Opinion ID: 2351228
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 7

Heading: How and when the privilege was invoked

Text: Francis's invocation was overbroad. Although answering some of Wynn's questions at his deposition could have been incriminating, his refusal to answer nearly every question was unjustifiable. See Doe ex rel. Rudy-Glanzer v. Glanzer, 232 F.3d 1258, 1263 (9th Cir.2000) ([I]n the civil context, the invocation of the privilege is limited to those circumstances in which the person invoking the privilege reasonably believes that his disclosures could be used in a criminal prosecution, or could lead to other evidence that could be used in that manner.). Additionally, there is no indication in the record that Francis ever requested the district court to accommodate his privilege. He never sought, for example, to have his deposition sealed or to have reasonable limits placed on its scope. See U.S. v. Parcels of Land, 903 F.2d 36, 45 (1st Cir.1990) (where civil defendant did not inform the court of his willingness to answer deposition questions if his motion to seal were granted, his argument that the district court failed to accommodate his privilege appeared contrived, and striking the affidavit he offered in opposition to a motion for summary judgment was an appropriate remedial measure); S.E.C. v. Softpoint, Inc., 958 F.Supp. 846, 856 (S.D.N.Y. 1997) (civil litigants have an obligation to seek assistance from the Court to accommodate a claim of privilege). Moreover, Francis was represented by counsel during the course of the proceedings below, undermining his claim, opportunistically made for the first time on appeal, that because the district court did not warn him of the ramifications that his improper invocation could have, he was oblivious to those consequences. [4] Cf. Graystone Nash, 25 F.3d at 192-94 (reversing order barring defendants from offering any evidence after they invoked the Fifth Amendment, in part because they appeared pro se and had no indication that raising their privilege was improper).