Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-caed-2_05-cv-01008/USCOURTS-caed-2_05-cv-01008-11/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

REGINALD THORPE,

Plaintiff, No. CIV S-05-1008 FCD EFB P

vs.

SNOW, et al., ORDER

Defendants.

 /

Plaintiff is a prisoner without counsel seeking relief for civil rights violations. See 42

U.S.C. § 1983. Plaintiff has requested that the court issue a subpoena directing the warden of

California State Prison at Sacramento to produce official prison reports, policies and the like. 

Plaintiff attaches a request for the production of documents, which he asserts he served on

defendants, seeking reports, policies and logs. He asserts that the documents he seeks are

discoverable and cites to Fed. R. Civ. P. 26(b).

The purpose of the rule authorizing the issuance of a subpoena is to compel one to appear

at a hearing, deposition or trial and, if appropriate, to bring relevant documents to the

proceeding. Advisory Committee Notes to Fed. R. Civ. P. 45. By contrast, a party may seek to

enforce a requests for the production of documents by filing a motion and serving it on the party

who has not responded or who has objected to the request. See Fed. R. Civ. P. 37(a). 

Case 2:05-cv-01008-FCD-EFB Document 36 Filed 01/17/07 Page 1 of 2
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Plaintiff does not seek to compel a witness to appear for any formal proceeding governed

by Rule 45. Instead, it appears that plaintiff seeks to compel defendants’ compliance with a

discovery request.

Therefore, it is ORDERED that plaintiff’s December 21, 2006, request for a subpoena is

denied.

Dated: January 17, 2007.

Case 2:05-cv-01008-FCD-EFB Document 36 Filed 01/17/07 Page 2 of 2