Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-casd-3_09-cv-01952/USCOURTS-casd-3_09-cv-01952-0/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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1 09cv1952 

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

JOSEPH PITTMAN, JR., DIANA PITTMAN,

Plaintiffs,

v.

COUNTY OF SAN DIEGO,

Defendant.

                                                                                

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Civil No. 09‐CV‐1952‐WQH(WVG)

ORDER FOR DEFENDANT TO PRODUCE

PORTIONS OF INTERNAL FILES

I. INTRODUCTION

Plaintiffs’ request for internal San Diego County and Sheriff’s Department records is

GRANTED in part and DENIED in part. Plaintiffs requested the complete personnel file for Josh

Arend, Andy Lopez, Efrain Garcia, and Brad Maxfield. In addition, Plaintiffs requested any and all

documents relating to disciplinary actions or citizen or co‐worker complaints regarding Arend,

Lopez, and Garcia. Plaintiffs specifically requested documents relating to complaints of excessive

force and/or racial discrimination or bias regarding these three deputies. Plaintiffs also requested

training records. Defendant provided all possible relevant documents for in camera review.

Following the in camera review, the Court finds documents Bates numbered Sheriff 001832‐

Sheriff 001957 to be relevant and not privileged, and ORDERS the documents to be produced to

Plaintiffs. All personal identifying information other than names shall be redacted. Plaintiffs’

request for personnel records and complaints is DENIED regarding documents BATES Numbered

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SHERIFF 000001 ‐ 001831 as these documents are not relevant to any of Plaintiffs’ requests or

any claims in the instant lawsuit.

II. DISCUSSION

Under the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, parties may obtain discovery regarding any

matter that is  “not privileged” and “relevant to the subject matter involved in the pending

action.”  See Fed. R. Civ. P. 26(b)(1).  Furthermore, “[t]he information sought need not be

admissible at the trial if the information sought appears reasonably calculated to lead to the

discovery of admissible evidence.”  Id.  A relevant matter is “any matter that bears on, or that

reasonably could lead to other matters that could bear on, any issue that is or may be in the

case.”  Oppenheimer Fund, Inc. v. Sanders, 437 U.S. 340, 351 (1978).  Because discovery is

designed to define and clarify the issues, it is not limited to only those specific issues raised in the

pleadings.  Id.

The internal documents concerning the incident from which this lawsuit arises are

clearly relevant and within the scope of discovery. These documents reflect Plaintiffs’ complaint

of excessive force, the names of the deputies involved, witnesses identified, as well as findings

and conclusions about the event. Defendants assert the self‐critical analysis privilege, delibera‐

tive processes privilege, required reports privilege, attorney client privilege, privacy, and other

similar objections to protect these relevant documents from discovery. However, the Supreme

Court has clarified that because of the federal court's expansive view of discovery, privileges are

to be “strictly construed.”  Univ. of Penn. v. EEOC, 493 U.S. 182, 189 (1990). For the reasons

below, none of Defendants’ claimed privileges or protections control the outcome of discovery

here. Similarly, Defendants’ objections on grounds of privacy concerns are also rejected because

redaction of any identifying information other than names, protects all privacy interests.

i.   Self‐Critical Analysis Privilege

Defendants claim the self‐critical analysis privilege to protect the relevant internal

affairs investigation documents from discovery.  However, the Ninth Circuit does not recognize

the privilege of self‐critical analysis.  Dowling v. Am. Hawaii Cruises, Inc., 971 F.2d 423, 425 (9th

Cir. 1992); Union Pac. R. Co. v. Mower, 219 F.3d 1069 (9th Cir. 2000).  “The Supreme Court and

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circuit courts have neither definitively denied the existence of such a privilege, nor accepted it

and defined its scope.”  Dowling, 971 F.2d at 425.  However, even if such a privilege was

recognized, it would not apply in this case.  The district courts that have recognized a self‐critical

analysis privilege have required a party to establish the following elements to avail itself of the

privilege: (1) the information must result from a critical self‐analysis undertaken by the party

seeking protection; (2) the public must have a strong interest in preserving the free flow of the

type of information sought; and (3) the information must be of the type whose flow would be

curtailed if discovery were allowed.  Dowling, 971 F.2d at 425‐426.

