Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-casd-3_06-cv-02671/USCOURTS-casd-3_06-cv-02671-12/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 443
Nature of Suit: Civil Rights Accommodations
Cause of Action: Americans with Disabilities Act

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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

MAURIZIO ANTONINETTI, JEAN

RIKER, JAMES PERKINS, KAREN

FRIEDMAN and MICHAEL RIFKIN, on

behalf of themselves and all others

similarly situated,

Plaintiffs,

Case No. 06cv2671 BTM(WMc)

ORDER DENYING MOTION FOR

RECONSIDERATION AND

GRANTING IN PART MOTION FOR

CLARIFICATION

v.

CHIPOTLE MEXICAN GRILL, INC., a

Colorado Corporation and DOES 1-10,

Defendants.

Plaintiffs have filed a motion for reconsideration and/or clarification of the Court’s

Order Denying Plaintiff’s Motion to Certify Class, Appointment of Class Representatives and

Appointment of Class Counsel (“Order”) (Doc. No. 145). For the reasons discussed below,

the Court denies the motion for reconsideration but grants in part Plaintiffs’ motion for

clarification.

DISCUSSION

A. Class Certification

Previously, the Court denied class certification. The Court held that class certification

was not authorized under Rule 23(b)(2) because Plaintiffs’ claims for injunctive relief and

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corresponding declaratory relief were moot. The Court further held that certification was not

proper under Rule 23(b)(3) because individual issues regarding liability for damages would

predominate, and a class action would not be superior to other available methods for fairly

and efficiently adjudicating the controversy before the Court. In their motion for

reconsideration, Plaintiffs argue that certification with respect to the claims for declaratory

relief and damages is appropriate under Rule 23(b)(3), or, in the alternative, that the Court

should certify the class for declaratory relief only under Rule 23(c)(4). 

In its Order, the Court reasoned that Plaintiffs’ claim for injunctive relief and

declaratory relief were moot based on the fact that Defendant has remedied the architectural

barrier at issue in this litigation (a high counter wall) and the Ninth Circuit has already

decided that the high counter walls violated the ADA Guidelines. See Antoninetti v. Chipotle

Mexican Grill, Inc., 643 F.3d 1165, 1172 (9th Cir. 2010). Plaintiffs argue that declaratory

relief is necessary because Chipotle allegedly denies the preclusive effect of the Ninth

Circuit decision, and district courts have discretion whether to apply offensive non-mutual

collateral estoppel. See Appling v. State Farm Mut. Auto Ins., 340 F.3d 769, 775 (9th Cir.

2003). 

The discretionary nature of offensive non-mutual collateral estoppel would lend

support to Plaintiffs’ argument regarding the necessity of declaratory relief if the prior ruling

were by another district court. Here, however, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals issued a

published decision holding that Chipotle’s 45-inch high counter walls did not comply with

Guideline § 7.2, and therefore violated the ADA. A published decision by the Ninth Circuit

Court of Appeals constitutes “binding authority which ‘must be followed unless and until

overruled by a body competent to do so.” Gonzalez v. Arizona, 677 F.3d 383, 390 n. 4 (9th

Cir 2012) (en banc) (quoting Hart v. Massanari, 266 F.3d 1155, 1170 (9th Cir. 2001)). “A

district judge may not respectfully (or disrespectfully) disagree with his learned colleagues

on his own court of appeals who have ruled on a controlling legal issue . . . .” Hart, 266 F.3d

at 1170. 

District courts in California are not likely to deviate from the Ninth Circuit’s holding

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that Chipotle’s high counter walls violated the Guidelines. Therefore, declaratory relief is not

necessary.

In the Order, the Court held that certification under Rule 23(b)(3) was improper

because individual issues regarding liability for damages would predominate. The Court

explained:

It requires each class member to establish which Chipotle restaurant he

visited, when he visited it, and whether he traveled the food service line – all

as to each particular occasion for which that class member seeks damages. 

Moreover, the mere fact that an individual in the food service line used a

wheelchair for mobility does not mean that the high counter walls necessarily

blocked that individual’s view of the food preparation area. . . . Accordingly,

for each particular occasion, the class member must establish that he was

actually unable to see his food prepared, which in turn will require at least

proof of how high the counter wall was at the time of the visit (Plaintiffs have

alleged only that the high counter walls were “approximately” 46 inches high

(FAC ¶ 2)), and how high the class member sat in his wheelchair at the

relevant time. 

(Order Denying Class Certification at 10:1-5.) 

Plaintiffs argue that the Ninth Circuit has already determined that the “average eye

level of persons in wheelchairs is 43 to 51 inches above the restaurant floor and that, at a

distance of 12 inches from the wall, a person at any height within that average range cannot

see the food preparation counter or the food on display there.” (Mem. of P. & A. in Support

of Motion for Reconsideration at 11:2-5.) Therefore, Plaintiffs argue, all that would be left

to prove on an individual basis is whether the class member uses a wheelchair or scooter,

whether he visited a non-compliant location during the relevant time period, and whether the

wall interfered with his view of the food on display or the making of his order while normally

seated. (Id. at 11:6-10.)

However, the Ninth Circuit did not “determine” that the average eye level of persons

in wheelchairs is 43 to 51 inches and that at a distance of 12 inches from the wall, a person

within that range of height would not be able to see the food preparation counter or the food

on display. The Ninth Circuit stated that the parties stipulated to these facts. Antoninetti,

643 F.3d at 1170. Generally, stipulated facts, which are not actually litigated in an action,

are not given preclusive effect unless the parties have manifested an intention that the

stipulation be binding in subsequent actions. Sekaquaptewa v. MacDonald, 575 F.2d 239,

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247 (9th Cir. 1978).1

Even setting aside the issue of the stipulated facts, individual issues predominate for

the reasons set forth in the Court’s Order Denying Class Certification. To establish liability

for damages, the individual would need to establish which Chipotle restaurant he visited, the

dates of the visits, that he visited to purchase food and/or have the “Chipotle experience,”

the counter wall was noncompliant at the time of the visit(s), that he entered the food line,

that he was unable to see the food arranged on the food counter or the preparation of his

order (whether proved by stipulated facts or otherwise), and that he would have been able

to see the food prepared or on display if the wall were 36 inches. Questions of law or fact

common to potential class members do not predominate over the factual questions affecting

only individual members.

