
615 N. Upper Broadway Suite 1415 P.O. Box 1500 (78403) Corpus Christi, TX 78401
Phone: 361-880-7500
Fax: 361-887-9507
|
Page one of two
< Back to main
< To Page Two of Two
INDICES 1
-
-
-
-
B. Discovery Rule
190. Discovery Limitations
-
190.2 Discovery Control
Plan - Suits Involving $50,000 or Less
(Level 1)
-
190.3 Discovery Control
Plan - By Rule (Level 2)
-
190.4 Discovery Control
Plan - By Order (Level 3)
-
190.5 Modification of
Discovery Control Plan
-
190.6 Certain Types of
Discovery Excepted
-
Notes and Comments
-
-
191.1 Modification of Procedures
-
191.2 Conference
-
191.3 Signing of Disclosures,
Discovery Requests, Notices, Responses, and
Objections
-
191.4 Filing of Discovery Materials
-
191.5 Service of Discovery
Materials
-
Notes and Comments
-
-
-
192.2 Sequence of Discovery
-
192.4 Limitations on Scope
of Discovery
-
-
-
-
-
IN THE SUPREME COURT OF
TEXAS
Misc. Docket No. 98-9196
FINAL APPROVAL OF REVISIONS TO THE TEXAS RULES
OF CIVIL PROCEDURE
ORDERED that:
1. The revisions to the Texas Rules of Civil Procedure
promulgated by Order in Misc. Docket No. 98-9136,
dated August 4, 1998, 61 Tex. Bar. J. 752 (Sept.
1998), and Rule 215 are modified to reflect public
comments and are adopted as attached.
2. The notes and comments appended to these revisions,
unlike some other notes and comments in the rules,
are intended to inform the construction and application
of these rules by both courts and practitioners.
3. Rules 166b, 166c, 167, 167a, 168, 169, 176, 177,
177a, 178, 179, 187, 188, 200, 201, 202, 203, 204,
205, 206, 207, 208, 209, and 737 are repealed, and
Rule 215 is amended, effective January 1, 1999.
4. Rules 176, 190, 191, 192, 193, 194, 195, 196,
197, 198, 199, 200, 201, 202, 203, 204, 205, and
215, and the headings in Section 9 are adopted as
attached, effective as follows:
a. Rules 176, 192, 194, 196, 197,
198, 199, 200, 201, 203, 204, 205, and 215 are effective
January 1, 1999;
b. Rule 190 applies to all cases
filed on or after January 1, 1999, but a court may
adopt an appropriate discovery control plan in previously
filed cases;
c. Rule 191 is effective January
1, 1999, except that Rules 191.3 and 191.4 apply
only to discovery conducted on or after that date;
d. Rule 193 is effective January
1, 1999, except that a response to a discovery request,
an objection to a discovery request, an assertion
of privilege, or an amendment or supplementation
to a discovery response made before that date need
not comply with the new rule;
e. Rule 195 is effective January
1, 1999, except that: interrogatories that have been
served but not answered as of that date and request
information pertaining to experts should be answered;
and the rule should not be applied to disrupt expert
discovery that is in progress or impending, or that
has been scheduled by order or by agreement of the
parties; and
f. Rule 202 applies to all such proceedings
filed on or after January 1, 1999, but a court may
use the rule for guidance in previously filed proceedings.
5. The application of these revised rules in pending
cases, as provided by paragraph 3 of this Order,
must be subject to Rule 1 of the Rules of Civil Procedure,
must be consistent with the purposes of the revised
rules to streamline discovery procedures and to reduce
costs and delays associated with discovery practice,
and must be without undue prejudice to any person
on account of the transition from the prior rules.
6. In accordance with Section 22.004(c) of the Texas
Government Code, a statute is repealed as follows:
Tex. Bus. & Com. Code ¤ 17.57, to the extent
that it conflicts with Rule 176.3(a).
7. The Clerk is directed promptly to file a certified
copy of this Order with the Secretary of State and
to cause a copy of this Order to be mailed to each
registered member of the State Bar of Texas by publication
in the Texas Bar Journal.
SIGNED AND ENTERED this 9th day of November, 1998.
Thomas R. Phillips, Chief Justice
Raul A. Gonzalez, Justice
Nathan L. Hecht, Justice
Craig T. Enoch, Justice
Rose Spector, Justice
Priscilla R. Owen, Justice
James A. Baker, Justice
Greg Abbott, Justice
Deborah G. Hankinson, Justice
> Back
to Top
SECTION 9.
EVIDENCE AND DISCOVERY
Explanatory Statement Accompanying
the 1999 Amendments to the Rules of Civil Procedure
Governing Discovery
The rules pertaining to discovery have
been substantively revised and reorganized to clarify
and streamline discovery procedures and to reduce
costs and delays associated with discovery practice.
The notes and comments appended to the rules, unlike
most other notes and comments in the Rules of Civil
Procedure, are intended to inform their construction
and application by both courts and practitioners.
Discovery in civil cases is founded
on the principle that justice is best served when
litigants may obtain information not in their possession
to prosecute and defend claims. Discovery provides
access to that information, but at a price. Recent
years' experience has shown that discovery may be
misused to deny justice to parties by driving up
the costs of litigation until it is unaffordable
and stalling resolution of cases. As any litigant
on a budget knows, the benefits to be gained by discovery
in a particular case must be weighed against its
costs. The rules of procedure must provide both adequate
access to information and effective means of curbing
discovery when appropriate to preserve litigation
as a viable, affordable, and expeditious dispute
resolution mechanism.
These revisions recognize the importance
of discovery as well as the necessity for reasonable
limits. The scope of discovery, always broad, is
unchanged. All the forms of discovery under the prior
rules are retained, and a new one - disclosure -
is added. Disclosure is not required unless requested
and thus does not burden cases in which it is not
sought. When requested, it provides ready access
to basic information without objection. At the same
time, the necessity of a discovery control plan in
each case, whether by rule or by order, is intended
to focus courts and parties on both the need for
discovery and its costs in each case. The Level 1
plan allows a party seeking recovery of no more than
$50,000 to insist that discovery be minimal. The
Level 2 plan will provide adequate discovery in most
cases, and Level 3 is available for cases needing
special attention. No single set of rules can address
so diverse and changing a practice as discovery,
and thus the rules maintain the ability of parties
by agreement and courts by order to tailor discovery
to individual cases.
Presentation of objections and assertions
of privilege are streamlined under these rules. A
party who objects to only part of a discovery request
must usually comply with the rest of the request.
Assertions of privilege are not to be made prophylactically
against the threat of waiver, but only when information
is actually withheld. Documents produced in discovery
are now presumed to be authentic for use against
the party producing them, thus avoiding the cost
of proving authentication when there is no dispute.
