Lohrenz v. Donnelly

187 F.R.D. 1, 1999 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 16778, 1999 WL 304047
CourtDistrict Court, District of Columbia
DecidedMay 10, 1999
DocketNo. Civ. 96-777 RCL
StatusPublished
Cited by19 cases

This text of 187 F.R.D. 1 (Lohrenz v. Donnelly) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, District of Columbia primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Lohrenz v. Donnelly, 187 F.R.D. 1, 1999 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 16778, 1999 WL 304047 (D.D.C. 1999).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM AND ORDER

LAMBERTH, District Judge.

This matter comes before the court on Defendant News World Communications, Inc.’s Motion [54] to Compel Discovery, Plaintiffs Motion [56] for Protective Order, [2]*2Plaintiffs Supplemental Motion [66] for Protective Order, Defendant News World Communications, Inc.’s Motion [65] for Leave to File Surreply to Plaintiffs Reply to Its Opposition to Motion for Protective Order, the Parties’ Stipulation [N/D] for Entry of Protective Order on a Temporary Basis, Defendants Donnelly and Center for Military Readiness’s Motion [80] to Compel Compliance with Subpoena Duces Tecum, Department of the Navy’s Motion [83] for Privacy Act Order and Protective Order, Plaintiffs Motion [69] for Extension of Time to Respond to Defendant News World Communications, Inc.’s First Request for Admissions, and Plaintiffs Supplemental Motion [72] for Extension of Time to Respond to Defendant News World Communications, Inc.’s First Request for Admissions: Upon consideration of these motions and the stipulation, the applicable oppositions and replies, and the relevant law, the court will GRANT IN PART and DENY IN PART Defendant News World Communications, Inc.’s Motion [54] to Compel Discovery; DENY Plaintiffs Motion [56] for Protective Order; DENY Plaintiffs Supplemental Motion [66] for Protective Order; GRANT Defendant New World Communications, Inc.’s Motion [65] for Leave to File Surreply to Plaintiffs Reply to Its Opposition to Motion for Protective Order; DENY as moot the Parties’ Stipulation [N/D] for Entry of Protective Order on a Temporary Basis; DENY Defendants Donnelly and Center for Military Readiness’s Motion [80] to Compel Compliance with Subpoena Duces Tecum; GRANT Department of the Navy’s Motion [83] for Privacy Act Order and Protective Order; and GRANT nunc pro tunc Plaintiffs Motion [69] for Extension of Time to Respond to Defendant News World Communications, Inc.’s First Request for Admissions and Plaintiffs Supplemental Motion [72] for Extension of Time to Respond to Defendant News World Communications, Inc.’s First Request for Admissions.

I. Introduction

Plaintiff, Lieutenant Carey Dunai Lohrenz, was the first female pilot to be assigned directly from naval training to a naval combat aircraft. Several months after her assignment to Squadron 213, which was then assigned to the U.S.S. Abraham Lincoln in the Pacific Fleet, another female pilot in plaintiffs squadron was killed in a crash while attempting to land her airplane. Shortly thereafter, unflattering allegations began to spread publicly concerning plaintiffs abilities, training, and performance.

The gravamen of plaintiffs complaint is two-fold. First, she alleges that certain persons within the Department of the Navy, defendants John Doe 1-100, released records pertaining to plaintiffs training and performance as an aviator to defendant Elaine Donnelly, President of defendant Center for Military Readiness, a public policy organization concerned with military personnel issues. This release, according to plaintiffs complaint, was a violation of the Privacy Act, 5 U.S.C. § 552a et seq.1 Second, plaintiff alleges that Donnelly and the other media defendants relied upon the illegally released information by publishing to Congressmen, naval officers, and members of the media defamatory correspondence and newspaper articles pertaining to plaintiffs job performance. Based upon these allegations, plaintiff seeks redress for violations of the Privacy Act and for libel, slander, and invasion of privacy.

The current disputes now before the court involve plaintiffs and non-party Department of the Navy’s responses, objections, and motions for protective orders in response to defendants’ interrogatories and document requests. Defendants complain that documents and information have been improperly withheld by plaintiff and non-party Department of the Navy and oppose the entry of any protective order. Plaintiff and non-party Department of the Navy both seek protective orders based on Privacy Act concerns as to defendants’ document requests. Neither plaintiff nor the Department of the Navy, however, contest the relevance of the information sought in defendants’ requests for production. Indeed, this information appears to be directly relevant to the essential [3]*3elements of the case as it bears upon issues such as plaintiffs potential status as a public figure, public involvement in the debate of women’s role in combat, notoriety as a women’s pioneer in naval aviation, and injuries.

II. Analysis

“Parties may obtain discovery regarding any matter, not privileged, which is relevant to the subject matter involved in the pending action, whether it relates to the claim or defense of the party seeking discovery____The information sought need not be admissible at the trial if the information sought appears reasonably calculated to lead to the discovery of admissible evidence.” Fed.R.Civ.P. 26(b)(1). Although plaintiff lodged several objections as to relevance in her discovery responses, she has abandoned this position in her memoranda. See Plaintiffs Mot. for Protective Order at 2. Thus, in opposition to defendants’ motion to compel, it is plaintiffs burden to prove the applicability of her claims of privilege. Moreover, both plaintiff and the Department of the Navy seek a protective order under Fed.R.Civ.P. 26(c). Under Rule 26(c), “for good cause shown, the court in which the action is pending ... may make any order which justice requires to protect a party or person from annoyance, embarrassment, oppression, or undue burden or expense____The provisions of 37(a)(4) apply to the award of expenses incurred in relation to the motion.” Fed.R.Civ.P. 26(c). To the extent plaintiff and non-party Department of the Navy seek a protective order, they bear the burden of making the showing of good cause contemplated by the rule. Rolscreen Co. v. Pella Products, 145 F.R.D. 92, 95-96 (S.D.Iowa 1992); CBS, Inc. v. Ahern, 102 F.R.D. 820, 822 (S.D.N.Y.1984). The required showing of good cause under Rule 26(c) must be sufficient to overcome defendants’ legitimate and important interest in trial preparation. See Farnsworth v. Procter & Gamble Co., 758 F.2d 1545, 1547 (11th Cir.1985).

For the purposes of analysis, the court will first address the issues raised as to plaintiffs responses to defendants’ interrogatories served upon only her. These issues generally concern whether plaintiff answered the inquiries fully and whether certain objections are valid. The court will then turn to the protective order issues pertaining to defendants’ document requests served upon plaintiff and non-party Department of the Navy. Plaintiff and the Department of the Navy make the same arguments in opposition to defendants’ motions to compel and in support of their own motions for protective orders.

A. Interrogatories

1. Interrogatory Number 1

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
187 F.R.D. 1, 1999 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 16778, 1999 WL 304047, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/lohrenz-v-donnelly-dcd-1999.