Opinion ID: 1199598
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: the sanctions for failing to appear

Text: ¶ 35 The trial court awarded the sanctions pursuant to 12 O.S.1991 § 3237(E). That subsection provides that when a party receives proper notice of a deposition to appear and testify, and then fails to appear: ... the court in which the action is pending on motion may make such orders in regard to the failure as are just, and among others it may take any action authorized under subparagraphs a, b and c of paragraph 2 of subsection B of this section. In lieu of or in addition to any order, the court shall require the party failing to act or the attorney advising him or both to pay the reasonable expenses, including attorney's fees, caused by the failure, unless the court finds that the failure was substantially justified or that other circumstances make an award of expenses unjust. The failure to act as described in this subsection may not be excused on the ground that the discovery sought is objectionable unless the party failing to act has applied for a protective order as provided by subsection C of Section 3226 of this title. This language refers to paragraph 2 of subsection B which provides for a variety of orders to sanction improper conduct in discovery matters. [10] ¶ 36 Defendants did not notice Martin for the continuation of the deposition, nor compel her attendance by court order. Martin argues that an order compelling her attendance is necessary prior to the imposition of sanctions in the form of a dismissal. This view is correct. ¶ 37 Section 3237(E) does state that when the party fails to attend the deposition the court may enter such orders as are just. Section 3237(B)(2)(c) states that a court's order may be dismissing the action or proceedings or any part thereof, or rendering a judgment by default against the disobedient party, .... However, in Helton v. Coleman, 1991 OK 43, 811 P.2d 100, we said that § 3214(B)(2) (now § 3237) requires an order compelling discovery. It is true that Helton involved (B)(2)(f), as opposed to (B)(2)(c) in the present case, but our opinion therein relied upon Hill v. Pierce Mobile Homes, Inc., 1987 OK CIV APP 40, 738 P.2d 1380. See Helton, at ¶ 11, 811 P.2d at 101-102, where we said that We are persuaded that the Court of Appeals correctly concluded that a motion to compel is necessary under Section 3214. Hill, like the present case, involves (B)(2)(c), but in the former the transgression was the failure to answer interrogatories instead of non-attendance at a deposition. We conclude that when a party fails to appear at a deposition, and a sanction in the form of a dismissal is sought pursuant to the combined authority of § 3237(B)(2) and (E), the dismissal must be based upon the failure to obey an order compelling the person to attend the deposition. ¶ 38 Both § 3237(B) and (E) state that a party's failure to comply with discovery should not result in a sanction if the court finds that the failure was substantially justified or that other circumstances make an award of expenses unjust. In light of our above conclusion we need not inquire into whether Plaintiff's medical excuse of itself would have prevented the dismissal. [11] ¶ 39 The trial court also awarded attorney's fees as a sanction for Martin's non-appearance, and such award may be made pursuant solely to § 3237(E). The amount awarded for attorney's fees, mileage expense, and court reporter fees all relate to August 23, 1996, the day Martin's medical affidavit states that she was unable to attend the deposition. Martin's physician's affidavit was not controverted by the Defendants. Defendants were notified of Martin's infirmity one day prior to the deposition, and were in a position to mitigate these expenses. We conclude that an award of expenses as sanction is unjust because her absence at the scheduled deposition was, according to the only evidence, due to medical reasons, and Defendants had notice of this prior to the scheduled date. The award of money to Defendants for Martin's failure to attend the deposition is thus reversed.