Procedures for oral depositions are revised to encourage
focused examination by imposing time limits and to
discourage colloquy between counsel.
An important aspect of these revisions
has been the regrouping of provisions in a more logical
sequence and the elimination of archaic and confusing
language.
> Back
to Top
A. EVIDENCE
RULE 176. SUBPOENAS
176.1 Form.
Every subpoena must be issued in the
name of "The State of Texas" and must:
(a) state the style of the suit and
its cause number;
(b) state the court in which the suit
is pending;
(c) state the date on which the subpoena
is issued;
(d) identify the person to whom the
subpoena is directed;
(e) state the time, place, and nature
of the action required by the person to whom the
subpoena is directed, as provided in Rule 176.2;
(f) identify the party at whose instance
the subpoena is issued, and the party's attorney
of record, if any;
(g) state the text of Rule 176.8(a);
and (h) be signed by the person issuing the subpoena.
Back to Evidence
Rule 176 Menue
176.2 Required
Actions.
A subpoena must command the person
to whom it is directed to do either or both of the
following:
(a) attend and give testimony at a
deposition, hearing, or trial;
(b) produce and permit inspection and
copying of designated documents or tangible things
in the possession, custody, or control of that person.
Back to Evidence
Rule 176 Menue
176.3 Limitations.
(a) Range. A person may not be required
by subpoena to appear or produce documents or other
things in a county that is more than 150 miles from
where the person resides or is served. However, a
person whose appearance or production at a deposition
may be compelled by notice alone under Rules 199.3
or 200.2 may be required to appear and produce documents
or other things at any location permitted under Rules
199.2(b)(2).
(b) Use for discovery. A subpoena may
not be used for discovery to an extent, in a manner,
or at a time other than as provided by the rules
governing discovery.
Back to Evidence
Rule 176 Menue
176.4 Who
May Issue. A subpoena may be issued by:
(a) the clerk of the appropriate district,
county, or justice court, who must provide the party
requesting the subpoena with an original and a copy
for each witness to be completed by the party;
(b) an attorney authorized to practice
in the State of Texas, as an officer of the court;
or
(c) an officer authorized to take depositions
in this State, who must issue the subpoena immediately
on a request accompanied by a notice to take a deposition
under Rules 199 or 200, or a notice under Rule 205.3,
and who may also serve the notice with the subpoena.
Back to Evidence
Rule 176 Menue
176.5 Service.
(a) Manner of service. A subpoena may
be served at any place within the State of Texas
by any sheriff or constable of the State of Texas,
or any person who is not a party and is 18 years
of age or older. A subpoena must be served by delivering
a copy to the witness and tendering to that person
any fees required by law. If the witness is a party
and is represented by an attorney of record in the
proceeding, the subpoena may be served on the witness's
attorney of record.
(b) Proof of service. Proof of service
must be made by filing either:
(1) the witness's signed written
memorandum attached to the subpoena showing that
the witness accepted the subpoena; or
(2) a statement by the person who
made the service stating the date, time, and manner
of service, and the name of the person served.
Back to Evidence
Rule 176 Menue
176.6 Response.
(a) Compliance required. Except as
provided in this subdivision, a person served with
a subpoena must comply with the command stated therein
unless discharged by the court or by the party summoning
such witness. A person commanded to appear and give
testimony must remain at the place of deposition,
hearing, or trial from day to day until discharged
by the court or by the party summoning the witness.
(b) Organizations. If a subpoena commanding
testimony is directed to a corporation, partnership,
association, governmental agency, or other organization,
and the matters on which examination is requested
are described with reasonable particularity, the
organization must designate one or more persons to
testify on its behalf as to matters known or reasonably
available to the organization.
(c) Production of documents or tangible
things. A person commanded to produce documents or
tangible things need not appear in person at the
time and place of production unless the person is
also commanded to attend and give testimony, either
in the same subpoena or a separate one. A person
must produce documents as they are kept in the usual
course of business or must organize and label them
to correspond with the categories in the demand.
A person may withhold material or information claimed
to be privileged but must comply with Rule 193.3.
A nonparty's production of a document authenticates
the document for use against the nonparty to the
same extent as a party's production of a document
is authenticated for use against the party under
Rule 193.7.
(d) Objections. A person commanded
to produce and permit inspection or copying of designated
documents and things may serve on the party requesting
issuance of the subpoena - before the time specified
for compliance - written objections to producing
any or all of the designated materials. A person
need not comply with the part of a subpoena to which
objection is made as provided in this paragraph unless
ordered to do so by the court. The party requesting
the subpoena may move for such an order at any time
after an objection is made.
(e) Protective orders. A person commanded
to appear at a deposition, hearing, or trial, or
to produce and permit inspection and copying of designated
documents and things, and any other person affected
by the subpoena, may move for a protective order
under Rule 192.6(b) - before the time specified for
compliance - either in the court in which the action
is pending or in a district court in the county where
the subpoena was served. The person must serve the
motion on all parties in accordance with Rule 21a.
A person need not comply with the part of a subpoena
from which protection is sought under this paragraph
unless ordered to do so by the court. The party requesting
the subpoena may seek such an order at any time after
the motion for protection is filed.
(f) Trial subpoenas. A person commanded
to attend and give testimony, or to produce documents
or things, at a hearing or trial, may object or move
for protective order before the court at the time
and place specified for compliance, rather than under
paragraphs (d) and (e).
Back to Evidence
Rule 176 Menue
176.7 Protection
of Person from Undue Burden and Expense.
A party causing a subpoena to issue
must take reasonable steps to avoid imposing undue
burden or expense on the person served. In ruling
on objections or motions for protection, the court
must provide a person served with a subpoena an adequate
time for compliance, protection from disclosure of
privileged material or information, and protection
from undue burden or expense. The court may impose
reasonable conditions on compliance with a subpoena,
including compensating the witness for undue hardship.
Back to Evidence
Rule 176 Menue
176.8 Enforcement
of Subpoena.
(a) Contempt. Failure by any person
without adequate excuse to obey a subpoena served
upon that person may be deemed a contempt of the
court from which the subpoena is issued or a district
court in the county in which the subpoena is served,
and may be punished by fine or confinement, or both.
(b) Proof of payment of fees required
for fine or attachment. A fine may not be imposed,
nor a person served with a subpoena attached, for
failure to comply with a subpoena without proof by
affidavit of the party requesting the subpoena or
the party's attorney of record that all fees due
the witness by law were paid or tendered.
Back to Evidence
Rule 176 Menue
Notes and
Comments Comments to 1999 change:
1. This rule combines the former rules
governing subpoenas for trial and discovery. When
a subpoena is used for discovery, the protections
from undue burden and expense apply, just as with
any discovery.
