Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-caed-2_14-cv-00066/USCOURTS-caed-2_14-cv-00066-6/pdf.json

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

---

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

1

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

FOR THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

JASON LATRELL THOMAS,

Plaintiff,

v.

GUFFY, et al.,

Defendants.

No. 2: 14-cv-0066 JAM KJN P

ORDER

Plaintiff is a state prisoner, proceeding without counsel, with a civil rights action pursuant 

to 42 U.S.C. § 1983. Pending before the court is plaintiff’s March 2, 2015 motion for court 

assistance in serving a subpoena. (ECF No. 59) For the reasons stated herein, plaintiff’s motion 

for assistance in serving the subpoena is granted.

Plaintiff requests that the court serve his subpoena on the Office of Internal Affairs in 

Sacramento. This subpoena, attached to plaintiff’s motion, requests production of,

...officers statements per Internal Affairs reports and interviews of 

all witnesses as well as final disposition of staff complaint 602 log 

No. CSP-Sac T-13-0911 against CSP-Sacramento Officer R. 

Guffee, Link Lopez and Ruiz.

(ECF No. 59 at 6.) 

////

////

Case 2:14-cv-00066-JAM-KJN Document 63 Filed 03/13/15 Page 1 of 5
1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

2

The internal affairs reports are the documents plaintiff sought from defendants in a motion 

to compel, discussed in a separate order. The undersigned found that defendants did not have 

these documents in their possession, custody or control. 

In his separately filed motion to modify the scheduling order (ECF No. 40), plaintiff 

stated that he served a subpoena on the Warden of California State Prison-Sacramento (“CSPSac”) requesting the Internal Affairs reports and interviews. In the motion to modify the 

scheduling order, plaintiff requested an extension of time to file a motion to compel regarding the 

response to that subpoena by the CSP-Sac Warden. In the order addressing the motion to modify 

the scheduling order, the undersigned reasonably inferred that the CSP-Sac Warden did not have 

these documents, as plaintiff had filed the pending motion indicating that he was now seeking 

them from the Office of Internal Affairs.

The discovery deadline was October 24, 2014. (ECF No. 24.) However, the undersigned 

finds good cause to modify the scheduling order to allow plaintiff to serve the subpoena described 

above on the Office of Internal Affairs. Fed. R. Civ. P. 16(b). As discussed in the order 

addressing plaintiff’s motion to modify the scheduling order, plaintiff has been diligent in seeking 

the documents sought in the subpoena. Accordingly, the undersigned turns to plaintiff’s request 

for court assistance in serving this subpoena. 

Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 45 governs subpoenas issued to third parties. A subpoena 

is required to procure testimony or documents from one who is not a party to the action or 

controlled by a party to the action. Fed. R. Civ. P. 45. The subpoena must be served by a nonparty who is at least eighteen years old. Fed. R. Civ. P. 45(b)(1). Service of a subpoena must be 

made by personally delivering a copy of the subpoena to the person being served and there is no 

substitute service. See Prescott v. County of Stanislaus, 2012 WL 10617, *3 (E.D. Cal. Jan .3, 

2012) (stating that “[p]ersonal service of a deposition subpoena is required by Fed.R.Civ.P. 

45(b)(1),” that “[a] majority of courts interpret ‘delivering’ to require personal service,” and 

noting that while “the Ninth Circuit has not issued a published opinion on this topic, more than a 

decade ago, in Chima v. United States Dep’t of Defense, 23 Fed. Appx. 721 at *6–7 (9th Cir. 

Dec. 14, 2001), the court issued an unpublished decision affirming trial court’s refusal to compel 

Case 2:14-cv-00066-JAM-KJN Document 63 Filed 03/13/15 Page 2 of 5
1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

3

compliance with subpoena that was served by mail”) (citing San Francisco BART Dist. v. 

Spencer, 2006 WL 2734284 (N.D. Cal. Sept. 25, 2006); Alexander v. Cal. Dep't of Corr., 2011 

WL 1047647 (E.D. Cal. Mar. 16, 2011) (personal service required under Rule 45(b)(1)); and 

Collagen Nutraceuticals, Inc. v. Neocell Corp., 2010 WL 3719101 (S.D. Cal. Sept. 17, 2010) 

(“Rule 45 mandates personal service for subpoenas.”).

