Miller v. Pancucci

141 F.R.D. 292, 92 Daily Journal DAR 2121, 1992 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 1264, 1992 WL 21390
CourtDistrict Court, C.D. California
DecidedJanuary 21, 1992
DocketNo. SACV91-255-AHS (RWR)
StatusPublished
Cited by106 cases

This text of 141 F.R.D. 292 (Miller v. Pancucci) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, C.D. California primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Miller v. Pancucci, 141 F.R.D. 292, 92 Daily Journal DAR 2121, 1992 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 1264, 1992 WL 21390 (C.D. Cal. 1992).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM DECISION AND ORDER GRANTING IN PART AND DENYING IN PART PLAINTIFFS’ MOTION TO COMPEL PRODUCTION OF DOCUMENTS

RONALD W. ROSE, United States Magistrate Judge.

BACKGROUND

Plaintiffs commenced this action by filing a complaint on May 7, 1991, alleging civil rights violations under 42 U.S.C. §§ 1983 and 1988, municipal liability, and claims under the Court’s supplemental jurisdiction, 28 U.S.C. § 1367. The case is in the discovery stage and this motion seeks an order compelling the City of San Bernardino, Paul Panucci, Patrick Pritchett, and Gwen Lucas [Defendants]1 to produce certain documents. The action arises out of the alleged excessive force used on Plaintiff, Dan Miller, when he was arrested March 8, 1990.

The discovery dispute addressed here concerns the validity of certain objections made by Defendants to Plaintiffs’ Request for Production of Documents. The document requests and responses at issue are set forth in Appendix A.

DISCUSSION

Defendants’ objections to the above requested documents are made on multiple grounds, i.e. the Requests violate the privacy rights of Defendants, are irrelevant, overbroad, and otherwise privileged. Prior to reaching the privilege questions, the Court will determine whether any of the other objections should be sustained.

I. RELEVANCE

The first analysis, by necessity, encompasses relevance. If the requested information is not relevant to the case at hand, or reasonably calculated to lead to the discovery of admissible evidence, the inquiry ends.2 Defendants’ claim those [296]*296documents sought in Requests Nos. 3, 5, 9, 13, 15, and 18 are irrelevant. Based on the allegations made in the complaint the Court can discern few more relevant documents than the documents sought in Requests Nos. 9, 13, 15, and 18. Such documents could arguably be used pursuant to F.R.E. 404(b), 407 or 608(b).3 Moreover, the requested documents, if they exist, may prove the sort of policy necessary to prevail against Defendant City of San Bernardino under the analysis of Monnel v. New York City Dept. of Social Services, 436 U.S. 658, 98 S.Ct. 2018, 56 L.Ed.2d 611 (1978).

Parties are permitted to discover any relevant nonprivileged matter. Fed. R.Civ.P. 26(b)(1). This rule is construed very broadly, encompassing “any matter that bears on, or that reasonably could lead to other matter that could bear on, any issue that is or may be in the case.” Oppenheimer Fund, Inc. v. Sanders, 437 U.S. 340, 351, 98 S.Ct. 2380, 2389, 57 L.Ed.2d 253 (1978). Discovery is not limited to the issues raised only in the pleadings, but rather it is designed to define and clarify the issues. Id. at 351, 98 S.Ct. at 2389.

To limit an examination to matters relevant to only the precise issue presented by their pleadings, would not only be contrary to the express purpose of Rule 26____, but also might result in a complete failure to afford plaintiff an adequate opportunity to obtain information that would be useful at the trial. Stevenson v. Melady, 1 F.R.D. 329, 330 (C.D.N.Y.1940).

This is true not only of depositions but of other discovery devices permitted by the rules. The requirement of relevancy should be construed liberally and with common sense, rather than in terms of narrow legalisms. Discovery of information that has no conceivable bearing on the case should not, however, be allowed. 8 C. Wright & A. Miller, Federal Practice and Procedure, § 2008 (2d Ed.1983 & Supp. 1990).

Request No. 3, on the other hand, seeks all personal complaints made against Defendants Pancucci, Pritchett, and Lucas alleging brutality, excessive or unreasonable use of force, misuse of firearms or equipment, racism, prejudice, fabricated probable cause, dishonesty, perjury and false arrest and detention. The complaint has not alleged any claims regarding misuse of firearms or equipment, racism or prejudice. Thus, Defendants’ objection to Request No. 3 will be sustained to the extent the Request seeks all personal complaints alleging misuse of firearms or equipment, racism, or prejudice.

Similarly, Request No. 5 seeks all government tort claims filed with Defendant City of San Bernardino in which Defendants Pancucci, Pritchett, or Lucas are identified as the responsible employee (Plaintiff states that responses may be limited to claims of false arrest, civil rights violations, assault and battery, brutality, intentional infliction of emotional distress, dishonesty, corruption, perjury, fabricated probable cause, and bigotry). Plaintiffs have not raised any claims concerning bigotry in their complaint. Thus, Defendants’ objection to Request No. 5 will be sustained only as to claims of “bigotry.”

As the documents in Requests Nos. 3 (in part), 5 (in part), 9, 13, 15, and 18 may reveal evidence to support Plaintiffs allegations in the complaint, the documents are relevant. Thus, Defendants’ relevancy objections, except as otherwise limited above, are without merit and are overruled.

II. OVERBREADTH

Defendants next contend that Requests Nos. 3, 4, 5, and 16 are overbroad. Request No. 3 seeks all complaints made against Defendants Pancucci, Pritchett, and Lucas alleging excessive force, etc. Defendants claim this request is overbroad [297]*297as it does not indicate which types of excessive force complaints are sought. As this objection is without merit, Defendants’ objection to Request No. 3 is overruled.

Next, Request No. 4 seeks each internal investigation file involving Defendants Pancucci, Pritchett, and Lucas. This request is clearly overbroad and Defendants’ objection to Request No. 4 is sustained.

Request No. 5 seeks all government tort claim filed with Defendant City of San Bernardino in which Defendants Pancucci, Pritchett, or Lucas are identified as the responsible employee (Plaintiff states that responses may be limited to claims of false arrest, civil rights violations, assault and battery, brutality, intentional infliction of emotional distress, dishonesty, corruption, perjury, fabricated probable cause, and bigotry). The request for documents concerning “civil rights violations” in such general terms is clearly overbroad. Thus, Defendants’ objection to Request No. 5 is sustained only as to claims of “civil rights violations.”

Finally, Request No. 16 seeks performance evaluations of Defendants Pancucci, Pritchett, and Lucas. This request is also clearly overbroad as Defendants are evaluated in areas which bear no relationship to the claims presented in this case. Defendants’ objection to Request No. 16 is therefore sustained.

III. PRIVILEGES

A.

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141 F.R.D. 292, 92 Daily Journal DAR 2121, 1992 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 1264, 1992 WL 21390, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/miller-v-pancucci-cacd-1992.