2. Rule 176.3(b) prohibits the use
of a subpoena to circumvent the discovery rules.
Thus, for example, a deposition subpoena to a party
is subject to the procedures of Rules 196, 199, and
200, and a deposition subpoena to a nonparty is subject
to the procedures of Rule 205.
[No change in Rules 180-185.]
Back to Evidence
Rule 176 Menue
> Back
to Top
B. DISCOVERY
RULE 190. DISCOVERY LIMITATIONS.
1 Discovery Control Plan Required.
Every case must be governed by a discovery
control plan as provided in this Rule. A plaintiff
must allege in the first numbered paragraph of the
original petition whether discovery is intended to
be conducted under Level 1, 2, or 3 of this Rule.
190.2 Discovery
Control Plan - Suits Involving $50,000 or Less
(Level 1).
(a) Application. This subdivision applies
to:
(1) any suit in which all plaintiffs
affirmatively plead that they seek only monetary
relief aggregating $50,000 or less, excluding costs,
pre-judgment interest and attorneys' fees, and
(2) any suit for divorce not involving
children in which a party pleads that the value of
the marital estate is more than zero but not more
than $50,000.
(b) Exceptions. This subdivision does
not apply if:
(1) the parties agree that Rule 190.3 should apply;
(2) the court orders a discovery
control plan under Rule 190.4; or
(3) any party files a pleading or
an amended or supplemental pleading that seeks relief
other than that to which this subdivision applies.
A pleading, amended pleading (including
trial amendment), or supplemental pleading that renders
this subdivision no longer applicable may not be
filed without leave of court less than 45 days before
the date set for trial. Leave may be granted only
if good cause for filing the pleading outweighs any
prejudice to an opposing party.
(c) Limitations. Discovery is subject
to the limitations provided elsewhere in these rules
and to the following additional limitations:
(1) Discovery period. All discovery must be conducted
during the discovery period, which begins when
the suit is filed and continues until 30 days before
the date set for trial.
(2) Total time for oral depositions. Each party
may have no more than six hours in total to examine
and cross-examine all witnesses in oral depositions.
The parties may agree to expand this limit up to
ten hours in total, but not more except by court
order. The court may modify the deposition hours
so that no party is given unfair advantage.
(3) Interrogatories. Any party may serve on any
other party no more than 25 written interrogatories,
excluding interrogatories asking a party only to
identify or authenticate specific documents. Each
discrete subpart of an interrogatory is considered
a separate interrogatory.
(d) Reopening discovery. When the filing
of a pleading or an amended or supplemental pleading
renders this subdivision no longer applicable, the
discovery period reopens, and discovery must be completed
within the limitations provided in Rules 190.3 or
190.4, whichever is applicable. Any person previously
deposed may be redeposed. On motion of any party,
the court should continue the trial date if necessary
to permit completion of discovery.
Back to Discovery
Rule 190 Menue
190.3 Discovery
Control Plan - By Rule (Level 2).
(a) Application. Unless a suit is governed
by a discovery control plan under Rules 190.2 or
190.4, discovery must be conducted in accordance
with this subdivision.
(b) Limitations. Discovery is subject
to the limitations provided elsewhere in these rules
and to the following additional limitations:
(1) Discovery period. All discovery must be conducted
during the discovery period, which begins when
suit is filed and continues until:
(A) 30 days before the date set
for trial, in cases under the Family Code; or
(B) in other cases, the earlier of
(i) 30 days before trial, or
(ii) nine months after the earlier
of the date of the first oral deposition or the
due date of the first response to written discovery.
(2) Total time for oral depositions.
Each side may have no more than 50 hours in oral
depositions to examine and cross-examine parties
on the opposing side, experts designated by
those parties, and persons who are subject to those
parties' control. "Side" refers to all the litigants
with generally common interests in the litigation.
If one side designates more than two experts, the
opposing side may have an additional six hours
of total deposition time for each additional expert
designated. The court may modify the deposition
hours and must do so when a side or party would
be given unfair advantage.
(3) Interrogatories. Any party
may serve on any other party no more than 25 written
interrogatories, excluding interrogatories asking
a party only to identify or authenticate specific
documents. Each discrete subpart of an interrogatory
is considered a separate interrogatory.
Back to Discovery
Rule 190 Menue
190.4 Discovery
Control Plan - By Order (Level 3).
(a) Application. The court must, on
a party's motion, and may, on its own initiative,
order that discovery be conducted in accordance with
a discovery control plan tailored to the circumstances
of the specific suit. The parties may submit an agreed
order to the court for its consideration. The court
should act on a party's motion or agreed order under
this subdivision as promptly as reasonably possible.
(b) Limitations. The discovery control
plan ordered by the court may address any issue concerning
discovery or the matters listed in Rule 166, and
may change any limitation on the time for or amount
of discovery set forth in these rules. The discovery
limitations of Rule 190.2, if applicable, or otherwise
of Rule 190.3 apply unless specifically changed in
the discovery control plan ordered by the court.
The plan must include:
(1) a date for trial or for a conference
to determine a trial setting;
(2) a discovery period during which
either all discovery must be conducted or all discovery
requests must be sent, for the entire case or an
appropriate phase of it;
(3) appropriate limits on the amount
of discovery; and
(4) deadlines for joining additional parties,
amending or supplementing pleadings, and designating
expert witnesses.
190.5 Modification
of Discovery Control Plan.
The court may modify a discovery control
plan at any time and must do so when the interest
of justice requires. The court must allow additional
discovery:
(a) related to new, amended or supplemental
pleadings, or new information disclosed in a discovery
response or in an amended or supplemental response,
if:
(1) the pleadings or responses were made after
the deadline for completion of discovery or so
nearly before that deadline that an adverse party
does not have an adequate opportunity to conduct
discovery related to the new matters, and
(2) the adverse party would be unfairly prejudiced
without such additional discovery;
(b) regarding matters that have changed
materially after the discovery cutoff if trial is set
or postponed so that the trial date is more than three
months after the discovery period ends.
Back to Discovery
Rule 190 Menue
190.6 Certain
Types of Discovery Excepted.
This rule's limitations on discovery
do not apply to or include discovery conducted under
Rule 202 ("Depositions Before Suit or to Investigate
Claims"), or Rule 621a ("Discovery and Enforcement
of Judgment"). But Rule 202 cannot be used to circumvent
the limitations of this rule.
