Simpson v. University of Colorado

220 F.R.D. 354, 2004 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 5178, 2004 WL 633224
CourtDistrict Court, D. Colorado
DecidedFebruary 10, 2004
DocketNos. CIV.A. 02-RB-2390(CBS), 03-RB-2495(CBS)
StatusPublished
Cited by45 cases

This text of 220 F.R.D. 354 (Simpson v. University of Colorado) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. Colorado primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Simpson v. University of Colorado, 220 F.R.D. 354, 2004 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 5178, 2004 WL 633224 (D. Colo. 2004).

Opinion

ORDER ON DISCOVERY MOTIONS

SHAFFER, United States Magistrate Judge.

Our legal system, while not perfect, is effective because it fundamentally relies upon the interplay of zealous advocates, neutral judicial officers, and impartial finders of fact. Cf. United States v. Reid, 214 F.Supp.2d 84, 92 (D.Mass.2002). A jury trial, unlike dueling press releases, involves a search for the truth. Bova v. Wainwright, 674 F.Supp. 834, 835 (S.D.Fla.1987). “The need to develop all relevant facts in the adversary system is both fundamental and comprehensive.... The very integrity of the judicial system and public confidence in the system depend on full disclosure of all the facts, within the framework of the rules of evidence.” Taylor v. Illinois, 484 U.S. 400, 408-09, 414-15, 108 S.Ct. 646, 98 L.Ed.2d 798 (1988) (“[t]he integrity of the adversary process, which depends both on the presentation of reliable evidence and the rejection of unreliable evidence, the interest in the fair and efficient administration of justice, and the potential prejudice to the truth-determining function of the trial process must also weigh in the balance”). See also Polk County v. Dodson, 454 U.S. 312, 318, 102 S.Ct. 445, 70 L.Ed.2d 509 (1981) (“the [legal] system assumes that adversarial testing will ultimately advance the public interest in truth and fairness”).

However, the truth-seeking process that lies at the heart of a jury trial is not advanced by irrelevant evidence, prejudicial speculation or gratuitous grandstanding. See United States v. Purdy, 144 F.3d 241, 246 (2d Cir.1998). This realization runs throughout the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure and the Federal Rules of Evidence. For example, a party’s right to obtain discovery of “any matter, not privileged, that is relevant to the claim or defense of a party,” Fed.R.Civ.P. 26(b)(1), may be constrained where the court determines that the desired discovery is unreasonable or unduly burdensome given the needs of the case, the importance of the issues at stake in the litigation, and the importance of the proposed discovery in resolving the issues. Fed.R.Civ.P. 26(b)(2). The Federal Rules of Civil Procedure permit a court to restrict or preclude discovery when justice requires in order to protect a party or person from annoyance, embarrassment, oppression, or undue burden or expense. Fed.R.Civ.P. 26(c). The court has comparable authority during the trial to exclude relevant evidence where its probative value is outweighed by the danger of unfair prejudice, confusion of issues, or misleading of the jury. Fed.R.Evid. 403.

Unfortunately, the parameters of the truth-finding process are not always easy to identify, particularly when raised in the context of discovery. Limitations on the discovery process necessarily conflict with the “the fundamental principle that ‘the public ... has a right to every man’s evidence.” See Trammel v. United States, 445 U.S. 40, 50, 100 S.Ct. 906, 63 L.Ed.2d 186 (1980) (citation omitted).

For more than three centuries it has now been recognized as a fundamental maxim that the public ... has a right to every man’s evidence. When we come to exam[357]*357ine the various claims of exemption, we start with the primary assumption that there is a general duty to give what testimony one is capable of giving, and that any exemptions which may exist are distinctly exceptional, being so many derogations from a positive general rule.

Jaffee v. Redmond, 518 U.S. 1, 10, 116 S.Ct. 1923, 135 L.Ed.2d 337 (1996).

Rule 412 of the Federal Rules of Evidence illustrates the court’s dilemma. That Rule provides that in a civil case, evidence offered to prove the sexual behavior or sexual predisposition of any alleged victim of sexual misconduct may be admitted at trial only “if it is otherwise admissible under [the Federal Rules of Evidence] and its probative value substantially outweighs the danger of harm to any victim and of unfair prejudice to any party.” See Fed.R.Evid. 412(b)(2). As the Advisory Committee Notes explain, Rule 412 “aims to safeguard the alleged victim against the invasion of privacy, potential embarrassment and sexual stereotyping that is associated with public disclosure of intimate sexual details and the infusion of sexual innuendo into the factfinding process.” See Advisory Committee Notes to 1994 Amendments to Fed.R.Evid. 412. The same Advisory Committee Notes, however, acknowledge that Rule 412’s limitations do not apply to pretrial discovery, which will be governed by Fed. R.Civ. 26. Discovery will be permitted, subject to a protective order, where “the party seeking discovery makes a showing that the evidence sought to be discovered would be relevant under the facts and theories of the particular case, and cannot be obtained except through discovery.” Id. See also Giron v. Corrections Corp., 981 F.Supp. 1406, 1407 (D.N.M.1997) (“[although Rule 412 controls the admissibility of evidence rather than its discoverability, ... the Court will impose certain restrictions on discovery to preclude inquiry into areas which will clearly fail to satisfy Rule 412(b)(2)’s balancing test”); Herchenroeder v. Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, 171 F.R.D. 179, 181 (D.Md.1997) (noting that Rule 412 governs the admissibility of evidence at trial, and not discoverability of information during pretrial proceedings).

The instant case has spawned numerous discovery disputes and hearings. In the court’s view, many of those disputes were unnecessary and did not materially advance the interests of either party. I am also aware that both sides have been willing to “litigate” the merits of their respective positions outside the confines of the courtroom.1 This matter comes before the court, once again, on pending discovery motions. On December 17, 2003, Defendant University of Colorado (“University”) filed a Motion to Compel Plaintiffs Diary. Defendant filed on December 19, 2003, a Motion to Compel Rule 35 Examination and Request for Forthwith Hearing.

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Bluebook (online)
220 F.R.D. 354, 2004 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 5178, 2004 WL 633224, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/simpson-v-university-of-colorado-cod-2004.