LOS ANGELES (Legal Newsline) - Ahead of a July trial, lawyers pushing a class action lawsuit against the dating service It's Just Lunch have submitted their questions for jury selection.
The case says IJL lures consumers in to pay thousands of dollars to efficiently "match" clients with anyone who meets a superficial list of interests - "This is not a 'personalized' matchmaking service at all, but an example of the same kind of fraud that resulted in IJL settling a similar class action barely months before the class period in this action began," plaintiff lawyers have written.
Still pending is their motion for class certification. The firms Balestriere Fariello of New York and Kabateck LLP of Los Angeles filed the case in 2020, claiming It's Just Lunch failed to correct problems alleged in a previous case whose settlement provided up to $60 million in refunds and vouchers.
The final pre-trial conference is scheduled for June 26, with a jury trial set for July 11.
John G. Balestriere on June 12 submitted the plaintiffs' seven questions for potential jurors. One asks: "Do you have any strong feelings concerning lawyers who represent clients in class action cases."
Others ask if candidates know anyone who met a partner through a dating service and "Do you have any strong feeling concerning people who pay in excess of $2,000 for membership with a dating service."
Matthew Wegner of Brown Wegner, representing IJL, submitted 17 questions. He wants to know if candidates have friends or relatives who are judges or attorneys or have friends or family who have filed lawsuits or been sued in the past.
Question 13 asks "Do you think there are too many lawsuits today?" with a follow-up asking why.
The last questions asks "Do you believe that a corporation is entitled to the same rights in court as an individual peson?"
The motion for certification seeks a nationwide class with subclasses of current and former California and Virginia residents.
Parts are redacted, as lawyers allege IJL employs fewer than one matchmaker per a redacted number of customers. The nationwide class figure is also redacted.
"IJL is structurally designed in a way that makes it impossible for it to fulfill the promises it makes in its advertisements and instructs its salespersons to deliver to potential clients," the motion says.
Judge Jesus Bernal in 2021 granted parts of a partial motion to dismiss. He also has a motion for summary judgment to figure out before trial.