Fishermen & Merchants Bank v. Burin

11 F.R.D. 142, 1951 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 3563
CourtDistrict Court, S.D. California
DecidedJanuary 16, 1951
DocketNo. 12134, 12261
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 11 F.R.D. 142 (Fishermen & Merchants Bank v. Burin) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, S.D. California primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Fishermen & Merchants Bank v. Burin, 11 F.R.D. 142, 1951 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 3563 (S.D. Cal. 1951).

Opinion

WESTOVER, District Judge.

The defendants and cross-complainants herein propounded certain interrogatories.

Interrogatory 8 reads, in part, as follows : “ * * * state where, when and by whom representations were made by the Defendants, and of what they consisted. If oral, state the substance of the conversations; if written, supply,a copy of the writing.” Interrogatories 9, 10 and 11 are of the same tenor.

Plaintiffs and cross-defendants answered Interrogatory 8 as follows: “The defend[143]*143ants, orally and in writing, represented that the ‘Red Sails’ had a market value ■of $60,000.00, and a replacement value of $100,000.00. Said representations were made- in October, 1949, and were made to Mr. Besich of Wickersham & Company at San Pedro, California, an insurance broker, for the purpose of obtaining marine hull insurance on the ‘Red Sails’, and with the knowledge in the defendants that said representations would be conveyed to. the marine insurance underwriters such as the plaintiffs; that a survey, made in Costa Rica at the defendants’ request, was submitted by the defendants to Wickersham & Company in support of their representations, a copy of same is attached hereto .as ‘Exhibit A’.”

Interrogatory 9 was answered as follows: “At the time referred to above, the -defendants concealed the fact that the true market value of the ‘Red Sails’ was mot more than $20,000.00.”

Interrogatory 10 was answered: “Same mnswer as to Int. 8.”

Interrogatory 11 was answered: “Same answer as to Int. 9.”

Defendants and cross-complainants made -.a motion to strike out the answers to the interrogatories as “inefficient, incomplete mnd evasive.”

It appears from the interrogatories and -the answers thereto that all information has been given, with the exception of that portion of the interrogatories which states: '“If oral, state the substance of the conversations.”

The question presented by the exceptions to these particular interrogatories -is whether defendants and cross-complainants can force plaintiffs and cross-defendants to give a summation of conversations. Defendants and cross-complainants contend that under Rule 33, Fed.Rules Civ. Proc. 28 U.S.C.A., interrogatories may cover as broad a field as when the interrogated party is called as a witness at the trial. This appears to be the rule. Chandler v. Cutler-Hammer, Inc., D.C., 31 F.Supp. 453. However, interrogatories are mot to serve as a substitute for the trial itself. Stanley Works v. Rockwell Mfg. Co., D.C., 10 F.R.D. 421.

The Court, in Ritepoint Co. v. Secretary Pen Co., Inc., D.C., 94 F.Supp. 457, said: “We agree that the rule must be liberally construed and so applied as to permit the discovery of facts ‘relevant’to the subject matter.’ It is our opinion, however, that the rule should not be so applied as to require a party to prepare for his adversary, and in advance of trial, a complete summary of the evidence which will be presented at the trial of the action on the merits.”

In Shank v. Associated Transport, Inc., D.C., 10 F.R.D. 472, 473, the Court said: “ * * * Plaintiff is entitled to an answer to that portion thereof requesting names and addresses of persons from whom such information was obtained. Plaintiff is not entitled to copies of written statements or summaries of oral statements * # * ”

The leading case on this subject is Hickman v. Taylor, 329 U.S. 495, 67 S.Ct. 385, 387, 91 L.Ed. 451. In that case the 38th interrogatory read: “State whether any statements of the members of the crews of the Tugs * ’ * * were taken * * *. Attach hereto exact copies of all such statements if in writing, and if oral, set forth in detail the exact provisions of any such oral statements or reports.”

The interrogatories were answered, but the defendants declined to summarize or set forth the statements taken from witnesses, on the ground that they were privileged matters obtained in preparation’ for litigation. The court held that such statements were not privileged, although taken by the attorney representing the defendants, but went on to discuss the question as to whether or not a party had a right to demand of his opponent that certain oral statements be summarized. The Court said, 329 U.S. at page 507, 67 S.Ct. at page 392:

“We agree, of course, that the deposition-discovery rules are tó be accorded a broad and liberal treatment. * • * * Mutual knowledge of all the relevant facts gathered by both parties is essential to proper litigation. To that end, either party [144]*144may compel the other to disgorge whatever facts he has in-his possession. * * - *
“We also agree that the memoranda, statements and mental impressions in issue in this case fall outside the scope of the attorney-client privilege and hence are not protected from discovery on that basis. * * *
“ * * * Petitioner has made more than an ordinary request for relevant, non-privileged facts in the possession of his adversaries or their counsel. He has sought discovery as of right of oral and written statements of witnesses whose identity is well known and whose availability to petitioner appears unimpaired. * * * We are thus dealing with an attempt to secure the production of written-statements and mental impressions contained in the files and the mind of the attorney Fortenbaugh without any showing of necessity or any indication or claim that denial of such production would unduly prejudice the preparation of petitioner’s case or cause him any hardship or injustice.
* * * * * *
“But as to oral statements made by witnesses to Fortenbaugh, whether presently in the form of his mental impressions or memoranda, we do not believe that any showing of necessity can be made under the circumstances of this -case so as to justify production. * * * ”
Mr. Justice Jackson, in a concurring opinion, -said:
“ * * * the demand is not for the production of a transcript in existence but calls for the creation of a written statement not in being. * * *
* * Every one who has .tried it knows that it is almost impossible so fairly to’ record the expressions and emphasis of a witness that when he testifies in the environment of the court and under the influence of the leading question there will not be departures in some respects. Whenever the testimony of the -witness would differ from the ‘exact’ statement * * * the lawyer’s statement would be whipped out to impeach the witness. Counsel producing his adversary’s ‘inexact’ -statement could lose nothing by saying, ‘Here is a contradiction, gentlemen of the jury. I do not know whether it is my adversary or his witness who is not telling the truth, but one is not.’ * * * ”

The United States Court of Appeal for the Third Circuit, in Alltmont v. United States, 177 F.2d 971, 978, subsequent to the decision of the Supreme Court in Hickman v. Taylor, -supra, said:

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

Related

United States v. Glaxo Group Limited
302 F. Supp. 1 (District of Columbia, 1969)
State ex rel. Kroger Co. v. Craig
329 S.W.2d 804 (Missouri Court of Appeals, 1959)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
11 F.R.D. 142, 1951 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 3563, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/fishermen-merchants-bank-v-burin-casd-1951.