Colón v. Blades

268 F.R.D. 129, 2010 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 26372, 2010 WL 986704
CourtDistrict Court, D. Puerto Rico
DecidedMarch 19, 2010
DocketCivil No. 07-1380 (JA)
StatusPublished
Cited by7 cases

This text of 268 F.R.D. 129 (Colón v. Blades) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. Puerto Rico primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Colón v. Blades, 268 F.R.D. 129, 2010 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 26372, 2010 WL 986704 (prd 2010).

Opinion

OPINION AND ORDER

JUSTO ARENAS, United States Chief Magistrate Judge.

This matter is before the court on motion to compel production of documents filed by the defendant and cross-plaintiff, Rubén Blades (“Mr. Blades”), on February 16, 2010, against the defendant, Roberto Morgalo (“Mr. Morgalo”), and plaintiff, William Anthony Colón (“Mr. Colón”). (Docket No. 119.) On February 18, 2010, Mr. Morgalo filed a motion in opposition to Mr. Blades’ request. (Docket No. 121.) On February 22, 2010, Mr. Blades replied. (Docket No. 124.) On March 2, 2010, Mr. Colón filed an informative motion on this matter. (Docket No. 134.) For the reasons set forth below, Mr. Blades’ motion is hereby GRANTED.

I. BACKGROUND

On December 3, 2008, a first set of interrogatories and a request for production of documents was served on Mr. Morgalo by Mr. Blades pursuant to Rules 33 and 34 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure. (Docket No. 124, at 3, ¶ 1.) On March 20, 2009, Mr. Blades filed a motion to compel Mr. Morgalo to answer the interrogatories and request for production of documents. (Docket No. 93.) On May 12, 2009, the court granted Mr. Blades’ motion. (Docket No. 101.) On May 22, 2009, Mr. Morgalo filed its answer to Mr. Blades’ first set of interrogatories and request for production of documents. (Docket No. 103.)

On February 16, 2010, Mr. Blades filed a motion to compel pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 37(a), requesting the court to order both Mr. Morgalo and Mr. Colon’s attorney to produce a box of documents containing financial information of Martinez, Morgalo & Associates (“MMA”). (Docket No. 119, at 2, ¶ 1.) According to Mr. Blades, Mr. Morgalo gave the box to Mr. Colon’s attorney on or about April 23, 2009.(7d) Mr. Blades claims that despite his numerous requests he has been denied access to the documents. (Id.) Mr. Blades states that if the documents are not produced, Mr. Morgalo should be prohibited from offering as evidence the documents contained in the box. (Id. ¶ 3.) Mr. Blades also requests the court to order Mr. Morgalo to pay reasonable expenses, including $1,000 in attorney’s fees, pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 37(a)(5)(A). (Id. at 3, ¶ 1.)

On February 18, 2010, Mr. Morgalo responded to Mr. Blades’ motion. (Docket No. 121.) Mr. Morgalo argues that on April 21, 2009, he visited the offices of Mr. Blades’ attorney to be present at Mr. Colon’s deposition. (Docket No. 121, at 2, ¶ 1.) Mr. Morgalo claims that on that day he brought the box containing the documents requested by Mr. Blades. (Id.) Mr. Morgalo claims that he presented the box to Mr. Colón and Mr. Blades’ attorneys. (Id.) Mr. Morgalo claims that he delivered the box to the offices of Mr. Colon’s counsel on April 22, 2009. (Id. at 3, ¶¶ 3 & 4.)

