Lilly v. Jamba Juice Co.

308 F.R.D. 231, 2014 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 131997, 2014 WL 4652283
CourtDistrict Court, N.D. California
DecidedSeptember 18, 2014
DocketCase No. 13-cv-02998-JST
StatusPublished
Cited by25 cases

This text of 308 F.R.D. 231 (Lilly v. Jamba Juice Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, N.D. California primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Lilly v. Jamba Juice Co., 308 F.R.D. 231, 2014 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 131997, 2014 WL 4652283 (N.D. Cal. 2014).

Opinion

ORDER GRANTING IN PART AND DENYING IN PART MOTION FOR CLASS CERTIFICATION; VACATING ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE; SETTING CASE MANAGEMENT CONFERENCE

Re: EOF No. 29-3

JON S. TIGAR, United States District Judge

I. INTRODUCTION

In this action challenging the labeling of Jamba Juice home smoothie kits, Plaintiffs Aleta Lilly and David Cox (“Plaintiffs”) have moved to certify the following class: “all [235]*235persons in California who bought one of the following Jamba Juice Smoothie Kit products: Mango-a-go-go, Strawberries Wild, Caribbean Passion, Orange Dream Machine, and Razzmatazz.” Plaintiffs’ Motion for Class Certification (“Mot.”), at 2, ECF No. 29-4. The matter came for hearing August 21, 2014.

II. BACKGROUND

A. Factual Background

Since 2010, Defendants Jamba Juice Company and Inventure Foods, Inc. (“Defendants”) have produced at-home frozen smoothie kits for sale in retail grocery stores, big box stores, and wholesale clubs throughout California. Class Action Complaint (“Compl.”) ¶¶ 2-3 (ECF No. 1-1). The Smoothie Kits, which come in five flavors, are sold in a three-sided pouch with the words “All Natural” appearing prominently on the front of the package. Compl. ¶ 3; see also, Exh. 1 to Declaration of Rosemary M. Rivas. Plaintiffs allege that the Smoothie Kits contain ascorbic acid, xanthan gum, steviol gly-cosides, modified corn starch, and gelatin (the “challenged ingredients”). Compl. ¶¶ 121-29.

Plaintiff Aleta Lilly purchased the “Strawberries Wild” and “Caribbean Passion” smoothie kits from March 2010 to November 2012. Compl. ¶ 12. Plaintiff David Cox purchased the “Caribbean Passion” smoothie kits “within the last three years.” Compl. ¶ 13. Plaintiffs allege that, in making their purchases, they relied on the representation that the smoothie kits are “all natural,” and they believe that because the Smoothie Kits contain the challenged ingredients, the kits are not “all natural.” Compl. ¶¶ 12-13.

B. Procedural History

Plaintiffs Lilly and Cox filed a proposed class action complaint in this action in June 2013. The complaint brings causes of action under the California Consumer Legal Remedies Act (“CLRA”), Cal. Civ. Code §§ 1750 et seq., the California False Advertising Law (“FAL”), Cal. Bus. & Prof. Code §§ 17500 et seq., the California Unfair Competition Law (“UCL”), Cal. Bus. & Prof. Code §§ 17200 et seq., and for breach of warranty pursuant to Cal. Comm. Code § 2313. ¶¶ 42-70.

In November, the Court denied Defendants’ motion to dismiss. 2013 WL 6070503 (N.D.Cal. Nov. 18, 2013). This motion for class certification followed.

C. Jurisdiction

After reviewing the parties’ responses to the Court’s Order to Show Cause regarding Subject-Matter Jurisdiction, and the evidence submitted in support of those responses, the Court has determined that it has jurisdiction over this action pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1332(d)(2) & (6), the Class Action Fairness Act of 2005 (“CAFA”). Considering all Proposed Class members’ claims, the “matter in controversy” exceeds $5,000,000, exclusive of interests and costs, and at least one plaintiff and defendant are citizens of different states. Even though the Proposed Class is composed entirely of California residents, the “local controversy” exception to CA FA jurisdiction does not require dismissal, for reasons persuasively explained in Phillips v. Kaiser Found. Health Plan, Inc., 953 F.Supp.2d 1078, 1086 (N.D.Cal.2011). The Court’s order to show cause is VACATED.

D. Legal Standard

Class certification under Rule 23 is a two-step process. First, Plaintiff must demonstrate that the four requirements of 23(a) are met: “numerosity,” “commonality,” “typicality,” and “adequacy.” “One or more members of a class may sue or be sued as representative parties on behalf of all members only if (1) the class is so numerous that joinder of all members is impracticable; (2) there are questions of law or fact common to the class; (3) the claims or defenses of the representative parties are typical of the claims or defenses of the class; and (4) the representative parties will fairly and adequately protect the interests of the class.” Fed. R. Civ. Pro. 23(a). “Class certification is proper only if the trial court has concluded, after a ‘rigorous analysis,’ that Rule 23(a) has been satisfied.” Wang v. Chinese Daily News, Inc., 709 F.3d 829, 833 (9th Cir.2013) (quoting Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. v. Dukes [236]*236(“Dukes”), — U.S. -, 131 S.Ct. 2541, 2551, 180 L.Ed.2d 374 (2011)).

Second, a plaintiff must also establish that one of the bases for certification in Rule 23(b) is met. Here, Plaintiffs invoke 23(b)(3), which requires plaintiffs to prove the elements of “predominance” and “superiority”: “questions of law or fact common to class members predominate over any questions affecting only individual members, and ... a class action is superior to other available methods for fairly and efficiently adjudicating the controversy.” Fed. R. Civ. Pro. 23(b)(3).1

The party seeking class certification bears the burden of demonstrating by a preponderance of the evidence that all four requirements of Rules 23(a) and at least one of the three requirements under Rule 23(b) are met. See Dukes, 131 S.Ct. at 2551 (“A party seeking class certification must affirmatively demonstrate his compliance with the Rule— that is, he must be prepared to prove that there are in fact sufficiently numerous parties, common questions of law or fact, etc.”).

In addition, “[wjhile it is not an enumerated requirement of Rule 23, courts have recognized that ‘in order to maintain a class action, the class sought to be represented must be adequately defined and clearly ascertainable.’” Vietnam Veterans of Am. v. C.I.A., 288 F.R.D. 192, 211 (N.D.Cal.2012) (quoting DeBremaecker v. Short, 433 F.2d 733, 734 (5th Cir.1970)).

III. ANALYSIS

A. Ascertainability/Definiteness

In their motion, Plaintiffs do not specifically address the “ascertainability” requirement. In their opposition, Defendant argues that Plaintiffs have failed to demonstrate the existence of an ascertainable class, and that this failure should defeat class certification. Defendants’ Response to Motion for Class Certification (“Response”) 3-5 (ECF No. 39).

The Court is unaware of the Ninth Circuit or the Supreme Court ever explicitly acknowledging in any published opinion that “ascertainability” or “definiteness” is a required element of class certification that imposes obligations independent of the enumerated Rule 23 factors. But see Berger v. Home Depot USA, Inc., 741 F.3d 1061, 1071, n. 4 (9th Cir.2014) (referring, in dicta, to the “threshold ascertainability test”); Pierce v. County of Orange,

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308 F.R.D. 231, 2014 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 131997, 2014 WL 4652283, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/lilly-v-jamba-juice-co-cand-2014.