The Ninth Circuit held in Dowling that the self‐critical analysis privilege does not

protect routine internal reviews of matters related to safety concerns.  Id. at 427.  The Dowling

court also noted that there are many incentives for conducting such reviews.  Analyzing the

internal affairs investigation documents using the criteria listed in Dowling, it is clear that the

documents are not subject to a self‐critical analysis privilege.  Similar to the routine corporate

reviews involving safety concerns in Dowling, many incentives exist for the San Diego County

Sheriff’s Department to conduct internal investigations. These incentives include protecting the

safety of the public, the prevention of lawsuits, and supervision of employees.  Such investiga‐

tions would not be curtailed simply because they may be subjected to discovery.  Defendants

have failed to demonstrate how the free flow of the type of information sought would be

jeopardized by failing to recognize the privilege.  Furthermore, the requested internal documents

contain routine investigative information about the incident.  Both the rationale and prerequi‐

sites for application of the self‐critical analysis privilege are absent. Accordingly, this Court finds

that the self‐critical analysis privilege does not protect the internal affairs investigation docu‐

ments in question.  

ii. Deliberative Process Privilege

Defendants also claim the deliberative process privilege. The deliberative process

privilege “permits the government to withhold documents that reflect advisory opinions,

recommendations and deliberations comprising a part of a process by which government

decisions and policies are formulated.”  Federal Trade Comm’n v. Warner Commc’ns, Inc., 742

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F.2d 1156, 1161 (9th Cir. 1984); see NLRB v. Sears, Roebuck & Co., 421 U.S. 132, 150 (1975).  The

ultimate purpose of the privilege is to protect the quality of agency decisions by promoting frank

and independent discussion among those responsible for governmental decision‐making.

Warner Commc’ns, 742 F.2d at 1161; see Sears, Roebuck & Co., 421 U.S. at 151. Even if the

deliberative process privilege applies, its protections are qualified.  Warner Commc’ns, 742 F.2d

at 1161.  A litigant may obtain discovery of materials protected by the privilege if the need for

the materials outweighs the governmental interest in keeping the decision‐making process

confidential.  Id.  In deciding whether to override the privilege claim and allow discovery, there

are four factors to be considered: “(1) the relevance of the evidence; (2) the availability of other

evidence; (3) the government's role in the litigation; and (4) the extent to which disclosure would

hinder frank and independent discussion regarding contemplated policies and decisions.”  Id.  

The deliberative process privilege does not apply to the requested documentation

because the internal affairs investigation does not reflect discussion among those responsible for

governmental decision‐making. Warner Commc’ns, 742 F.2d at 1161; see Sears, Roebuck & Co.,

421 U.S. at 151.  Rather, the documentation includes Plaintiffs’ complaints, the names of the

deputies involved, witnesses identified, along with findings and conclusions regarding the specific

incident between Plaintiffs and the deputies.  Even if this Court did find that a deliberative

process privilege exists in this case, application of the relevant factors shows that discovery is

appropriate.  The documents Bates numbered Sheriff 001832‐ Sheriff 001957 are clearly relevant

because they concern the specific incident listed in Plaintiffs’ complaint, the information was

generated by the Sheriff’s Department and County of San Diego and is not otherwise available to

Plaintiffs, and this type of investigation document is routinely generated by Defendant.  Thus,

this Court also rejects Defendant’s use of the deliberative process privilege.

iii. Required Reports Privilege

The Ninth Circuit has not expressly recognized the required reports privilege.

Moreover, the district courts that have recognized a required reports privilege have noted that,

because the privilege is qualified, it can be outweighed by a showing of substantial need.  Wiener

v. NEC Electronics, Inc., 848 F.Supp. 124, 129 (N.D. Cal. 1994).  There is a substantial need for

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disclosure because the Plaintiffs may not be able to obtain all of the information gathered in the

internal affairs investigation regarding the incident in question unless the San Diego County

Sheriff’s Department turns over the documentation.  Furthermore, this Court has reviewed the

file and finds that there is good cause to order release of the documents Bates numbered Sheriff

001832‐ Sheriff 001957 because they are relevant to the specific incident listed in the complaint.

iv. Attorney Client Privilege or Attorney Work Product Doctrine

Neither the attorney client privilege nor attorney work product doctrine protect the

documents ordered disclosed. The documents are not drafted by or at the direction of an

attorney for the purpose of legal advice. Rather, these documents and underlying investigation

are drafted and conducted in the normal course of Defendant’s operations.

III. CONCLUSION

The Court finds documents Bates numbered Sheriff 001832‐ Sheriff 001957 to be

relevant, not privileged, and ORDERS the report and attached documents to be produced to

Plaintiffs.  All personal identifying information other than names shall be redacted. Plaintiffs’

request for personnel records and citizen complaints is DENIED regarding documents Bates

numbered Sheriff 000001‐ Sheriff 001832 as these documents are not relevant to any of

Plaintiffs’ requests or any claims in the instant lawsuit. The Court will destroy the copies

submitted for in camera review. Counsel for Defendants must produce the redacted documents

to Plaintiffs no later than October 1, 2010.    

DATED:  September 17, 2010

    Hon. William V. Gallo

    U.S. Magistrate Judge

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