According to Mr. Morgalo, Mr. Blades acknowledged on more than one occasion the receipt of the documents. (Id. at 4-5, ¶¶ 5-7.) Mr. Morgalo thus believes that he should not be compelled to produce the documents requested by Mr. Blades. (Id. at 6, ¶ 12.) He argues that Mr. Colón should be ordered to return the documents to him. (Id.) Mr. Morgalo also contends that Mr. Colón and not him, should be ordered to produce the documents requested by Mr. Blades. (Id.) Moreover, Mr. Morgalo posits that Mr. Blades’ request for payment of reasonable expenses and attorneys fees is not appropriate because the documents requested by him have already been produced. (Id. at 6-7, ¶ 14.) Mr. Morgalo also claims that the negligence and inaction of Mr. Blades and Mr. Colon’s attorneys has caused him an additional financial burden. (Id. at 7, ¶ 16.) He therefore requests an award for reasonable [132]*132expenses and attorneys’ fees in an amount no smaller than $1,000 pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 37(a)(5)(B). (Id.)

On February 22, 2010, Mr. Blades replied. (Docket No. 124.) In his motion Mr. Blades argues that contrary to what Mr. Morgalo claims he never acknowledge receipt of the documents contained in the box. (Id. at 3, ¶ 7.) Mr. Blades claims that even though it was agreed that the documents were going to be jointly reviewed, Mr. Colon’s attorney never gave him the opportunity to examine them. (Id. at 4, ¶ 10.)

According to Mr. Blades, Mr. Colon’s attorney informed him that he could not locate the box in his office. (Id. at 5, ¶ 17.) Mr. Blades claims that the box is still in the possession of Mr. Colon’s attorney and that it has not been retrieved by Mr. Morgalo’s attorneys for examination or production. (Id. at 4, ¶ 12.) Mr. Blades argues that Mr. Morgalo has to produce the documents even though they are not in his possession. (Id. at 6-7.) To ensure that the documents are produced, Mr. Blades requests that sanctions be imposed because he believes that Mr. Morgalo and Mr. Colon’s conduct cannot be “substantially justified.” (Id. at 8.)

On March 2, 2010, Mr. Colón filed an informative motion as to the whereabouts of the documents requested by Mr. Blades. (Docket No. 134.) Mr. Colón claims that on May 29, 2009, his attorney received a call from Mr. Morgalo to see if they could return the documents requested by Mr. Blades. (Id. at 2, ¶ 3.) According to Mr. Colón, Mr. Morgalo “either personally, or thorough another person picked [the] documents after May 29, 2009.” (Id. at 2-3, ¶ 4.) Mr. Colón also claims that Mr. Morgalo went to his attorney’s office to search for the documents. (Id. at 4, ¶ 7.) However, Mr. Colón claims that they were not able to find them. (Id.) Mr. Colón states that his attorney continued searching in his office for the documents but that he has not been able to find them. (Id.)

II. ANALYSIS

Rule 34(a)(1) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure provides that “[a] party may serve on any other party a request within the scope of Rule 26(b): (1) to produce and permit the requesting party or its representative to inspect, copy, test, or sample [any document that is] in the responding party’s possession, custody or eontrol[.]” Fed.R.Civ.P. 34(a)(1). “Legal ownership or actual physical possession is not required; documents are considered to be under a party’s ‘control’ when that party has the right, authority or ability to obtain those documents upon demand.” Green v. Fulton, 157 F.R.D. 136, 142 (D.Me.1994) (citations omitted). If a party who has been requested to provide certain documents pursuant to Rule 34(a)(1) fails to produce them, the party who made the request may move for an order compelling discovery pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 37(a). Afreedi v. Bennett, 517 F.Supp.2d 521, 525 (D.Mass. 2007).

Mr. Morgalo contends that he cannot be compelled to produce the documents requested by Mr. Blades because they already have been produced.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Napolitano v. Synthes USA, LLC
297 F.R.D. 194 (D. Connecticut, 2014)
Báez Cruz v. Municipality of Dorado
780 F. Supp. 2d 154 (D. Puerto Rico, 2011)
Vázquez-Fernández v. Cambridge College, Inc.
269 F.R.D. 150 (D. Puerto Rico, 2010)
Colon v. Blades
723 F. Supp. 2d 423 (D. Puerto Rico, 2010)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
268 F.R.D. 129, 2010 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 26372, 2010 WL 986704, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/colon-v-blades-prd-2010.