2026-04-23 - Status Conference - Dept. 601
Attendees
- Judge: Judge Danna W. Nicholas (Dept. 601)
- Respondent: Charles Nibley (Respondent), In Pro Per
- For Petitioner: Noelle DeLa Rosa Goldberg (Co-Opposing Counsel)— for Jennifer Nibley (Petitioner), associate at Orozco Law Firm
- Minor’s Counsel: Sara Davison, Esq. — appointed in principle 4/6, formal appointment 4/22, first outreach email 4/23
Orders and Directives - NOTE SUBJECT TO CHANGE (this is only Charley’s understanding): Need to obtain Judges written order. There is no FOAH.
Calendar
- 5/1/2026, 8:00 AM — FCS mediation (remote) — remains on calendar
- 5/11/2026, 1:30 PM — Minor’s counsel findings hearing, Dept. 601
- 6/1/2026, 1:45 PM — Full RFO hearing (custody + support), Dept. 601 — remains on calendar
Filing deadlines
- 5/8/2026 — Updated FL-150 (Income & Expense Declaration) due
Written order
- Judge prepared a written order authorizing Sara Davison to begin work immediately rather than waiting for a Findings and Order After Hearing to be drafted and signed.
Scope directive to minor’s counsel
Judge Nicholas framed the upcoming work as “issues related to child custody and abuse” and directed that minor’s counsel develop:
- Understanding of how the children are doing
- Any unmet health or welfare needs being met
- Child preferences on safety, etc.
Meet-and-confer directive
Judge directed both parties to meet and agree on an outcome for Saturday 4/25 (concert issue) outside of court.
Live Issue Raised
Opposing counsel (Noelle) attempted to bring the Saturday 4/25 concert issue (EX14 - 2026-04-19 - Concert in LA on Charley’s parenting time and Charley refusal) to the court directly.
Charles argued no changes have been made to the current 50/50 order and that the status conference was not the place to litigate a scheduling dispute.
Judge Nicholas declined to rule and directed the parties to meet, confer, and agree on an outcome.
Not Raised
- Jack being held from school on 4/23 — intentionally held back; logged for vault and for minor’s counsel packet rather than raised in the status conference.
Significance / Strategic Notes
- Minor’s counsel scope framed favorably. The judge’s framing — “issues related to child custody and abuse” combined with “child preferences for safety” — invites Davison to examine safety concerns on both sides, including the circumstances of the CFWB investigation currently active against Charles. Proactive, professional engagement with Davison is the right posture; the documentary record cuts clean.
- Written order ahead of FOAH signals Judge Nicholas wants minor’s counsel moving fast. This compresses the practical timeline for engagement and document production.
- 5/11 hearing is a new milestone — Davison’s findings go before the court before the 6/1 RFO. Her input will shape the RFO ruling.
- Concert meet-and-confer directive puts the ball on the court record. Post-call documentation is critical regardless of outcome. A good-faith offer refused on the record is nearly as useful as agreement.
- FL-150 deadline (5/8) is tight given the amendment already filed. Need accurate income/expense figures through April.
Follow-Up Actions
- Reply to Sara Davison acknowledging receipt and offering to send documentary packet (sent 4/23)
- Meet and confer with Noelle re: Saturday concert — call scheduled for 4/24 (tentative)
- Post-call confirmation email to Noelle documenting outcome of meet-and-confer (becomes EX16 regardless of outcome)
- Prepare documentary packet for Sara Davison (clean PDFs + cover letter)
- Draft updated FL-150; file no later than 5/8/2026
- Create Hearings/ entry for 2026-05-11 minor’s counsel findings
- Create People/ entry for Sara Davison, Esq.
- FCS prep session for 5/1 (parenting plan draft, factual narrative, talking points)
- Log 4/23 Jack-held-from-school incident as its own exhibit; include in Davison packet
Open Questions
- Does the written order the judge prepared get filed in the ROA? (Monitor roasearch.sdcourt.ca.gov)
- What format does Sara Davison prefer for document exchange? ANSWER: She did not give a secure drop box so will have to use Dropbox for this.
Hearing - 2026-04-23 Status
Date: 2026-04-23 13:30 Department: 601 Judge: Judge Danna W. Nicholas Type: Status conference
Notes
Procedural check-in: minor’s counsel engagement, FCS mediation on track, parties served.
Linked exhibits
TODO: Put table here. In the meantime, use Linked Mentions at bottom.
Prep checklist
- Exhibit packet assembled
- Speaking outline reviewed
- Statutory citations confirmed
- Opposing filings reviewed
Post-conference compliance
- 4/24/2026 court-ordered meet-and-confer per Judge Nicholas’s bench order; memorialized in EX25 - 2026-04-24 - Meet-and-confer memorialization re Miku concert.