Opinion ID: 1661990
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: whether the trial judge abused his discretion in denying emmett barnes' motion to compel.

Text: Emmett notes that C.C. is a citizen of Mississippi, not Georgia, and that C.C. did not live in Georgia while dating Leslie Barnes. He further notes that C.C.'s deposition was taken in Mississippi, by authority of a Mississippi court, concerning events which had occurred in Mississippi. Therefore, Emmett argues, C.C.'s deposition was taken pursuant to the Mississippi Rules of Civil Procedure and is governed by those Rules and by Mississippi case law. Emmett contends that as a result, the privilege provided by Georgia law (O.C.G.A. § 24-9-27) was not available to C.C. in his deposition. Emmett cites M.R.C.P. 26, which provides in part that (p)arties may obtain discovery regarding any matter not privileged, which is relevant to the issues raised by the claims or defenses of any party. He contends that because his deposition, and that of Dr. Gerson, revealed that Leslie's relationship with C.C. was instrumental in her decision to separate from her husband and return to Mississippi, the testimony of C.C. was relevant and material to the divorce proceedings. Emmett argues that because the relationship between Leslie and C.C. was relevant, it was discoverable; he further argues that under M.R.C.P. 37, he was entitled to move for an order compelling C.C. to answer the questions to which he had asserted the Georgia privilege. Emmett notes that Mississippi law, while not providing a privilege analogous to that afforded by O.C.G.A. § 24-9-27, does afford protection against self-incrimination under Section 26 of the Mississippi Constitution. He contends that the privilege against self-incrimination, particularly this Court's application of the privilege in civil actions, is the proper law to apply to the question of C.C.'s refusal to answer deposition queries. C.C. argues that the Georgia court's Order Appointing Commissioner served as the foundation for the deposition, without which the deposition could not have taken place. The Order specified the terms under which the deposition would be taken, including that Georgia procedural rules would apply. C.C. notes that the Georgia discovery rule O.C.G.A. § 9-11-26, analogous to M.R.C.P. 26, states that parties may obtain discovery into any matter, not privileged, which is relevant to the subject matter involved in the pending action. (emphasis added). He contends that the questions posed to him by Emmett's counsel at the deposition were clearly subject to privilege under Georgia law, and therefore outside the scope of O.C.G.A. § 9-11-26. Emmett's contention that C.C.'s deposition was taken pursuant to Mississippi Rules of Civil Procedure, and was therefore subject to those rules and to Mississippi case law, is simply incorrect. The Georgia court order appointing a commissioner in Mississippi provided that all procedure in connection with C.C.'s deposition would be in accordance with the Georgia Civil Practice Act. True, the order did not specify that Georgia caselaw would govern. However, there was certainly no suggestion that the court intended Mississippi law of any kind, including caselaw, to apply. This Court has not yet addressed the precise question presented by this appeal: whether, in a deposition taken in Mississippi for use in an out-of-state case, the party being deposed may assert a privilege provided by the other state's law, but not available under Mississippi law. However, our opinion in Electric Reduction Company of Canada, Ltd. v. Crane, 239 Miss. 18, 120 So.2d 765 (Miss. 1960), suggests an answer. In Crane, a Mississippi resident was deposed under commission of the Lowndes County Circuit Court, honoring letters rogatory issued by the Supreme Court of Ontario pursuant to a case there pending. Deponent W.H. McClanahan appeared as summoned, but refused to answer certain questions about trade secrets concerning which he had entered into a non-disclosure agreement with a third party. We upheld the power of the circuit court to honor letters rogatory by commissioning the examination of a witness. We also upheld the witness' right to assert a legal privilege, to refuse to testify, and to have the court evaluate the claim of privilege before being compelled to answer. The Court cited with approval a section of C.J.S. on depositions: Scope of Examination       In examinations conducted for use in a cause pending in another jurisdiction, matters pertaining to the competency or admissibility of the evidence sought to be elicited will be left for the determination of the foreign court. However, under this rule a court may not completely renounce its control of a proceeding being conducted under its process, and testimony sought to be elicited must not appear to be entirely irrelevant, and a confidential relationship may be protected on the grounds of public policy. 26A C.J.S. § 67, at 390, cited in Electric Reduction Co. of Canada v. Crane, 239 Miss. at 30, 120 So.2d at 765 (1960) (emphasis added). While suggesting that the court in which state the deposition is being taken might restrict discovery, even where the foreign court would allow it, the thrust of this rule is that the foreign court's law and discovery practices are paramount. Applied to the case at bar, such a rule directs that Georgia's law and discovery practices control the deposition of a Mississippi witness, where the deposition is to be used in Georgia proceedings. A New York divorce case, Jarvis v. Jarvis, 141 Misc.2d 404, 533 N.Y.S.2d 207 (Sup. 1988), addressed facts similar to those of the case at bar. While the couple's divorce was pending in the Court of Common Pleas in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, the husband sought to depose the wife's New York-licensed attorney. The deposition was taken in New York pursuant to a commission issued by the Bucks County court. Some questions posed