Civil Procedure II Outline - Part 9

(d) Protecting a Person Subject to a Subpoena; Enforcement.

1. Avoiding Undue Burden or Expense; Sanctions. A party or attorney responsible for issuing and serving a subpoena must take reasonable steps to avoid imposing undue burden or expense on a person subject to the subpoena. The court for the district where compliance is required must enforce this duty and impose an appropriate sanction—which may include lost earnings and reasonable attorney's fees—on a party or attorney who fails to comply.
2. Command to Produce Materials or Permit Inspection.
   1. Appearance Not Required. A person commanded to produce documents, electronically stored information, or tangible things, or to permit the inspection of premises, need not appear in person at the place of production or inspection unless also commanded to appear for a deposition, hearing, or trial.
   2. Objections. A person commanded to produce documents or tangible things or to permit inspection may serve on the party or attorney designated in the subpoena a written objection to inspecting, copying, testing or sampling any or all of the materials or to inspecting the premises—or to producing electronically stored information in the form or forms requested. The objection must be served before the earlier of the time specified for compliance or 14 days after the subpoena is served. If an objection is made, the following rules apply:
      1. At any time, on notice to the commanded person, the serving party may move the court for the district where compliance is required for an order compelling production or inspection.
      2. These acts may be required only as directed in the order, and the order must protect a person who is neither a party nor a party's officer from significant expense resulting from compliance.
3. Quashing or Modifying a Subpoena.
   1. When Required. On timely motion, the court for the district where compliance is required must quash or modify a subpoena that:
      1. fails to allow a reasonable time to comply;
      2. requires a person to comply beyond the geographical limits specified in Rule 45(c);
      3. requires disclosure of privileged or other protected matter, if no exception or waiver applies; or
      4. subjects a person to undue burden.
   2. When Permitted. To protect a person subject to or affected by a subpoena, the court for the district where compliance is required may, on motion, quash or modify the subpoena if it requires:
      1. disclosing a trade secret or other confidential research, development, or commercial information; or
      2. disclosing an unretained expert's opinion or information that does not describe specific occurrences in dispute and results from the expert's study that was not requested by a party.
   3. Specifying Conditions as an Alternative. In the circumstances described in Rule 45(d)(3)(B), the court may, instead of quashing or modifying a subpoena, order appearance or production under specified conditions if the serving party:
      1. shows a substantial need for the testimony or material that cannot be otherwise met without undue hardship; and
      2. ensures that the subpoenaed person will be reasonably compensated.
         • Analysis of 45 D
           • A person objecting to a subpoena can seek relief in the court for the district where compliance is rough

(e) Duties in Responding to a Subpoena.

1. Producing Documents or Electronically Stored Information. These procedures apply to producing documents or electronically stored information:
   1. Documents. A person responding to a subpoena to produce documents must produce them as they are kept in the ordinary course of business or must organize and label them to correspond to the categories in the demand.
   2. Form for Producing Electronically Stored Information Not Specified. If a subpoena does not specify a form for producing electronically stored information, the person responding must produce it in a form or forms in which it is ordinarily maintained or in a reasonably usable form or forms.
   3. Electronically Stored Information Produced in Only One Form. The person responding need not produce the same electronically stored information in more than one form.
   4. Inaccessible Electronically Stored Information. The person responding need not provide discovery of electronically stored information from sources that the person identifies as not reasonably accessible because of undue burden or cost. On motion to compel discovery or for a protective order, the person responding must show that the information is not reasonably accessible because of undue burden or cost. If that showing is made, the court may nonetheless order discovery from such sources if the requesting party shows good cause, considering the limitations of Rule 26(b)(2)(C). The court may specify conditions for the discovery.
2. Claiming Privilege or Protection.
   1. Information Withheld. A person withholding subpoenaed information under a claim that it is privileged or subject to protection as trial-preparation material must:
      1. expressly make the claim; and
      2. describe the nature of the withheld documents, communications, or tangible things in a manner that, without revealing information itself privileged or protected, will enable the parties to assess the claim.
   2. Information Produced. If information produced in response to a subpoena is subject to a claim of privilege or of protection as trial-preparation material, the person making the claim may notify any party that received the information of the claim and the basis for it. After being notified, a party must promptly return, sequester, or destroy the specified information and any copies it has; must not use or disclose the information until the claim is resolved; must take reasonable steps to retrieve the information if the party disclosed it before being notified; and may promptly present the information under seal to the court for the district where compliance is required for a determination of the claim. The person who produced the information must preserve the information until the claim is resolved.