In essence, plaintiff requests that the court direct the U.S. Marshal to serve his subpoena 

for him. The court must “issue and serve all process and perform all such duties” for a plaintiff 

proceeding in forma pauperis. 28 U.S.C.1915(d). Plaintiff, proceeding in forma pauperis, thus “is 

generally entitled to obtain service of a subpoena duces tecum by the United States Marshal. 28 

U.S.C.1915(d).” Heilman v. Lyons, 2010 WL 5168871, *1 (E.D. Cal. Dec.13, 2010); but see, 

Garcia v. Grimm, 2012 WL 216565, * 4 (S.D. Cal. Jan. 23, 2012) (citing Tedder v. Odel, 890 

F.2d 210, 211, 212 (9th Cir. 1989) (“Plaintiff, however, is responsible for paying all fees and 

costs associated with the subpoenas ....fees are not waived based on Plaintiff’s in forma pauperis 

status”).

Because Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 45(b) requires personal service of a subpoena, 

“‘[d]irecting the Marshal’s Office to expend its resources personally serving a subpoena is not 

taken lightly by the court,’ Austin v. Winett, 2008 WL 5213414, *1 (E.D. Cal. 2008); 28 U.S.C. § 

1915(d).” Alexander v. California Dept. of Corr., 2010 WL 5114931, *3 (E.D. Cal. Dec. 9, 

2010).

Limitations include the relevance of the information sought as well 

as the burden and expense to the non-party in providing the 

requested information. Fed.R.Civ.P. 26, 45. A motion for issuance 

of a subpoena duces tecum should be supported by clear 

identification of the documents sought and a showing that the 

records are obtainable only through the identified third party. See, 

e.g., Davis v. Ramen, 2010 WL 1948560, *1 (E.D. Cal. 2010); 

Williams v. Adams, 2010 WL 148703, *1 (E.D. Cal. 2010). The 

“Federal Rules of Civil Procedure were not intended to burden a 

non-party with a duty to suffer excessive or unusual expenses in 

order to comply with a subpoena duces tecum.” Badman v. Stark, 

139 F.R.D. 601, 605 (M.D. Pa. 1991); see also, United States v. 

Columbia Broadcasting System, Inc., 666 F.2d 364 (9th Cir. 1982) 

(court may award costs of compliance with subpoena to non-party). 

Non-parties are “entitled to have the benefit of this Court's 

vigilance” in considering these factors. Badman, 139 F.R.D. at 

605. Alexander v. California Dept. of Corrections, 2010 WL 

Case 2:14-cv-00066-JAM-KJN Document 63 Filed 03/13/15 Page 3 of 5
1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

4

5114931 * 3 (E.D. Cal. 2010). 

Id.; Lopez v. Schwarzenegger, 2012 WL 78377 (E.D. Cal. Jan. 10, 2012) (same).

The information sought by plaintiff in the subpoena is relevant to this action. These 

documents are not obtainable from defendants. Accordingly, plaintiff’s motion for court 

assistance in serving the subpoena is granted. 

However, the subpoena that plaintiff has submitted is defective inasmuch as it is not 

signed by the Clerk of the Court. Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 45(a)(3) requires that “[t]he 

clerk must issue a subpoena, signed but otherwise in blank, to a party who requests it. That party 

must complete it before service.” Therefore, at the outset, a new subpoena, blank but signed by 

the Clerk of the Court, must issue to plaintiff. Accordingly, the undersigned herein directs the 

Clerk of the Court to issue a blank subpoena to plaintiff. Plaintiff shall then complete the 

subpoena and return it to the United States Marshal’s Office.

The undersigned also finds that the subpoena submitted by plaintiff does not describe the 

documents sought regarding the internal affairs investigation in sufficient detail. In the subpoena 

submitted to the United States Marshal’s Office, plaintiff shall describe the investigatory 

documents regarding the Internal Affairs investigation in more detail so that the Office of Internal 

Affairs is able to identify the documents sought. In addition to describing the documents as 

relating to the internal affairs investigation, plaintiff shall identify the date of the incident 

investigated ( i.e. March 4, 2013) and the persons involved (i.e., defendants Guffey, Link-Lopez 

and Ruiz).

Accordingly, IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that:

1. Plaintiff’s motion for court assistance in serving subpoenas (ECF No. 59) is granted;

2. The Clerk of the Court is directed to issue one blank subpoena to plaintiff;

3. Within twenty-one days of the date of this order, plaintiff shall send the completed 

subpoena to the United States Marshal’s Office, 501 I Street, Sacramento, California, 95814; 

within that time, plaintiff shall also file a notice with the court indicating that he sent the 

subpoena to the United States Marshal;

////

Case 2:14-cv-00066-JAM-KJN Document 63 Filed 03/13/15 Page 4 of 5
1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

5

4. The Clerk of the Court is directed to serve a copy of this order on the United States 

Marshal.

Dated: March 13, 2015

Thom66.sub

Case 2:14-cv-00066-JAM-KJN Document 63 Filed 03/13/15 Page 5 of 5