Opinion ID: 654205
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: request for free copies of deposition transcripts

Text: 48 Tabron submits that, in light of his in forma pauperis status, the district court erred in refusing to grant his motion to obtain free copies of transcripts of the depositions taken by defendants. 8 The district court, approving the recommendation of the magistrate judge, concluded that it had no authority under 28 U.S.C. Sec. 1915, or any other statute, to order the government to pay for deposition transcripts for an indigent litigant. We agree. 49 The in forma pauperis statute, 28 U.S.C. Sec. 1915, permits the waiver of prepayment of fees and costs for in forma pauperis litigants, see 28 U.S.C. Sec. 1915(a), and allows for payment by the United States of the expenses of printing the record on appeal in any civil or criminal case, if such printing is required by the appellate court, and of preparing a transcript of proceedings before a United States magistrate in any civil or criminal case, if such a transcript is required by the district court, 28 U.S.C. Sec. 1915(b). There is no provision in the statute for the payment by the government of the costs of deposition transcripts, or any other litigation expenses, and no other statute authorizes courts to commit federal monies for payment of the necessary expenses in a civil suit brought by an indigent litigant. See Moss v. ITT Continental Baking Co., 83 F.R.D. 624, 625 (E.D.Va.1979) (quoting Haymes v. Smith, 73 F.R.D. 572, 574 (W.D.N.Y.1976)). 50 In Boring v. Kozakiewicz, 833 F.2d 468 (3d Cir.1987), cert. denied, 485 U.S. 991, 108 S.Ct. 1298, 99 L.Ed.2d 508 (1988), we rejected an indigent civil litigant's argument that the district court erred in refusing to have the government pay for an expert medical witness. We explained: 51 Congress has authorized the courts to waive the prepayment of such items as filing fees and transcripts if a party qualifies to proceed in forma pauperis. 28 U.S.C. Sec. 1915. However, we have been directed to no statutory authority nor to any appropriation to which the courts may look for payment of expert witness fees in civil suits for damages. 52 Id., at 474; accord Tedder v. Odel, 890 F.2d 210, 212 (9th Cir.1989); McNeil v. Lowney, 831 F.2d 1368, 1373 (7th Cir.1987), cert. denied, 485 U.S. 965, 108 S.Ct. 1236, 99 L.Ed.2d 435 (1988). Similarly, we conclude that there is no statutory authority for a court to commit federal funds to pay for deposition transcripts. Several other courts have similarly held. See In re Richard, 914 F.2d 1526, 1527 (6th Cir.1990) (Section 1915 does not give the litigant a right to have documents copied and returned to him at government expense.); Lewis v. Precision Optics, Inc., 612 F.2d 1074, 1075 (8th Cir.1980) (rejecting plaintiff's claim that the district court erred in not requiring the government to pay for deposition expenses or copies of records); Doe v. United States, 112 F.R.D. 183, 185 (S.D.N.Y.1986) (same); Toliver v. Community Action Commission to Help the Economy, Inc., 613 F.Supp. 1070, 1072 (S.D.N.Y.1985) ([t]here [is] no clear statutory authority for prepayment of discovery costs pursuant to 1915 or otherwise); Sturdevant v. Deer, 69 F.R.D. 17, 19 (E.D.Wis.1975) (Sec. 1915 does not authorize federal funds for the cost of taking and transcribing a deposition). 53 Tabron argues alternatively that, even if Sec. 1915 does not authorize the courts to order the provision of copies of deposition transcripts to an indigent civil litigant at government expense, it was within the equitable powers of the district court to order the defendants to pay for deposition transcripts for Tabron as a condition for taking the depositions. Tabron points to Haymes v. Smith, 73 F.R.D. 572 (W.D.N.Y.1976), where the court, exercising its general discretion over discovery matters, ordered the defendant to advance the indigent plaintiff's travel expenses because the plaintiff had to depose the defendant outside of the district where the action was brought. See also Robbins v. Abrams, 79 F.R.D. 600, 602 (S.D.N.Y.1978) (court ordered defendant to pay stenographic and translation costs for depositions taken by plaintiff in Europe because repeat depositions were necessitated by defendant's bad faith and deceitfulness in previous depositions). 54 We agree that, as part of the inherent equitable powers of the district court in supervising discovery, a district court may, under some circumstances, exercise its discretion to order an opposing party to pay for or to provide copies of deposition transcripts for an indigent litigant as a condition precedent to allowing that party to take depositions. Cf. Navarro de Cosme v. Hospital Pavia, 922 F.2d 926, 930 (1st Cir.1991) (holding that the district court order requiring each party to pay for its adversaries' expenses in connection with the taking of depositions, was well within the broad latitude of the district court in managing discovery). However, the magistrate judge declined to do so here after finding that copies of the transcripts were not necessary for Tabron to make his case, at least at the summary judgment stage. He explained in his report that Tabron attended and participated in all of the depositions and therefore was able to take notes and compile information from the live testimony. Further, the magistrate judge noted that Tabron had not demonstrated in any of his papers why he needed copies of the transcripts to defend against defendants' motion for summary judgment. 55 Given that, as a general rule, indigent litigants bear their own litigation expenses, at least initially, 9 see Doe, 112 F.R.D. at 184, we cannot say that the district court's decision not to order defendants to provide Tabron with copies of the deposition transcripts was an abuse of discretion. Accordingly, we will affirm the court's denial of Tabron's motion to obtain copies of the deposition transcripts. Inasmuch as there may be additional discovery on remand, the principles we have announced should be of help to the district court on further rulings in the discovery area.