Opinion ID: 70996
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Request to Subpoena Witnesses

Text: The magistrate judge did not err by denying Thunderhorse’s request to subpoena two witnesses, Debra Liles and Chaplain Al O’Brien, to testify at trial. We review such decisions for an abuse of discretion. Adkins v. Kaspar, 393 F.3d 559, 571 (5th Cir. 2004). “Before we will hold that the district court abused its discretion by refusing to issue a subpoena, the proponent of the subpoena must show that relevant testimony was excluded, or that a substantial need for a witness’s trial testimony existed.” Id. (footnote omitted). Thunderhorse argues that the magistrate judge should have compelled the attendance of Liles and O’Brien because he considered them unnamed John and Jane Doe Defendants, 10 Case: 08-40821 Document: 00511023468 Page: 11 Date Filed: 02/09/2010 No. 08-40821 and his Amended Complaint identified “all others similarly situated” as Defendants. It appears that he raised this argument for the first time on the day of trial, and the record does not show that Thunderhorse has ever served or asked the court to serve Liles and O’Brien with the Summons and Complaint, cf. Fed. R. Civ. P. 4. As such, the magistrate judge properly denied his request to compel Liles and O’Brien to appear as Defendants. Thunderhorse also mischaracterizes the proceedings before the magistrate judge on this issue by selectively quoting from her February 20, 2008 Order to Produce Witnesses. According to Thunderhorse, the Order stated, “The State of Texas shall produce Debra Liles, Deacon Al O’Brien . . . [.]” But what the Order actually required was that the “State of Texas shall produce, Debra Liles, Reverend-Deacon Al O’Brien (or provide last known address) . . . .” On March 17, 2008, Defendants complied: They informed the magistrate judge and Thunderhorse that Liles and O’Brien were no longer employed with the TDCJ and that they would not be available for trial. Defendants also provided Liles and O’Brien’s last known addresses to the court under seal. Under these circumstances, we cannot find that the magistrate judge abused her discretion in denying Thunderhorse’s request to subpoena these witnesses to testify.