Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-caed-1_05-cv-00079/USCOURTS-caed-1_05-cv-00079-10/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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28 Black’s Law Dictionary, Eighth Edition. 1

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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

HARVEY HERRING III,

Plaintiff,

v.

MIKE CLARK, et. al.,

Defendants.

 /

1:05-cv-00079-LJO-SMS-PC

ORDER DENYING PLAINTIFF’S MOTIONS

FOR ISSUANCE OF SUBPOENA, WITH

LEAVE TO SUBMIT A NEW REQUEST

PROVIDING FURTHER INFORMATION

(Docs. 62, 63)

THIRTY DAY DEADLINE

 Harvey Herring III (“plaintiff”) is a state prisoner proceeding pro se and in forma

pauperis in this civil rights action filed pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 1983. On September 7, 2007,

and October 18, 2007, plaintiff filed requests for the court to send him a signed but otherwise

blank subpoena duces tecum form to be served on a non-party. 

A subpoena duces tecum orders a witness to appear and to bring specified documents,

records, or things. Pursuant to Rule 34(a) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, “any party

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may serve on any other party a request to produce and permit the party making the request . . . to

inspect and copy any designated documents . . . which are in the possession, custody or control of

the party upon whom the request is served.” Fed.R.Civ.P. 34(a)(1). A person not a party to the

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action may be compelled to produce documents and things or to submit to an inspection as

provided in Rule 45. Fed.R.Civ.P. 34( c). 

Under some circumstances, the issuance of a subpoena may impose an undue burden or

expense. See Fed.R.Civ.P. 45(c)(1). A party responsible for the issuance and service of a

subpoena has a duty to avoid imposing undue burden or expenses on a person subject to a

subpoena, and the court is required to enforce this duty. Id. If a subpoena fails to allow

reasonable time for compliance, or if a subpoena requires a person who is not a party to incur

substantial expense or to travel more than one hundred miles from his residence, the court may

be required to quash or modify the subpoena. Fed.R.Civ.P. 45(c)(3). 

In cases where one party is incarcerated and proceeds pro se, there are inherent problems

with the issuance of a subpoena duces tecum. For example, plaintiff may be incarcerated in one

jurisdiction and the documents housed in another. A prisoner may be transferred from one

facility to another during discovery without advance notice. To avoid imposing undue burden or

expense, the court shall require additional information from plaintiff before sending him a

subpoena. Should plaintiff wish to proceed, he must submit a written request which specifies

exactly which documents he is seeking and from whom. The request must be specific enough to

determine what plaintiff seeks. The request cannot be a broadly stated request that amounts to a

fishing expedition. 

Based on the foregoing, plaintiff’s pending motions for the issuance of a subpoena duces

tecum shall be denied, with leave to submit a new written request for the court’s consideration. 

The request must be submitted within thirty days from the date of service of this order and must

articulate which documents are sought from which non-party witnesses. Plaintiff is reminded

that he must work within the discovery deadline and should submit such request as soon as

possible.

Accordingly, IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that:

1. Plaintiff’s motions for the issuance of a subpoena are DENIED without prejudice;

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2. Should plaintiff wish to proceed with a subpoena, he must submit a new written

request for issuance of a subpoena, with information as specified in this order,

within thirty days from the date of service of this order.

3. Failure to comply with this order may result in a recommendation that this action

be dismissed.

IT IS SO ORDERED.

Dated: January 4, 2008 /s/ Sandra M. Snyder 

icido3 UNITED STATES MAGISTRATE JUDGE

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