsible for the fire
Southern California Edison Eaton Fire Temporary Restraining Order Evidence Preservation Lawsuit
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