Sea World, Inc. v. Superior Court

JPetitioner seeks a writ of mandate (Code Civ. Proc., § 400) compelling respondent court to vacate and set aside its order denying petitioner’s motion for change of venue from Los Angeles County to San Diego County, and to grant such change.

The motion was interposed in an action instituted by plaintiffs, Herman Earl Wooten II, a minor, by Herman Earl Wooten I, his guardian ad litem, and Herman Earl Wooten I, by which plaintiffs seek to recover damages arising from an alleged false arrest and false imprisonment of said minor. The action was commenced in the county of plaintiffs’ residence, Los Angeles County. The complaint alleges that defendant, Sea World, Inc., is a corporation “doing business in the County of Los Angeles” and that on August 22, 1969, while the minor plaintiff was participating in a Los Angeles Department of Parks and Recreation outing at the premises of Sea World, an amusement facility open to the public, employees and agents of Sea World caused him to be falsely arrested upon said premises and to be imprisoned for 12 hours in the police station of the City of San Diego.

The motion for change of venue was made upon the ground that the court…