Back to Discovery
Rule 190 Menue
Notes and
Comments Comments to 1999 change:
1. This rule establishes three tiers
of discovery plans and requires that every case be
in one at all times. Whether a case is in Level 1
is determined by the pleadings. To be in Level 3,
the court must order a specific plan for the case,
either on a party's motion or on the court's own
initiative. The plan may be one agreed to by the
parties and submitted as an agreed order. A Level
3 plan may simply adopt Level 1 or Level 2 restrictions.
Separate Level 3 plans for phases of
the case may be appropriate. Until a Level 3 plan
is ordered, a case that is not in Level 1 is in Level
2. The initial pleading required by Rule 190.1 is
merely to notify the court and other parties of the
plaintiff's intention; it does not bind the court
or other parties. A plaintiff's failure to state
in the initial pleading that the case should be in
Level 1 does not waive application of Rule 190.2.
2. Rule 190.2 does not apply to suits
for injunctive relief or divorces involving children.
The requirement of an affirmative pleading of limited
relief (e.g.: "Plaintiff affirmatively pleads that
he seeks only monetary relief aggregating $50,000
or less, excluding costs, pre-judgment interest and
attorneys' fees") does not conflict with other pleading
requirements, such as Rule 47 and Tex. Rev. Civ.
Stat. Ann. art. 4590i, ¤ 5.01. In a suit to
which Rule 190.2 applies, the relief awarded cannot
exceed the relief pleaded because the purpose of
the rule, unlike Rule 47, is to bind the pleader
to a maximum claim. Thus, the rule in Greenhalgh
v. Service Lloyds Ins. Co., 787 S.W.2d 938 (Tex.
1990), does not apply.
3. "Discrete subparts" of interrogatories
are counted as single interrogatories, but not every
separate factual inquiry is a discrete subpart. See
Fed. R. Civ. P. 33(a). While not susceptible of precise
definition, see Braden v. Downey, 811 S.W.2d 922,
927-928 (Tex. 1991), a "discrete subpart" is, in
general, one that calls for information that is not
logically or factually related to the primary interrogatory.
The number of sets of interrogatories is no longer
limited to two.
4. As other rules make clear, unless
otherwise ordered or agreed, parties seeking discovery
must serve requests sufficiently far in advance of
the end of the discovery period that the deadline
for responding will be within the discovery period.
The court may order a deadline for sending discovery
requests in lieu of or in addition to a deadline
for completing discovery.
5. Use of forms of discovery other
than depositions and interrogatories, such as requests
for disclosure, admissions, or production of documents,
are not restricted in Levels 1 and 2. But depositions
on written questions cannot be used to circumvent
the limits on interrogatories.
6. The concept of "side" in Rule 190.3(b)(2)
borrows from Rule 233, which governs the allocation
of peremptory strikes, and from Fed. R. Civ. P. 30(a)(2).
In most cases there are only two sides - plaintiffs
and defendants. In complex cases, however, there
may be more than two sides, such as when defendants
have sued third parties not named by plaintiffs,
or when defendants have sued each other. As an example,
if P1 and P2 sue D1, D2, and D3, and D1 sues D2 and
D3, Ps would together be entitled to depose Ds and
others permitted by the rule (i.e., Ds' experts and
persons subject to Ds' control) for 50 hours, and
Ds would together be entitled to depose Ps and others
for 50 hours. D1 would also be entitled to depose
D2 and D3 and others for 50 hours on matters in controversy
among them, and D2 and D3 would together be entitled
to depose D1 and others for 50 hours.
7. Any matter listed in Rule 166 may
be addressed in an order issued under Rule 190.4.
A pretrial order under Rule 166 may be used in individual
cases regardless of the discovery level.
8. For purposes of defining discovery
periods, "trial" does not include summary judgment.
Back to Discovery
Rule 190 Menue
> Back
to Top
RULE 191. MODIFYING
DISCOVERY PROCEDURES AND LIMITATIONS; CONFERENCE
REQUIREMENT; SIGNING DISCLOSURES, DISCOVERY REQUESTS,
RESPONSES, AND OBJECTIONS; FILING REQUIREMENTS
191.1 Modification
of Procedures.
Except where specifically prohibited,
the procedures and limitations set forth in the rules
pertaining to discovery may be modified in any suit
by the agreement of the parties or by court order
for good cause. An agreement of the parties is enforceable
if it complies with Rule 11 or, as it affects an
oral deposition, if it is made a part of the record
of the deposition.
Back to Rule
191 Menue
191.2 Conference.
Parties and their attorneys are expected
to cooperate in discovery and to make any agreements
reasonably necessary for the efficient disposition
of the case. All discovery motions or requests for
hearings relating to discovery must contain a certificate
by the party filing the motion or request that a
reasonable effort has been made to resolve the dispute
without the necessity of court intervention and the
effort failed.
Back to Rule
191 Menue
191.3 Signing
of Disclosures, Discovery Requests, Notices, Responses,
and Objections.
(a) Signature required. Every disclosure,
discovery request, notice, response, and objection
must be signed:
(1) by an attorney, if the party is represented
by an attorney, and must show the attorney's State
Bar of Texas identification number, address, telephone
number, and fax number, if any; or
(2) by the party, if the party is not represented
by an attorney, and must show the party's address,
telephone number, and fax number, if any.
(b) Effect of signature on disclosure. The signature
of an attorney or party on a disclosure constitutes
a certification that to the best of the signer's
knowledge, information, and belief, formed after
a reasonable inquiry, the disclosure is complete
and correct as of the time it is made.
(c) Effect of signature on discovery request, notice,
response, or objection. The signature of an attorney
or party on a discovery request, notice, response,
or objection constitutes a certification that to
the best of the signer's knowledge, information,
and belief, formed after a reasonable inquiry, the
request, notice, response, or objection:
(1) is consistent with the rules of civil procedure
and these discovery rules and warranted by existing
law or a good faith argument for the extension,
modification, or reversal of existing law;
(2) has a good faith factual basis;
(3) is not interposed for any improper purpose,
such as to harass or to cause unnecessary delay
or needless increase in the cost of litigation;
and
(4) is not unreasonable or unduly burdensome or
expensive, given the needs of the case, the discovery
already had in the case, the amount in controversy,
and the importance of the issues at stake in the
litigation.
(d) Effect of failure to sign. If a request, notice,
response, or objection is not signed, it must be
stricken unless it is signed promptly after the omission
is called to the attention of the party making the
request, notice, response, or objection. A party
is not required to take any action with respect to
a request or notice that is not signed.
(e) Sanctions. If the certification is false without
substantial justification, the court may, upon motion
or its own initiative, impose on the person who made
the certification, or the party on whose behalf the
request, notice, response, or objection was made,
or both, an appropriate sanction as for a frivolous
pleading or motion under Chapter 10 of the Civil
Practice and Remedies Code.
