Opinion ID: 1182243
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 10

Heading: Appellant's sixth issue, appellee's fourth issue)

Text: In furtherance of appellant's motion of May 10, 1991, to increase the amount of child support payments (among other things), appellant served some interrogatories on appellee in which detailed information was requested concerning his finances, including production of copies of his income tax returns. The district court granted appellee's request for a protective order preventing the production of the tax returns and ordering the filing of the affidavits referred to in Wyo.Stat. § 20-6-306(a) (1991 Supp.). [2] The affidavit filed by appellee reflected the figures for the years 1986 through 1990. Appellee's deposition was taken, and appellee refused to answer questions concerning the tax returns. The court then reviewed appellee's tax returns in camera and reported that the returns were consistent with the affidavit and that the protective order would remain in effect. In this instance, we do not find an abuse of discretion. The tax returns being consistent with that already known, they would add nothing to the determination of the issues in this case, and there would be no reason to make public the information in them. Only if the returns were inconsistent with the affidavit would appellant benefit from an examination of them. In its ruling, the district court did not exceed the bounds of reason. It could reasonably rule as it did. Martinez, 611 P.2d at 838.