WHAT IS A SUBPOENA? - Fagen Friedman & Fulfrost IS A SUBPOENA_V11.pdf · Civil Subpoena for...
Transcript of WHAT IS A SUBPOENA? - Fagen Friedman & Fulfrost IS A SUBPOENA_V11.pdf · Civil Subpoena for...
I. WHAT IS A SUBPOENA?
•Asubpoenaisacourtordereventhoughitcanbesignedbyanattorney.-Doesnotrequireasignaturebyajudgeorclerk.
•Asubpoenacompelsanindividualorbusinessentity,whichisnotapartyinthecase,todosomethinginconnectionwithalawsuit: (1)Appearatahearing,trialordeposition;
(2)Producedocuments;OR(3)Both.
II. TYPES OF SUBPOENAS
Therearefivedifferenttypesofsubpoenas:
1.CivilSubpoenaforPersonalAppearanceatTrialorHearing2.CivilSubpoena(DucesTecum)forPersonalAppearanceandProductionofDocuments,ElectronicallyStoredInformation,andThingsatTrialorHearing3.DepositionSubpoenaforPersonalAppearance4.DepositionSubpoenaforProductionofBusinessRecords5.DepositionSubpoenaforPersonalAppearanceandProductionofDocumentsandThings
III. WHO CAN ISSUE A SUBPOENA ?
Onlyapartyinthelawsuitcanissueasubpoena.Alwaysconfirmthesubpoenacontainsthefollowinginformation(topboxarea):
1. Attorneynameandaddress2. Courtnameandaddress3. NamesofPlaintiffandDefendant4. Casenumber
IV. PROPER SERVICE OF A SUBPOENA
•Onlyoneway–personaldelivery.(CCP §1987(a).)
•Faxesarenotacceptable.•Youmaydesignateauthorityforsomeonetoreceiveonyourbehalf.Forexample,alawfirmmayreceiveonbehalfofaclientifgivenauthoritytodosoandcommunicatedtopersonservingsubpoena.•Shouldbedeliveredtoeither:
(1)Thepersonnamed
(2)Ifanentityisnamed,anofficer,director,custodianofrecords,oranyauthorizedemployeemayaccepttheservice
(3)Thereisaspecialruleforpublicemployees–animmediatesupervisorcanbeservedwithtwo copies(Govt Code §68097.1.)
V. TIME TO RESPOND
•Ifthesubpoenaisforapersonalappearance,youmustbegivena“reasonabletime”tocomply.(CCP §2020.220(a).)
•Courtshaveheldthat“reasonable”isapproximately10calendardays.
•Thisappliestosubpoenasforeitheranappearanceoranappearancewiththeproductionofrecords.
•Ifsubpoenaisfor“businessrecords”only–itmustbegivenat least15calendardaystoproduce.(CCP §2020.410(c).)
•Additionaltimemayberequiredwhenpersonalrecordsaresought.Suchrecordsincludeemploymentrecords,financialrecordsandstudentrecords.Additionalnoticetothepersonwhoserecordsarerequestedwillberequired.Alwaysverifythatsuchnoticewasgivenbytheattorneywhoissuedthesubpoena(seesectiononNoticetoConsumerformoreinformation)beforeproducingdocuments.
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VI. WITNESS FEES
Youmaybeowedthefollowingfeesforpersonalappearances:
1.Currentwitnessfee:$35.00perday+$.20permile,both ways (Government Code §68093; CCP §2020.230(a).)
2.Depositions–Feehastobepaidwhether or notrequestedbythewitness.
3.Trials and hearings–Witnessmustrequestfeeswhenthesubpoenaisdelivered(includingmileagereimbursementandperdiemexpenditureinvaryingamountsdependingonwhetherwitnessisapublicemployee).
4.Ifsubpoenarequiresappearancebyanemployeeofapublicentityregardingmattersrelatedtohisorherofficialduties,thepublicentityisentitledtoreimbursementfortheemployee’ssalaryandtravelexpenses.Whenthesubpoenaisdelivereditmustincludepaymenttothepublicentityof$150/dayforeachdayoftheappearance.Iftheactualsalaryisless,thepublicentitymustrefundthedifference.Ifitismore,itmayinvoiceforadditionalpayment. (Government Code §68096.1; CCP §2020.230(a).)
VII. HOW FAR MUST THE WITNESS TRAVEL?
Youmayberequiredtotravel.Howfardependsonwhattypeofsubpoenayouwereissued.
Depositions •Individualwitnessesmayberequiredtoappeareither:
(a)Within75milesofthewitness’residence;or(b)Withinthecountywherethecaseisfiledandwithin150milesofthewitness’residence.
•Ifwitnesslivesmorethan150milesfromthecountywherethecaseisfiled,the(requesting)partiesmusttakethedepositionwithin75milesofwitnessresidence.
•Businessentitywitnessesmayberequiredtoappeareither:(a)Within75milesoftheprincipalofficeofbusinessentity;or(b)Withinthecountywherethecaseisfiled
Hearings and TrialsYoumaybecompelledtotravelmorethan150milesforahearingortrialincourtifyouarearesidentofthestate.Insuchcases,youmayberequiredtotraveltoanycourtlocationwithinCalifornia.
VIII. DOCUMENT PRODUCTION COSTS
Thepersonorentityrespondingtothesubpoenaisentitledtoreimbursementatthefollowingrates:
•$0.10perpageforregularcopying.•$0.20perpageforcopyingfrommicrofilm.•Actualcostsforoversizeddocumentsordocumentsrequiringspecialprocessing(e.g.,xrays,blueprints).•$24perhour,billedin15minuteincrementsforclericalworktoassemblethedocuments.•Postage.(EvidenceCode§1563.)
IX. NOTICE TO CONSUMER
The“Consumer”isthepersonwhoserecordsarebeingsought.Specialnoticerulesexistwhenthesubpoenaasksfor“personalrecords.”“Personalrecords”includes“any...books,documents,otherwritings,orelectronicdatapertainingtoaconsumerandwhicharemaintainedbya...privateorpublicpreschool,elementaryschool,secondaryschool,orpostsecondaryschool....” (CCP §1985.3)Theremustbeanoticetothepersonwhoserecordsarebeingsoughtsotheyhaveanopportunitytoobject.
ProceduresAcopyofthesubpoenamustgotothepersonwhoserecordsarebeingsoughtfivedaysbeforethesubpoenaisservedonthepublicentity.Makecertainthatyourcopyofthesubpoenaincludesa“NoticetoConsumer ,”whichprovesthattheindividualwhoserecordsarebeingsoughthasreceivedacopy.
X. OBJECTIONS/MOTIONS TO QUASH
Priortothedeadlinetoproducedocumentslistedinthesubpoena,aconcernedpartymayobjectorfileamotiontopreventproduction.It(may/willbe)oneoftwodocuments:
•Objectionfromathirdpartyconsumeroremployee. (CCP §§1985.3(g); 1985.6(f)(3).)•Motiontoquashfromapartytothelawsuit.
Eitherrelievesyourobligationtocomplywiththesubpoenauntilacourtissuesanorderstatingotherwise.
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