Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-caed-2_09-cv-03012/USCOURTS-caed-2_09-cv-03012-14/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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IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

FOR THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

JOHN EDWARD MITCHELL,

Plaintiff, No. 2:09-cv-3012 JAM KJN P

vs.

J. HAVILAND, et al., 

Defendants. ORDER

 /

Plaintiff is a state prisoner proceeding without counsel. Pursuant to the court’s

scheduling order, discovery closes on August 16, 2013. (ECF No. 73.) On June 7, 2013,

plaintiff filed a request for deposition subpoenas. Plaintiff states that he wishes to submit

depositions by written questions to non-party witnesses, but that the prison law library is out of

operation because it is being relocated.

Under Rule 31 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, a party may depose any person by

written questions. However, where the deponent is incarcerated, the party must obtain the court's

permission to conduct the deposition. Fed. R. Civ. P. 31(a)(2)(B). Further, unless the parties

stipulate otherwise, the party noticing the deposition is required to provide the questions to an

“officer,” as that term is defined in Rule 28(a) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, who will

take the deponent's responses to the questions, certify them, and send them to the noticing party.

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Fed. R. Civ. P. 31(b), 30(b)(5). Thus, if plaintiff seeks to depose incarcerated witnesses, plaintiff

must file a motion to depose the witness by written questions, and if defendants do not stipulate

otherwise, plaintiff must demonstrate that he has made arrangements for an officer, as defined in

Rule 28(a), to process the questions as set forth above. 

Moreover, because plaintiff seeks to depose non-parties, any depositions by written

questions must be accompanied by a subpoena, pursuant to Rule 45 of the Federal Rules of Civil

Procedure. Orr v. Valdez, 2011 WL 5239223 (D. Idaho Nov. 1, 2011). Although the United

States Marshal will serve the subpoena without charge, plaintiff must tender witness fees and

mileage when the subpoena is served, as required by Rule 45(b)(1) of the Federal Rules of Civil

Procedure, for each deponent.1

Because plaintiff has not established that he followed the procedures set forth above, his

request for subpoena forms is denied without prejudice.

Accordingly, IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that plaintiff’s June 7, 2013 motion (ECF No.

74) is denied without prejudice.

DATED: June 14, 2013

_____________________________________

KENDALL J. NEWMAN

UNITED STATES MAGISTRATE JUDGE

 

mitc3012.dwq

 Plaintiff is proceeding in forma pauperis. 28 U.S.C. § 1915. “The in forma pauperis 1

statute does not permit a waiver of the witness fees to be tendered with the subpoena. . . . 

Although the plain language of section 1915 provides for service of process for an indigent’s

witnesses, it does not waive payment of fees or expenses for those witnesses.” Tedder v. Odel,

890 F.2d 210, 211-12 (9th Cir. 1989) (citations omitted). Thus, plaintiff is financially

responsible for procuring an officer to transcribe the witnesses' testimony, for notice and delivery

of the questions, for filing of the deposition, see Fed. R. Civ. P. 31, and for the payment of

witness fees and mileage for each deponent, see Fed. R. Civ. P. 45(b)(1). Witness fees are

$40.00 per day per witness. 28 U.S.C. § 1821(b).

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