by the husband concerned the attorney's preparation of a prenuptial agreement, which the wife was seeking to enforce in the Pennsylvania court. The attorney refused to answer such questions, invoking the attorney-client privilege, and the husband petitioned the New York court to compel the attorney to answer. The court stated: When an examination before trial is conducted pursuant to a commission issued by a foreign court, logic requires that all issues regarding the propriety of questions put to the witness be referred to the trial court. The rules governing disclosure differ from those concerning admissibility, and questions regarding admissibility are ultimately the province of the trial court. Even questions with respect to the scope of discovery are more appropriately determined under the law of the jurisdiction where the matter is ultimately to be tried. In this regard, Matter of Shea Gould Climenko & Casey, 98 Misc.2d 484, 414 N.Y.S.2d 80 is singularly on point. There, respondent resisted disclosure of certain documents on the ground of attorney-client privilege. The court declined to decide the issue reasoning that its ruling would be academic. Since the trial will be held in Pennsylvania, the admissibility of evidence and rulings in connection therewith (including the asserted claim of privilege) will all be determined at trial by the Pennsylvania court. Under these circumstances the issue should be determined in accordance with the applicable rules of evidence in Pennsylvania, and the law of Pennsylvania governing attorney-client privilege. The issue should also be decided upon consideration of the Pennsylvania law applicable to the extent of discovery. The New York law concerning those matters is irrelevant to the conduct and management of the Pennsylvania trial.  The opinion further states that any application to restrict the limits of disclosure should be directed to the Pennsylvania court. Jarvis v. Jarvis, 533 N.Y.S.2d at 210. (emphasis added; cites omitted). Under such analysis, the foreign state's substantive law of privilege, as well as its procedural rules, should be applied to depositions taken under commission in another state. Accordingly, in the case at bar, we hold that Georgia's substantive law of privilege, including the privilege under O.S.G.A. § 24-9-27, should govern. Because the Barnes' divorce proceedings have been completed, the question of whether C.C. may invoke the Georgia privilege cannot, as this Court suggested in Crane, be left for the determination of the foreign court. However, the Fulton County Court's ruling on Leslie's invocation of the privilege provides instruction. On May 31, 1989, an order was issued in the Superior Court denying Emmett's Motion to Compel. It stated in part: With regard to the Motion filed as the result of the Defendant's (Leslie) refusal to testify concerning a relationship with a Mr. C.C., as well as any conversations with her husband during the marriage concerning this subject, the Court will not order the Defendant to testify regarding these matters as to which she has asserted the privilege afforded by O.C.G.A. § 24-9-27(a), but if she refuses to answer these questions in another deposition, she will not be permitted to change her answers to these same questions if asked, at the time of the trial in this matter. In addition, this Court will draw the most negative adverse inference allowed by law from the invocation of this privilege. Surely, there can be no reason to compel C.C., a nonparty, to testify as to matters concerning which the court has held that Leslie, defendant in the divorce, need not testify. Moreover, it would defy logic, and offend principles of comity, to allow Emmett to extract more information from C.C. than he was permitted to extract from his wife, simply because C.C. could be found in another state. Finally, our choice of law principles also direct that C.C. is entitled to invoke the Georgia privilege. This Court modified its choice of law rules in 1968 by adopting the center of gravity test in Craig v. Columbus Compress & Warehouse Co., 210 So.2d 645, 649 (Miss. 1968) and Mitchell v. Craft, 211 So.2d 509, 512 (Miss. 1968). Where a question arises as to whether the substantive rules of decision should be Mississippi's or those of another state, the center of gravity test directs a determination of which state has the most substantial contacts with the parties and the subject matter of the action. See Crowe v. Smith, 603 So.2d 301, 307 (Miss. 1992); Newman v. Newman, 558 So.2d 821, 823 (Miss. 1990). In this case, Georgia's contacts are numerous and weighty. Emmett and Leslie Barnes had established their marital home in Georgia. Their marital difficulties occurred while they were residing in Georgia. Their divorce action was filed in the Fulton County, Georgia Superior Court, and that Court retained jurisdiction at all times. The property to be divided pursuant to the Barnes' divorce was located in Georgia. On the other hand, Mississippi's most significant contacts with the case are that C.C., a nonparty witness, resided in Clarksdale, and that his deposition was taken there. Perhaps also to be considered is that Leslie and Emmett attended college in Mississippi, and Leslie returned to her parents' home in Oxford after she and Emmett separated. Finally, Emmett suggests another contact in that C.C.'s deposition concern(ed) events which had occurred in Mississippi. Weighing the above, it appears that Georgia has the most substantial contacts with the parties and subject matter of this case; therefore, in Georgia lies the center of gravity. For this reason, the Coahoma County court was obliged to apply Georgia law, and permit C.C. to invoke the privilege provided under O.C.G.A. § 24-9-27(a). We hold that C.C. could not be required to respond to the questions posed by Emmett's counsel in the deposition, and therefore the trial judge did not abuse his discretion in denying Emmett's Motion to Compel.