Back to Rule
191 Menue
191.4 Filing of Discovery
Materials.
(a) Discovery materials not to be filed. The following
discovery materials must not be filed:
(1) discovery requests, deposition
notices, and subpoenas required to be served only
on parties;
(2) responses and objections to discovery
requests and deposition notices, regardless on whom
the requests or notices were served;
(3) documents and tangible things
produced in discovery; and
(4) statements prepared in compliance
with Rule 193.3(b) or (d).
(b) Discovery materials to be filed. The following
discovery materials must be filed:
(1) discovery requests, deposition
notices, and subpoenas required to be served on nonparties;
(2) motions and responses to motions
pertaining to discovery matters; and
(3) agreements concerning discovery
matters, to the extent necessary to comply with Rule
11.
(c) Exceptions. Notwithstanding paragraph (a)
(1) the court may order discovery
materials to be filed;
(2) a person may file discovery materials
in support of or in opposition to a motion or for
other use in a court proceeding; and
(3) a person may file discovery materials
necessary for a proceeding in an appellate court.
(d) Retention requirement for persons. Any person
required to serve discovery materials not required
to be filed must retain the original or exact copy
of the materials during the pendency of the case
and any related appellate proceedings begun within
six months after judgment is signed, unless otherwise
provided by the trial court.
(e) Retention requirement for courts. The clerk
of the court shall retain and dispose of deposition
transcripts and depositions upon written questions
as directed by the Supreme Court.
Back to Rule
191 Menue
191.5 Service of Discovery
Materials.
Every disclosure, discovery request, notice, response,
and objection required to be served on a party or
person must be served on all parties of record.
Back to Rule
191 Menue
Notes and Comments
Comments to 1999 change:
1. Rule 191.1 preserves the ability of parties by
agreement and trial courts by order to adapt discovery
to different circumstances. That ability is broad
but not unbounded. Parties cannot merely by agreement
modify a court order without the court's concurrence.
Trial courts cannot simply "opt out" of these rules
by form orders or approve or order a discovery control
plan that does not contain the matters specified
in Rule 190.4, but trial courts may use standard
or form orders for providing discovery plans, scheduling,
and other pretrial matters. In individual instances,
courts may order, or parties may agree, to use discovery
methods other than those prescribed in these rules
if appropriate. Because the general rule is stated
here, it is not repeated in each context in which
it applies. Thus, for example, parties can agree
to enlarge or shorten the time permitted for a deposition
and to change the manner in which a deposition is
conducted, notwithstanding Rule 199.5, although parties
could not agree to be abusive toward a witness.
2. Rule 191.2 expressly states the obligation of
parties and their attorneys to cooperate in conducting
discovery.
3. The requirement that discovery requests, notices,
responses, and objections be signed also applies
to documents used to satisfy the purposes of such
instruments. An example is a statement that privileged
material or information has been withheld, which
may be separate from a response to the discovery
request but is nevertheless part of the response.
Back to Rule
191 Menue
> Back
to Top
RULE 192. PERMISSIBLE
DISCOVERY: FORMS AND SCOPE; WORK PRODUCT; PROTECTIVE
ORDERS; DEFINITIONS
192.1 Forms of Discovery.
Permissible forms of discovery are:
(a) requests for disclosure;
(b) requests for production and inspection of
documents and tangible things;
(c) requests and motions for entry upon and examination
of real property;
(d) interrogatories to a party;
(e) requests for admission;
(f) oral or written depositions; and (g) motions
for mental or physical examinations.
Back to
Rule 192 Menue
192.2 Sequence of Discovery.
The permissible forms of discovery may be combined
in the same document and may be taken in any order
or sequence. 192.3 Scope of Discovery.
(a) Generally. In general, a party may obtain
discovery regarding any matter that is not privileged
and is relevant to the subject matter of the pending
action, whether it relates to the claim or defense
of the party seeking discovery or the claim or
defense of any other party. It is not a ground
for objection that the information sought will
be inadmissible at trial if the information sought
appears reasonably calculated to lead to the discovery
of admissible evidence.
(b) Documents and tangible things. A party may
obtain discovery of the existence, description,
nature, custody, condition, location, and contents
of documents and tangible things (including papers,
books, accounts, drawings, graphs, charts, photographs,
electronic or videotape recordings, data, and data
compilations) that constitute or contain matters
relevant to the subject matter of the action. A
person is required to produce a document or tangible
thing that is within the person's possession, custody,
or control.
(c) Persons with knowledge of relevant facts.
A party may obtain discovery of the name, address,
and telephone number of persons having knowledge
of relevant facts, and a brief statement of each
identified person's connection with the case. A
person has knowledge of relevant facts when that
person has or may have knowledge of any discoverable
matter. The person need not have admissible information
or personal knowledge of the facts. An expert is "a
person with knowledge of relevant facts" only if
that knowledge was obtained first-hand or if it
was not obtained in preparation for trial or in
anticipation of litigation.
(d) Trial witnesses. A party may obtain discovery
of the name, address, and telephone number of any
person who is expected to be called to testify
at trial. This paragraph does not apply to rebuttal
or impeaching witnesses the necessity of whose
testimony cannot reasonably be anticipated before
trial.
(e) Testifying and consulting experts. The identity,
mental impressions, and opinions of a consulting
expert whose mental impressions and opinions have
not been reviewed by a testifying expert are not
discoverable. A party may discover the following
information regarding a testifying expert or regarding
a consulting expert whose mental impressions or
opinions have been reviewed by a testifying expert:
(1) the expert's name, address, and telephone
number;
(2) the subject matter on which a testifying
expert will testify;
(3) the facts known by the expert that relate
to or form the basis of the expert's mental impressions
and opinions formed or made in connection with
the case in which the discovery is sought, regardless
of when and how the factual information was acquired;
(4) the expert's mental impressions and opinions
formed or made in connection with the case in
which discovery is sought, and any methods used
to derive them;
(5) any bias of the witness;
(6) all documents, tangible things, reports,
models, or data compilations that have been provided
to, reviewed by, or prepared by or for the expert
in anticipation of a testifying expert's testimony;
(7) the expert's current resume and bibliography.
(f) Indemnity and insuring agreements. Except
as otherwise provided by law, a party may obtain
discovery of the existence and contents of any
indemnity or insurance agreement under which any
person may be liable to satisfy part or all of
a judgment rendered in the action or to indemnify
or reimburse for payments made to satisfy the judgment.
Information concerning the indemnity or insurance
agreement is not by reason of disclosure admissible
in evidence at trial.
(g) Settlement agreements. A party may obtain
discovery of the existence and contents of any
relevant portions of a settlement agreement. Information
concerning a settlement agreement is not by reason
of disclosure admissible in evidence at trial.
