Prashker v. Beech Aircraft Corp.

24 F.R.D. 305, 2 Fed. R. Serv. 2d 828, 1959 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 4205
District Court, D. Delaware·Decided June 22, 1959·No. Civ. A. No. 1648·Published·Cited by 19 cases

Opinion

RODNEY, District Judge.

This is a review from the allowance of costs by the Clerk of the Court. The action in which the costs were incurred sought damages for the death of an airplane pilot and was based on negligence [307]*307and breach of warranty in the construction and sale of the airplane. A verdict for the defendant was entered by the District Court at the conclusion of the plaintiff’s case and affirmed by the Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, 258 F.2d 602. Certiorari was denied by the Supreme Court, 358 U.S. 910, 79 S.Ct. 236, 3 L.Ed.2d 230.

Beech Aircraft Corporation, one of the defendants, filed a bill of costs aggregating $31,622.74. Costs to the amount of $2,342.90 were allowed by the Clerk. This appeal concerns the costs not so allowed. The fact that the amount of claimed costs is so large and the items of so general application may be some justification for the length of this discussion.

The costs as claimed were listed as eight items as follows:

1.

Costs in the Court of Appeals of $1,-502.15 which were allowed in full.

2.

Witness fees in the amount of $728 were originally asked and subsequently reduced to $724. This amount was allowed by the Clerk.

3.

The prevailing party asked allowance for docket fees of $45, being the Attorney’s fee of $20 and allowance for ten depositions at $2.50 each. The attorney’s fee of $20 was allowed, as were docket fees for three depositions which were admitted in evidence. The docket fees for seven depositions not admitted in evidence were not allowed. It will be observed that this subdivision does not concern the general costs accrued in the taking of depositions but only the docket fees specifically provided by the statute. It may be observed that the fees for depositions introduced in evidence are, in essence, simply docket fees for counsel in connection with the depositions.

Taxation of docket fees is governed by the Statute 28 U.S.C. § 1923 which provides only for depositions “admitted in evidence”. The seven depositions, the taxation of which is urged, must be subdivided.

As to five of them the deponents were present at the trial and testified. These five depositions were not admitted into evidence and could have been utilized for only a limited purpose and no clear use of them has been presented. Two of the deponents were not present at the trial, did not testify and as stated the depositions were not admitted into evidence. The defendants seeking taxation states that portions of the depositions were used in evidence. No sufficient support of this is found either in the application to the Clerk or on this appeal. It is obvious I am not passing on depositions where portions were expressly utilized in evidence as held in Perlman v. Feldmann, D.C., 116 F.Supp. 102 or Lindeman v. Textron,. Inc., D.C., 136 F.Supp. 157. The action of the Clerk is sustained.

4.

The defendant has requested the taxation of $589.61 as the cost to the defendant of obtaining copies of depositions and, where the depositions had been noticed by the defendant, certain expenses connected therewith. Taxation of costs is sought concerning thirteen depositions and it is necessary to consider the depositions by groups because of certain differences between the groups.

Group (a) includes ten depositions. All were noticed by the plaintiff and were regularly returned to the Court. The expenses of all ten depositions had been paid by the plaintiff. The defendant claims the cost of copies obtained by it. Rule 30(f), F.R.Civ.P., 28 U.S.C., provides for the taking, certification and return of the deposition to the Court. Provision is made for the obtaining of a copy by any party to the action. Since express provision is made for the filing of the original and its availability to the defendant being clear, as in this case, the obtaining of a copy is not of a matter “necessarily obtained for use in the case” [308]*308but is a copy obtained for the convenience of counsel in connection with the litigation and is not allowable as costs.1

I think since all the costs of these five depositions have been paid by the plaintiff and the depositions returned into Court, the Clerk was clearly right in denying to the defendant the cost of copies of the depositions.

Group (b) consists of two depositions noticed by the defendant and the costs of which were paid by the defendant. The depositions were duly returned. Both witnesses were present at the trial and were called as witnesses by the plaintiff. The depositions were not admitted into evidence and the Clerk disallowed the costs. The depositions were properly taken by the defendant and at its cost and the deponents themselves were not subject to the control of the defendant. The defendant’s case was not presented because of the termination of the trial at the conclusion of the plaintiff’s case. The witnesses were called but not by the party at whose instance the depositions were had. I do not think the mere fact that the plaintiff called the two deponents as witnesses and thereby affected the evidential value of the depositions should deprive the successful defendant at the trial of the right of taxation of costs of the depositions already incurred. This is in accord with the ruling before the Rules of Civil Procedure. Then in an action at law depositions de bene esse could only be taken when certain limited conditions existed including a witness absent more than 100 miles.2 In Hunter v. International Railway Imp. Co., C.C., 28 F. 842, depositions of witnesses were taken who were absent more than 100 miles. The attendance of the witnesses at the trial was procured by the opposing party and the deposition being de bene esse and conditional could not be introduced in evidence. Taxation of the costs of the deposition was allowed.

The cost of the two depositions was $123.24 and I think should be allowed.

Group (c) consists of one deposition noticed by the defendant and the cost of which was paid by the defendant. The deponent was a witness for the defendant. As heretofore indicated the defendant’s case was not presented at the trial owing to the disposition of the matter after the conclusion of the plaintiff’s case. It has been held that where a deposition has been taken of a favorable witness and the deponent is available at the trial, the cost of the deposition will not be allowed.3 That the deponent in the present deposition, Ivan McCafferty, was an important witness and available at the trial is shown by his continued presence during the introduction of the plaintiff’s case and is intensified by the application by the defendant for witness fees for the deponent and the allowance thereof by the Clerk. In the exercise of the discretion in the allowance of costs vested in the Court, I think the cost of this deposition should not be allowed.

5.

The defendant seeks to have taxed as costs the expense of obtaining a daily copy of the transcript of the evidence taken at the trial and amounting to $1,662. The ease was tried to a jury and consumed many days. It terminated with binding instructions and verdict for the defendant upon the completion of the plaintiff’s testimony. The taxation of costs and the list of items ordinarily to be included was provided by 28 U.S.C.

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Prashker v. Beech Aircraft Corp., 24 F.R.D. 305, 2 Fed. R. Serv. 2d 828, 1959 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 4205 (D. Del. 1959).

24 F.R.D. 305 (Prashker v. Beech Aircraft Corp.) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

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