Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-caed-1_13-cv-00599/USCOURTS-caed-1_13-cv-00599-13/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 550
Nature of Suit: Prisoner - Civil Rights (U.S. defendant)
Cause of Action: 42:1983 Prisoner Civil Rights

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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

FELIPE GARCIA,

Plaintiff,

v.

M. BITER, et al.,

Defendants.

_____________________________________/

Case No. 1:13-cv-00599-LJO-SKO (PC)

ORDER DENYING REQUEST FOR CLERK 

OF COURT TO ISSUE SUBPOENA DUCES 

TECUM

(Doc. 56)

Plaintiff Felipe Garcia, a state prisoner proceeding pro se and in forma pauperis, filed this 

civil rights action pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 1983 on April 25, 2013. Discovery opened on July 1, 

2015, and on September 16, 2015, Plaintiff filed a request to the Clerk of the Court for the 

issuance of a subpoena duces tecum. Fed. R. Civ. P. 45. 

The Clerk’s Office will issue Plaintiff a subpoena only upon order of the Court and in this 

instance, Plaintiff is seeking to subpoena records from Defendants. Plaintiff must seek documents 

from Defendants via a request for the production of documents, not a subpoena duces tecum.1 

Fed. R. Civ. P. 34. 

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Further, Plaintiff is placed on notice that the Court will authorize the Clerk’s Office to issue a subpoena duces tecum 

commanding a third party to produce documents only if (1) Plaintiff is unable to obtain the documents directly from 

Defendants and (2) he thereafter files a motion to compel which results in a determination that he is entitled to the 

documents but Defendants lack possession, custody, or control over them. See Fed. R. Civ. P. 45(d) (parties have a 

duty to avoid imposing undue burden or expense on person subject to subpoena and courts are required to enforce this 

duty) (quotation marks omitted); Ollier v. Sweetwater Union High School Dist., 768 F.3d 843, 862 (9th Cir. 2014) 

(district courts have “wide discretion in controlling discovery.”) (internal quotation marks and citation omitted). 

Case 1:13-cv-00599-LJO-SKO Document 57 Filed 09/17/15 Page 1 of 2
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Accordingly, Plaintiff’s request is HEREBY DENIED.

IT IS SO ORDERED.

Dated: September 17, 2015 /s/ Sheila K. Oberto 

UNITED STATES MAGISTRATE JUDGE

Case 1:13-cv-00599-LJO-SKO Document 57 Filed 09/17/15 Page 2 of 2