(h) Statements of persons with knowledge of relevant
facts. A party may obtain discovery of the statement
of any person with knowledge of relevant facts
- a "witness statement" - regardless of when the
statement was made. A witness statement is
(1) a written statement signed or otherwise
adopted or approved in writing by the person
making it, or
(2) a stenographic, mechanical, electrical,
or other type of recording of a witness's oral
statement, or any substantially verbatim transcription
of such a recording. Notes taken during a conversation
or interview with a witness are not a witness
statement. Any person may obtain, upon written
request, his or her own statement concerning
the lawsuit, which is in the possession, custody
or control of any party.
(i) Potential parties. A party may obtain discovery
of the name, address, and telephone number of any
potential party.
(j) Contentions. A party may obtain discovery
of any other party's legal contentions and the
factual bases for those contentions.
Back to
Rule 192 Menue
192.4 Limitations on
Scope of Discovery.
The discovery methods permitted by these rules
should be limited by the court if it determines,
on motion or on its own initiative and on reasonable
notice, that:
(a) the discovery sought is unreasonably cumulative
or duplicative, or is obtainable from some other
source that is more convenient, less burdensome,
or less expensive; or
(b) the burden or expense of the proposed discovery
outweighs its likely benefit, taking into account
the needs of the case, the amount in controversy,
the parties' resources, the importance of the issues
at stake in the litigation, and the importance
of the proposed discovery in resolving the issues.
Back to
Rule 192 Menue
192.5 Work Product.
(a) Work product defined. Work product comprises:
(1) material prepared or mental impressions
developed in anticipation of litigation or for
trial by or for a party or a party's representatives,
including the party's attorneys, consultants,
sureties, indemnitors, insurers, employees, or
agents; or
(2) a communication made in anticipation of
litigation or for trial between a party and the
party's representatives or among a party's representatives,
including the party's attorneys, consultants,
sureties, indemnitors, insurers, employees, or
agents.
(b) Protection of work product.
(1) Protection of core work product - attorney
mental processes. Core work product - the work
product of an attorney or an attorney's representative
that contains the attorney's or the attorney's
representative's mental impressions, opinions,
conclusions, or legal theories - is not discoverable.
(2) Protection of other work product. Any other
work product is discoverable only upon a showing
that the party seeking discovery has substantial
need of the materials in the preparation of the
party's case and that the party is unable without
undue hardship to obtain the substantial equivalent
of the material by other means.
(3) Incidental disclosure of attorney mental
processes. It is not a violation of subparagraph
(1) if disclosure ordered pursuant to subparagraph
(2) incidentally discloses by inference attorney
mental processes otherwise protected under subparagraph
(1).
(4) Limiting disclosure of mental processes.
If a court orders discovery of work product pursuant
to subparagraph (2), the court must - insofar
as possible - protect against disclosure of the
mental impressions, opinions, conclusions, or
legal theories not otherwise discoverable.
(c) Exceptions. Even if made or prepared in anticipation
of litigation or for trial, the following is not
work product protected from discovery:
(1) information discoverable under Rule 192.3
concerning experts, trial witnesses, witness
statements, and contentions;
(2) trial exhibits ordered disclosed under Rule
166 or Rule 190.4;
(3) the name, address, and telephone number
of any potential party or any person with knowledge
of relevant facts;
(4) any photograph or electronic image of underlying
facts (e.g., a photograph of the accident scene)
or a photograph or electronic image of any sort
that a party intends to offer into evidence;
and
(5) any work product created under circumstances
within an exception to the attorney-client privilege
in Rule 503(d) of the Rules of Evidence.
(d) Privilege. For purposes of these rules, an
assertion that material or information is work
product is an assertion of privilege.
Back to
Rule 192 Menue
192.6 Protective Orders.
(a) Motion. A person from whom discovery is sought,
and any other person affected by the discovery
request, may move within the time permitted for
response to the discovery request for an order
protecting that person from the discovery sought.
A person should not move for protection when an
objection to written discovery or an assertion
of privilege is appropriate, but a motion does
not waive the objection or assertion of privilege. If
a person seeks protection regarding the time or
place of discovery, the person must state a reasonable
time and place for discovery with which the person
will comply. A person must comply with a request
to the extent protection is not sought unless it
is unreasonable under the circumstances to do so
before obtaining a ruling on the motion.
(b) Order. To protect the movant from undue burden,
unnecessary expense, harassment, annoyance, or
invasion of personal, constitutional, or property
rights, the court may make any order in the interest
of justice and may - among other things - order
that:
(1) the requested discovery not be sought in
whole or in part;
(2) the extent or subject matter of discovery
be limited;
(3) the discovery not be undertaken at the time
or place specified;
(4) the discovery be undertaken only by such
method or upon such terms and conditions or at
the time and place directed by the court;
(5) the results of discovery be sealed or otherwise
protected, subject to the provisions of Rule
76a.
Back to
Rule 192 Menue
192.7 Definitions.
As used in these rules:
(a) Written discovery means requests for disclosure,
requests for production and inspection of documents
and tangible things, requests for entry onto property,
interrogatories, and requests for admission.
(b) Possession, custody, or control of an item
means that the person either has physical possession
of the item or has a right to possession of the
item that is equal or superior to the person who
has physical possession of the item.
(c) A testifying expert is an expert who may be
called to testify as an expert witness at trial.
(d) A consulting expert is an expert who has been
consulted, retained, or specially employed by a
party in anticipation of litigation or in preparation
for trial, but who is not a testifying expert.
Back to
Rule 192 Menue
Notes and Comments
Comments to 1999 change:
1. While the scope of discovery is quite broad,
it is nevertheless confined by the subject matter
of the case and reasonable expectations of obtaining
information that will aid resolution of the dispute.
The rule must be read and applied in that context.
See In re American Optical Corp., ___ S.W.2d ___
(Tex. 1998) (per curiam); K-Mart v. Sanderson,
937 S.W.2d 429 (Tex. 1996) (per curiam); Dillard
Dept. Stores v. Hall, 909 S.W.2d 491 (Tex. 1995)
(per curiam); Texaco, Inc. v. Sanderson, 898 S.W.2d
813 (Tex. 1995) (per curiam); Loftin v. Martin,
776 S.W.2d 145, 148 (Tex. 1989).
2. The definition of documents and tangible things
has been revised to clarify that things relevant
to the subject matter of the action are within
the scope of discovery regardless of their form.
