Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-caed-2_13-cv-00963/USCOURTS-caed-2_13-cv-00963-6/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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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT 

FOR THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA 

NAM BA NGUYEN, 

Plaintiff, 

v. 

CALIFORNIA PRISON HEALTH 

SERVICE, et al., 

Defendants. 

No. 2:13-cv-963-MCE-EFB P 

ORDER 

 Plaintiff is a state prisoner proceeding without counsel in an action brought under 42 

U.S.C. § 1983. He has filed a motion to modify the discovery and scheduling order and a request 

for a form subpoena to produce documents. Defendants have not responded to either motion. As 

explained below, both motions are granted in part. 

Plaintiff’s unopposed motion to modify the schedule in this action (ECF No. 46) is 

granted as follows: Plaintiff may conduct discovery until October 21, 2016. Any motions 

necessary to compel discovery shall be filed by that date. All requests for discovery pursuant to 

Fed. R. Civ. P. 31, 33, 34, or 36 shall be served not later than August 19, 2016. 

Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 45(a)(3) requires that “[t]he clerk must issue a subpoena, 

signed but otherwise in blank, to a party who requests it.” Therefore, the Clerk of the Court will 

be directed to send plaintiff a blank subpoena form. 

Case 2:13-cv-00963-MCE-EFB Document 49 Filed 08/04/16 Page 1 of 2
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The court notes, however, that before issuing a subpoena, the court must ensure that the 

party serving it takes “reasonable steps to avoid imposing undue burden or expense on a person 

subject to the subpoena.” Fed. R. Civ. P. 45(c)(1). Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 45(b) 

requires personal service of a subpoena and “[d]irecting the Marshal’s Office to expend its 

resources personally serving a subpoena is not taken lightly by the court.” Austin v. Winett, 1:04-

cv-05104-DLB PC, 2008 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 103279, at *2 (E.D. Cal. Dec. 11, 2008); 28 U.S.C. 

§ 1915(d). 

Therefore, if plaintiff moves to have the U.S. Marshal serve a subpoena, he must first 

show that the documents he requests are not equally available to him and are not obtainable from 

defendants through a properly served request for production. See Fed. R. Civ. P. 34. If plaintiff 

can make the requisite showing, then he must submit to the court a completed subpoena form and 

the appropriate fee. The form must describe the items to be produced with reasonable 

particularity and designate a reasonable time, place, and manner for production. Plaintiff must 

also explain the relevance of the information sought and describe the burden and expense to the 

non-party in providing the requested information. 

Accordingly, IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that: 

1. Plaintiff’s unopposed motion to modify the schedule in this action (ECF No. 46) is 

granted as follows: Plaintiff may conduct discovery until October 21, 2016. Any 

motions necessary to compel discovery shall be filed by that date. All requests for 

discovery pursuant to Fed. R. Civ. P. 31, 33, 34, or 36 shall be served not later than 

August 19, 2016. 

2. Plaintiff’s request for a subpoena form (ECF No. 47) is granted to the extent that the 

Clerk of the Court shall send plaintiff a blank subpoena form. 

DATED: August 4, 2016. 

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