Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-cand-3_02-cv-02893/USCOURTS-cand-3_02-cv-02893-6/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 440
Nature of Suit: Other Civil Rights
Cause of Action: 42:1983 Civil Rights Act

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United States District Court

For the Northern District of California

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 The letter briefs are found at Docket Nos. 293 and 294.

United States District Court

For the Northern District of California

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

FOR THE NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

CHARLES H. WITTMAN,

Plaintiff,

 v.

RITA SAENZ, et al.,

Defendants. /

No. C 02-02893 SI

ORDER RE: DISCOVERY DISPUTE

By letter briefs, the parties have submitted a discovery dispute to the Court for resolution.1

Plaintiff seeks permission to exceed the 10 deposition limit, and states that “at this time” he would like

to take up to 35 depositions, primarily of County social workers. Plaintiff also wishes to reserve the

possibility of additional depositions beyond 35 if he deems it necessary. Plaintiff contends that these

depositions are necessary in order to demonstrate that the County had a custom under Monell. Based

on the discovery conducted thus far, plaintiff states he expects that each depositions will last an hour

or less.

Defendant’s letter brief does not specifically address the numerical limitation, but rather states

that plaintiff has not provided sufficient information about why the depositions are sought. With respect

to the social workers, defendant asserts that plaintiff should be required to provide the case name of the

juvenile dependency matter at issue for each social worker he seeks to depose; however, also according

to defendant, plaintiff’s counsel has informed defendant that he does not intend to ask social workers

about specific facts of juvenile dependency proceedings. 

Case 3:02-cv-02893-SI Document 295 Filed 09/18/06 Page 1 of 2
United States District Court

For the Northern District of California

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The Court GRANTS plaintiff’s request as follows: plaintiff may take up to 30 depositions,

provided those depositions (1) are limited to an hour or less, and (2) to the extent plaintiff wishes to

question social workers about particular juvenile dependency proceedings, plaintiff must meet and

confer with defendant and inform defendant of the juvenile court case names or case numbers, and also

allow defendant time prior to the depositions to petition the juvenile court for disclosure of the relevant

juvenile court records. Further, whether or not plaintiff intends to question social workers about specific

dependency cases, plaintiff must provide defendant notice of the general issues that will be the subject

of the depositions in order to allow the deponents to fairly prepare for their depositions. Finally,

plaintiff shall provide defense counsel with copies of all subpoenas that have been served on social

workers in this case.

IT IS SO ORDERED.

Dated: September 15, 2006 

SUSAN ILLSTON

United States District Judge

Case 3:02-cv-02893-SI Document 295 Filed 09/18/06 Page 2 of 2