3. Rule 192.3(c) makes discoverable a "brief statement
of each identified person's connection with the
case." This provision does not contemplate a narrative
statement of the facts the person knows, but at
most a few words describing the person's identity
as relevant to the lawsuit. For instance: "treating
physician," "eyewitness," "chief financial officer," "director," "plaintiff's
mother and eyewitness to accident." The rule is
intended to be consistent with Axelson v. McIlhany,
798 S.W.2d 550 (Tex. 1990).
4. Rule 192.3(g) does not suggest that settlement
agreements in other cases are relevant or irrelevant.
5. Rule 192.3(j) makes a party's legal and factual
contentions discoverable but does not require more
than a basic statement of those contentions and
does not require a marshaling of evidence.
6. The sections in former Rule 166b concerning
land and medical records are not included in this
rule. They remain within the scope of discovery
and are discussed in other rules.
7. The court's power to limit discovery based
on the needs and circumstances of the case is expressly
stated in Rule 192.4. The provision is taken from
Rule 26(b)(2) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure.
Courts should limit discovery under this rule only
to prevent unwarranted delay and expense as stated
more fully in the rule. A court abuses its discretion
in unreasonably restricting a party's access to
information through discovery.
8. Work product is defined for the first time,
and its exceptions stated. Work product replaces
the "attorney work product" and "party communication" discovery
exemptions from former Rule 166b. 9. Elimination
of the "witness statement" exemption does not render
all witness statements automatically discoverable
but subjects them to the same rules concerning
the scope of discovery and privileges applicable
to other documents or tangible things.
Back to
Rule 192 Menue
> Back
to Top
RULE 193. WRITTEN DISCOVERY:
RESPONSE; OBJECTION; ASSERTION OF PRIVILEGE;
SUPPLEMENTATION AND AMENDMENT; FAILURE TO TIMELY
RESPOND; PRESUMPTION OF AUTHENTICITY
193.1 Responding to
Written Discovery; Duty to Make Complete Response.
A party must respond to written discovery in writing
within the time provided by court order or these
rules. When responding to written discovery, a
party must make a complete response, based on all
information reasonably available to the responding
party or its attorney at the time the response
is made. The responding party's answers, objections,
and other responses must be preceded by the request
to which they apply. 193.2 Objecting to Written
Discovery.
(a) Form and time for objections. A party must
make any objection to written discovery in writing
- either in the response or in a separate document
- within the time for response. The party must
state specifically the legal or factual basis for
the objection and the extent to which the party
is refusing to comply with the request.
(b) Duty to respond when partially objecting;
objection to time or place of production. A party
must comply with as much of the request to which
the party has made no objection unless it is unreasonable
under the circumstances to do so before obtaining
a ruling on the objection. If the responding party
objects to the requested time or place of production,
the responding party must state a reasonable time
and place for complying with the request and must
comply at that time and place without further request
or order.
(c) Good faith basis for objection. A party may
object to written discovery only if a good faith
factual and legal basis for the objection exists
at the time the objection is made.
(d) Amendment. An objection or response to written
discovery may be amended or supplemented to state
an objection or basis that, at the time the objection
or response initially was made, either was inapplicable
or was unknown after reasonable inquiry.
(e) Waiver of objection. An objection that is
not made within the time required, or that is obscured
by numerous unfounded objections, is waived unless
the court excuses the waiver for good cause shown.
(f) No objection to preserve privilege. A party
should not object to a request for written discovery
on the grounds that it calls for production of
material or information that is privileged but
should instead comply with Rule 193.3. A party
who objects to production of privileged material
or information does not waive the privilege but
must comply with Rule 193.3 when the error is pointed
out.
Back to
Rule 193 Menue
193.3 Asserting a Privilege.
A party may preserve a privilege from written
discovery in accordance with this subdivision.
(a) Withholding privileged material or information.
A party who claims that material or information
responsive to written discovery is privileged may
withhold the privileged material or information
from the response. The party must state - in the
response (or an amended or supplemental response)
or in a separate document - that:
(1) information or material responsive to the
request has been withheld,
(2) the request to which the information or
material relates, and
(3) the privilege or privileges asserted.
(b) Description of withheld material or information.
After receiving a response indicating that material
or information has been withheld from production,
the party seeking discovery may serve a written
request that the withholding party to identify
the information and material withheld. Within 15
days of service of that request, the withholding
party must serve a response that:
(1) describes the information or materials withheld
that, without revealing the privileged information
itself or otherwise waiving the privilege, enables
other parties to assess the applicability of
the privilege, and
(2) asserts a specific privilege for each item
or group of items withheld.
(c) Exemption. Without complying with paragraphs
(a) and (b), a party may withhold a privileged
communication to or from a lawyer or lawyer's representative
or a privileged document of a lawyer or lawyer's
representative -
(1) created or made from the point at which
a party consults a lawyer with a view to obtaining
professional legal services from the lawyer in
the prosecution or defense of a specific claim
in the litigation in which discovery is requested,
and
(2) concerning the litigation in which the discovery
is requested.
(d) Privilege not waived by production. A party
who produces material or information without intending
to waive a claim of privilege does not waive that
claim under these rules or the Rules of Evidence
if - within ten days or a shorter time ordered
by the court, after the producing party actually
discovers that such production was made - the producing
party amends the response, identifying the material
or information produced and stating the privilege
asserted. If the producing party thus amends the
response to assert a privilege, the requesting
party must promptly return the specified material
or information and any copies pending any ruling
by the court denying the privilege.
Back to
Rule 193 Menue
193.4 Hearing and Ruling
on Objections and Assertions of Privilege.
(a) Hearing. Any party may at any reasonable time
request a hearing on an objection or claim of privilege
asserted under this rule. The party making the
objection or asserting the privilege must present
any evidence necessary to support the objection
or privilege. The evidence may be testimony presented
at the hearing or affidavits served at least seven
days before the hearing or at such other reasonable
time as the court permits. If the court determines
that an in camera review of some or all of the
requested discovery is necessary, that material
or information must be segregated and produced
to the court in a sealed wrapper within a reasonable
time following the hearing.
(b) Ruling. To the extent the court sustains the
objection or claim of privilege, the responding
party has no further duty to respond to that request.
To the extent the court overrules the objection
or claim of privilege, the responding party must
produce the requested material or information within
30 days after the court's ruling or at such time
as the court orders.
(c) Use of material or information if no ruling.
A party need not request a ruling on that party's
own objection or assertion of privilege to preserve
the objection or privilege, but a party may not
use - at any hearing or trial - material or information
withheld from discovery under a claim of privilege
without timely amending or supplementing the party's
response to that discovery.
Back to
Rule 193 Menue
193.5 Amending or Supplementing
Responses to Written Discovery.
