Can a trial court order a party to disclose potentially privileged information because the party’s privilege log did not provide sufficient information for the court to evaluate whether the privilege applies? According to the Fourth District Court of Appeal, Division Three in Catalina Island Yacht Club v. The Superior Court of Orange County filed December 4, 2015 the answer is NO!Continue Reading No Waiver of Privileges for Inadequate Privilege Log
Here is another great article from Miles B. Cooper.
The lawyer read in disbelief. The memo, on defendant’s letterhead, crucified the defense. It was part of defendant’s production responses (and for reasons that will be talked about later, the fact that it was not electronically stored information is significant). The document had also been floating around for years. The defendant gave it to the police during the initial investigation. The police gave it back to the defense team when the defense asked for a copy of the police file. The defense produced it to the plaintiff. And, because it was responsive to a discovery category, the plaintiff produced it back to the defense.
Continue Reading Read it and weep–Inadvertent Disclosure of Privileged Documents
I have always been a strong advocate that you should be awarded sanctions if you had to bring a motion to get the relief you were entitled to even if the other side complied prior to the hearing on the motion. However in the case of Evilsizor v. Sweeney (2014) 230 CA4th 1304, the First District Court of Appeal had an interesting take on the issue.
Continue Reading Should you withdraw your motion if the other side has complied?
ANSWER: A fictional document. A non-existent objection neither based in statutory authority nor found in case law. A statement by a party during the discovery phase that they will neither be held to the Code of Civil Procedure nor the rules of evidence.
In my years as a discovery referee, I have found that lawyers have gotten into the bad habit of inserting a preamble in their responses to interrogatories, requests for production and requests for admissions. These preambles often state the obvious as to what their rights are as responding parties. However, many times these preambles state general objections to the entirety of the propounded discovery and insert rights that are contrary to the obligations of the Discovery Act, the evidence code and current case law. Even though several interrogatories, requests for documents and request for admissions may be objectionable on the same ground they may not be objected to as a group. See Hogan and Weber, California Civil Discovery (2d. ed 2009) §51
Continue Reading What is a General Objection?
Just wondering, but what does the phrase “acted with substantial justification” mean in the sanctions statute for motion to compel depo testimony, CCP 2025.480 (pdf)?
Does it mean the conduct that led the moving party to make the motion has to be substantially justified? Or does it mean the decision to make or oppose the motion to compel has to be substantially justified?
Continue Reading Acted with Substantial Justification
DILEMMA: It is 30 days before trial and you get the final responses to your propounded discovery. In reviewing responding party’s answers to supplemental interrogatories the verified response says “Responding party states that all answers to Interrogatories, Set No. One, that were previously served in this action remain the same.” Yet years have passed, records have been obtained, experts have been deposed and you know they’re lying. What do you do?
Continue Reading All Answers Remain the Same
In responding to Requests for Production of documents you have three response choices (1) agree to produce (C.C.P. §2031.220); (2) state that after a diligent search and a reasonable inquiry you have no documents (C.C.P. §2031.230) or (3) object (C.C.P. §2031.240). If you chose option three, then you must prepare a privilege log. Although C.C.P. §2031.240(b) does specifically not state the kind of identification that is required, it is expected that for each document withheld that the privilege log state (a) the nature of the document (e.g., letter, memorandum, (b) date, (c) author, (d) recipients, (e) the sequential number (or document control umber, if any), and (f) the privilege claimed. See California Civil Discovery Practice (CEB 4th Ed. 2011) §3.192 citing Wells Fargo Bank v. Superior Court (2000) 22 C4th 201 and §33.201for a sample of a privilege log.
Continue Reading The Document from Hell–aka The “Privilege Log”
To determine whether or not a responding party has made a reasonable inquiry, you must determine where the responding party searched (what efforts were made), who did they talk to (did they make an inquiry to their legal department, human resources, customer relations, the employees in the chain of command, etc.), and what were the questions they asked.
More often then not I see responses to document requests being done (1) by the one with the highest bar number on the pleading (a.k.a. the newbie associate) and/or (2) by the attorney dictating at their desk instead of taking the time to sit down with the client, determining whom they should be talking to and knowing what questions to ask.
It is my opinion that the person who should be talking to the client and collecting the documents is the experienced senior attorney who has a relationship with the client and knows what questions to ask. If the senior attorney still chooses to delegate, then they need to be “hands on” and take responsibility whether or not a “diligent search” and “reasonable inquiry” were in fact made prior to the response and production being served.
Continue Reading INSPECTION DEMANDS-What is a Reasonable Inquiry?
Have you ever received a response to requests for production of documents that says:
After a diligent search and a reasonable inquiry has been made in an effort to comply with this Request, there are no documents within RESPONDING PARTY’s possession, custody, or control
Yet you question the veracity of the verified response, because they have got to have documents. So what can you do? This is a two-prong inquiry. The first being
Continue Reading INSPECTION DEMANDS-What is a Diligent Search
I recently reviewed a case management order in a complex construction case venued in Southern California. The order required all parties to produce:
“Any and all relevant non-privileged and non-protected documents (consistent with California Evidence Code Section 250), including but not limited to job files, building contracts, agreements, notes, correspondence, photographs, videotapes, diagrams, plans, specifications, shop drawings, “as-built” plans, calculations, journals, invoices, purchase orders, change orders, addenda reports (including reports prepared by consultants and design professionals for the original construction), job diaries, receipts, project files, site records, daily job logs, field orders, superintendent reports, requests for clarification, requests for information, time cards, governmental inspection punch lists and sign off sheets and invoices relating to the construction, repair, or maintenance of the real property involved in this lawsuit.”
There are so many things wrong with this request I do not know where to begin.
Continue Reading Give Me All Your Documents!