Paramount prevails in bid for new judge in federal antitrust case

This is read by an automated voice.Please report any issues or inconsistencies here.

See more from the L.A.Times in Google Search.

Set us as preferred Paramount Skydance has prevailed in its first court move to defend its Warner Bros.Discovery merger — prompting the departure of a judge who initially had been assigned the high-profile antitrust case.Late Wednesday, U.S.

District Judge Araceli Martínez-Olguín took over the case brought by California Atty.Gen.

Rob Bonta and 11 other Democratic state attorneys general.The states’ coalition is attempting to derail Paramount’s proposed $111-billion purchase of Warner Bros.

Discovery, alleging it violates a century-old antitrust law.Court records show U.S.

District Judge P.Casey Pitts, based in San Jose, had initially been assigned.

Early Wednesday, Paramount filed a motion requesting that Pitts step aside, citing his previous role as a labor lawyer, including for the Writers Guild of America.The WGA joined the legal fray Tuesday by bringing its own antitrust complaint against Paramount, alleging the proposed union of two of Hollywood’s biggest studios would lead to fewer jobs and lower pay for writers.Hollywood Inc.

Winning a restraining order will be a crucial test for California Atty.Gen.

Rob Bonta and his group.Some observers see the states’ efforts as an uphill climb because the U.S.

Justice Department last month approved the merger.In its motion, Paramount argued that Pitts’ past association with the Hollywood union was problematic.“A reasonable person would question Judge Pitts’ impartiality in this case based on his prior work,” Paramount’s attorneys, led by Jeffrey Kessler, wrote in their eight-page motion.Hollywood Inc.

California Atty.Gen.

Rob Bonta and 11 other state attorneys general expressed concern that the industry-reshaping deal could spell doom for movie theaters.Martínez-Olguín has been overseeing a separate lawsuit that also challenges Paramount’s merger w...