(a) Duty to amend or supplement. If a party learns
that the party's response to written discovery
was incomplete or incorrect when made, or, although
complete and correct when made, is no longer complete
and correct, the party must amend or supplement
the response:
(1) to the extent that the written discovery
sought the identification of persons with knowledge
of relevant facts, trial witnesses, or expert
witnesses, and
(2) to the extent that the written discovery
sought other information, unless the additional
or corrective information has been made known
to the other parties in writing, on the record
at a deposition, or through other discovery responses.
(b) Time and form of amended or supplemental response.
An amended or supplemental response must be made
reasonably promptly after the party discovers the
necessity for such a response. Except as otherwise
provided by these rules, it is presumed that an
amended or supplemental response made less than
30 days before trial was not made reasonably promptly.
An amended or supplemental response must be in
the same form as the initial response and must
be verified by the party if the original response
was required to be verified by the party, but the
failure to comply with this requirement does not
make the amended or supplemental response untimely
unless the party making the response refuses to
correct the defect within a reasonable time after
it is pointed out.
Back to
Rule 193 Menue
193.6 Failing to Timely
Respond - Effect on Trial.
(a) Exclusion of evidence and exceptions. A party
who fails to make, amend, or supplement a discovery
response in a timely manner may not introduce in
evidence the material or information that was not
timely disclosed, or offer the testimony of a witness
(other than a named party) who was not timely identified,
unless the court finds that:
(1) there was good cause for the failure to
timely make, amend, or supplement the discovery
response; or
(2) the failure to timely make, amend, or supplement
the discovery response will not unfairly surprise
or unfairly prejudice the other parties.
(b) Burden of establishing exception. The burden
of establishing good cause or the lack of unfair
surprise or unfair prejudice is on the party seeking
to introduce the evidence or call the witness.
A finding of good cause or of the lack of unfair
surprise or unfair prejudice must be supported
by the record.
(c) Continuance. Even if the party seeking to
introduce the evidence or call the witness fails
to carry the burden under paragraph (b), the court
may grant a continuance or temporarily postpone
the trial to allow a response to be made, amended,
or supplemented, and to allow opposing parties
to conduct discovery regarding any new information
presented by that response.
Back to
Rule 193 Menue
193.7 Production of
Documents Self-Authenticating.
A party's production of a document in response
to written discovery authenticates the document
for use against that party in any pretrial proceeding
or at trial unless - within ten days or a longer
or shorter time ordered by the court, after the
producing party has actual notice that the document
will be used - the party objects to the authenticity
of the document, or any part of it, stating the
specific basis for objection. An objection must
be either on the record or in writing and must
have a good faith factual and legal basis. An objection
made to the authenticity of only part of a document
does not affect the authenticity of the remainder.
If objection is made, the party attempting to use
the document should be given a reasonable opportunity
to establish its authenticity.
Back to
Rule 193 Menue
Notes
and Comments
Comments to 1999 change:
1. This rule imposes a duty upon
parties to make a complete response to written
discovery based upon all information reasonably
available, subject to objections and privileges.
2. An objection to written discovery
does not excuse the responding party from complying
with the request to the extent no objection is
made. But a party may object to a request for "all
documents relevant to the lawsuit" as overly broad
and not in compliance with the rule requiring specific
requests for documents and refuse to comply with
it entirely. See Loftin v. Martin, 776 S.W.2d 145
(Tex. 1989). A party may also object to a request
for a litigation file on the ground that it is
overly broad and may assert that on its face the
request seeks only materials protected by privilege.
See National Union Fire Ins. Co. v. Valdez, 863
S.W.2d 458 (Tex. 1993). A party who objects to
production of documents from a remote time period
should produce documents from a more recent period
unless that production would be burdensome and
duplicative should the objection be overruled.
3. This rule governs the presentation
of all privileges including work product. It dispenses
with objections to written discovery requests on
the basis that responsive information or materials
are protected by a specific privilege from discovery.
Instead, the rule requires parties to state that
information or materials have been withheld and
to identify the privilege upon which the party
relies. The statement should not be made prophylactically,
but only when specific information and materials
have been withheld. The party must amend or supplement
the statement if additional privileged information
or material is found subsequent to the initial
response. Thus, when large numbers of documents
are being produced, a party may amend the initial
response when documents are found as to which the
party claims privilege. A party need not state
that material created by or for lawyers for the
litigation has been withheld as it can be assumed
that such material will be withheld from virtually
any request on the grounds of attorney-client privilege
or work product. However, the rule does not prohibit
a party from specifically requesting the material
or information if the party has a good faith basis
for asserting that it is discoverable. An example
would be material or information described by Rule
503(d)(1) of the Rules of Evidence.
4. Rule 193.3(d) is a new provision
that allows a party to assert a claim of privilege
to material or information produced inadvertently
without intending to waive the privilege. The provision
is commonly used in complex cases to reduce costs
and risks in large document productions. The focus
is on the intent to waive the privilege, not the
intent to produce the material or information.
A party who fails to diligently screen documents
before producing them does not waive a claim of
privilege. This rule is thus broader than Tex.
R. Evid. 511 and overturns Granada Corp. v. First
Court of Appeals, 844 S.W.2d 223 (Tex. 1992), to
the extent the two conflict. The ten-day period
(which may be shortened by the court) allowed for
an amended response does not run from the production
of the material or information but from the party's
first awareness of the mistake. To avoid complications
at trial, a party may identify prior to trial the
documents intended to be offered, thereby triggering
the obligation to assert any overlooked privilege
under this rule. A trial court may also order this
procedure.
5. This rule imposes no duty to supplement
or amend deposition testimony. The only duty to
supplement deposition testimony is provided in
Rule 195.6(b).
6. Any party can request a hearing
in which the court will resolve issues brought
up in objections or withholding statements. The
party seeking to avoid discovery has the burden
of proving the objection or privilege.
7. The self-authenticating provision
is new. Authentication is, of course, but a condition
precedent to admissibility and does not establish
admissibility. See Tex. R. Evid. 901(a). The ten-day
period allowed for objection to authenticity (which
period may be altered by the court in appropriate
circumstances) does not run from the production
of the material or information but from the party's
actual awareness that the document will be used.
To avoid complications at trial, a party may identify
prior to trial the documents intended to be offered,
thereby triggering the obligation to object to
authenticity. A trial court may also order this
procedure. An objection to authenticity must be
made in good faith.

STRENGTH. INTEGRITY.
EXPERTISE.
Perry & Haas does not offer any guarantee of
case results.
Past success in litigation does not guarantee success in any new or future
lawsuit.
Our web site describes some of the cases that the attorneys of Perry & Haas have worked on in the past.
Our description of those cases is summary in nature.
You should be aware that the results obtained in each of the cases we have
worked on was dependent on the particular facts of each case. The results of
other cases will differ based on the different facts involved.
|
|