(f) Transferring a Subpoena-Related Motion. When the court where compliance is required did not issue the subpoena, it may transfer a motion under this rule to the issuing court if the person subject to the subpoena consents or if the court finds exceptional circumstances. Then, if the attorney for a person subject to a subpoena is authorized to practice in the court where the motion was made, the attorney may file papers and appear on the motion as an officer of the issuing court. To enforce its order, the issuing court may transfer the order to the court where the motion was made.

(g) Contempt. The court for the district where compliance is required — and also, after a motion is transferred, the issuing court — may hold in contempt a person who, having been served, fails without adequate excuse to obey the subpoena or an order related to it.

(a) Motion for an Order Compelling Disclosure or Discovery.

1. In General. On notice to other parties and all affected persons, a party may move for an order compelling disclosure or discovery. The motion must include a certification that the movant has in good faith conferred or attempted to confer with the person or party failing to make disclosure or discovery in an effort to obtain it without court action.
2. Appropriate Court. A motion for an order to a party must be made in the court where the action is pending. A motion for an order to a nonparty must be made in the court where the discovery is or will be taken.
3. Specific Motions.
   1. To Compel Disclosure. If a party fails to make a disclosure required by Rule 26(a), any other party may move to compel disclosure and for appropriate sanctions.
   2. To Compel a Discovery Response. A party seeking discovery may move for an order compelling an answer, designation, production, or inspection. This motion may be made if:
      1. a deponent fails to answer a question asked under Rule 30 or 31;
      2. a corporation or other entity fails to make a designation under Rule 30(b)(6) or 31(a)(4);
      3. a party fails to answer an interrogatory submitted under Rule 33; or
      4. a party fails to produce documents or fails to respond that inspection will be permitted—or fails to permit inspection—as requested under Rule 34.
   3. Related to a Deposition. When taking an oral deposition, the party asking a question may complete or adjourn the examination before moving for an order.
4. Evasive or Incomplete Disclosure, Answer, or Response. For purposes of this subdivision (a), an evasive or incomplete disclosure, answer, or response must be treated as a failure to disclose, answer, or respond.
5. Payment of Expenses; Protective Orders.
   1. If the Motion Is Granted (or Disclosure or Discovery Is Provided After Filing). If the motion is granted—or if the disclosure or requested discovery is provided after the motion was filed—the court must, after giving an opportunity to be heard, require the party or deponent whose conduct necessitated the motion, the party or attorney advising that conduct, or both to pay the movant's reasonable expenses incurred in making the motion, including attorney's fees. But the court must not order this payment if:
      1. the movant filed the motion before attempting in good faith to obtain the disclosure or discovery without court action;
      2. the opposing party's nondisclosure, response, or objection was substantially justified; or
      3. other circumstances make an award of expenses unjust.
   2. If the Motion Is Denied. If the motion is denied, the court may issue any protective order authorized under Rule 26(c) and must, after giving an opportunity to be heard, require the movant, the attorney filing the motion, or both to pay the party or deponent who opposed the motion its reasonable expenses incurred in opposing the motion, including attorney's fees. But the court must not order this payment if the motion was substantially justified or other circumstances make an award of expenses unjust.
   3. If the Motion Is Granted in Part and Denied in Part. If the motion is granted in part and denied in part, the court may issue any protective order authorized under Rule 26(c) and may, after giving an opportunity to be heard, apportion the reasonable expenses for the motion.
      • Analysis of 37a
        • When the responding party expressly makes objection to a discovery request, the requesting party may move for an order compelling discovery under rule 37a.
          • First if the requesting party must try to resolve the dispute informally
          • second if the informal discussion fails, the requesting party can file a motion for a court order compelling discovery pursuant to 37a.