Furthermore, as explained in the Court’s Order, a class action would not be superior

to individual actions. Because the Unruh Act allows minimum statutory damages in the

amount of $4,000 for each particular occasion in addition to attorney’s fees and costs to the

prevailing party, plaintiffs and their attorneys have plenty of incentive to pursue individual

lawsuits. See, e.g., Castano v. The American Tobacco Co., 84 F.3d 734, 748 (5th Cir. 1996)

(“The expense of litigation does not necessarily turn this case into a negative value suit, in

part because the prevailing party may recover attorneys’ fees under many consumer

protection statutes.”); Mayo v. Sears, Roebuck & Co., 148 F.R.D. 576, 583 (S.D. Ohio 1993)

(concluding that the grant of attorney’s fees for individual actions brought for rescission

under 15 U.S.C. § 1635 is somewhat inconsistent with Rule 23(b)(3)’s superiority

requirement). 

The Court did not err in denying class certification with respect to Plaintiffs’

declaratory relief claim or Plaintiffs’ claim for damages. Therefore, Plaintiffs’ motion for

reconsideration is denied.

There was arguably a judicial admission to these facts as a result of Chipotle’s 1

admission of the facts in a pretrial order entered in the district court case. However, judicial

admissions are not conclusive and binding in separate and subsequent litigation. State

Farm Mutual Auto. Ins. Co. v. Worthington, 405 F.2d 683, 686 (8th Cir. 1968). The Court

does not decide whether the admission would be admissible in this case.

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B. Motion for Clarification

Plaintiffs claim that clarification is needed as to a variety of issues raised by the

Court’s Order. The Court will address each of Plaintiffs’ points in turn.

On page 10 of the Court’s Order, the Court states, “Accordingly, for each particular

occasion, the class member must establish that he was actually unable to see his food

prepared . . . .” Plaintiffs point out that the proper test, as set forth by the Ninth Circuit, is

whether the individual was denied the Chipotle experience because he was “unable to see

the food arranged on the food counter or the preparation of his order, as non-wheelchairbound customers could do.” Antoninetti, 643 F.3d at 1177 (emphasis added). Although the

Court quoted this language on page 9, the Court failed to repeat on page 10 that Chipotle

may be liable for damages if a high counter wall impedes the ability of an individual to see

the different foods arranged on the counter even if he can see his food being prepared. To

the extent this omission caused confusion, the Court clarifies that liability for damages may

be based on interference with an individual’s ability to see the preparation of his order or see

the different foods arranged on the counter. 

Plaintiffs also argue that the language used by the Court on pages 9-10 of the Order

can be construed as requiring a complete inability to see the food on the counter and/or the

preparation of the order. In using the phrase “unable to see,” the Court was not and is not

suggesting a requirement that the plaintiff’s view be completely blocked or that there is no

liability if the plaintiff can see by straining to lift himself out of his wheelchair or scooter. 

However, the Court does not decide at this time how much of the view must be blocked to

constitute sufficient interference to establish liability for damages.

Plaintiffs also take issue with the Court’s statement that individual plaintiffs will need

to prove the actual height of the counter walls and how high they sat in their wheelchairs. 

According to Plaintiffs, if an individual could not fully and equally enjoy the ‘Chipotle

experience’ because of the presence of the wall, the wall interfered with equal access,

regardless of the height of the person’s eyes or exactly how much higher than 36 inches the

wall was. It seems that questions regarding the level of Plaintiffs’ eyes when seated in their

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wheelchairs or scooters and the height of the walls at issue will likely come into play when

litigating the issue of whether the Plaintiffs’ view of the food counter was actually impeded. 

However, the Court did not mean to imply that establishing the height of Plaintiffs’ eyes and

the actual height of the walls is the only way Plaintiffs can prove their case. 

With respect to the height of walls that have been destroyed during the course of this

litigation, Plaintiffs argue that Defendant should be subject to an adverse inference

instruction as to the height of the walls as an evidentiary sanction. The Court need not reach

this evidentiary issue at this time. 

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Finally, Plaintiffs request that the Court modify its Order to recognize claims for

deterrence damages. The Court’s Order did not address the issue of deterrence damages

and did not rule that such damages were unavailable. Given that the issue before the Court

is class certification, the Court declines to delve into when deterrence damages are available

and what must be proved to obtain them. 

 

CONCLUSION

For the reasons discussed above, Plaintiffs’ motion for reconsideration is DENIED

and Plaintiffs’ motion for clarification is GRANTED IN PART as set forth above. The Court

denies Defendant’s request that the Court issue an order to show cause why Plaintiffs

should not be sanctioned. The trial in this case shall commence on July 8, 2013 at 10:00

a.m. The parties shall contact Judge McCurine’s Chambers to set all remaining pretrial

dates.

IT IS SO ORDERED.

DATED: January 14, 2013

BARRY TED MOSKOWITZ, Chief Judge

United States District Court

According to Plaintiffs, Defendant does not dispute that the high walls were all built 2

in accordance with a common design and were approximately 46 inches high. If Plaintiffs

can prove that a particular wall was built in conformity with this common design, it may not

be necessary for Plaintiffs to prove precise height to the millimeter.

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