Subpoena Duces Tecum to Verizon Wireless

CourtDistrict Court, D. Maryland
DecidedSeptember 16, 2019
Docket8:19-cv-01744
StatusUnknown

This text of Subpoena Duces Tecum to Verizon Wireless (Subpoena Duces Tecum to Verizon Wireless) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. Maryland primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Subpoena Duces Tecum to Verizon Wireless, (D. Md. 2019).

Opinion

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE DISTRICT OF MARYLAND Southern Division

In re SUBPOENA DUCES TECUM TO

VERIZON WIRELESS

KATHLEEN MILLS, et al., Civil Action Nos.: TDC-19-1744 TDC-19-1799 Petitioners, TDC-19-1806 TDC-19-1808 v. TDC-19-2118 TDC-19-2119 HISPANIC NATIONAL LAW TDC-19-2120 ENFORCEMENT ASSOCIATION TDC-19-2121 NCR, et al., TDC-19-2122 TDC-19-2123 Respondents.

MEMORANDUM OPINION Currently pending before the Court are 10 motions to quash subpoena, or in the alternative, motions for protective order for phone and text records1 (collectively “Motions to Quash”), all of which arise out of the same underlying action: Hispanic National Law Enforcement Association NCR, et al., v. Prince George's County, et al., No. 18-cv-3821-TDC

1 In re Subpoena Duces Tecum to Verizon Wireless, et al. (“Mills Motion”), No. 19-cv- 01744-TDC (D. Md. filed June 10, 2019); In re Subpoena Duces Tecum to Verizon Wireless, et al. (“Prince George’s County Motion”), No. 19-cv-01799-TDC (D. Md. filed June 10, 2019); In re Subpoena Duces Tecum to Verizon Wireless, et al. (“Stawinski Motion”), No. 19-cv-01806- TDC (D. Md. filed June 10, 2019); In re Subpoena Duces Tecum to Verizon Wireless, et al. (“Murtha Motion”), No. 19-cv-01808-TDC (D. Md. filed June 10, 2019); In re Subpoena Duces Tecum to Verizon Wireless, et al. (“Mints Motion”), No. 19-cv-02118-TDC (D. Md. filed June 6, 2019); In re Subpoena Duces Tecum to Verizon Wireless, et al. (“Alexander Motion”), No. 19- cv-02119-TDC (D. Md. filed June 6, 2019); In re Subpoena Duces Tecum to Verizon Wireless, et al. (“Ghattas Motion”), No. 19-cv-02120-TDC (D. Md. filed June 10, 2019); In re Subpoena Duces Tecum to Verizon Wireless, et al. (“Lightner Motion”), No. 19-cv-02121-TDC (D. Md. filed June 10, 2019); In re Subpoena Duces Tecum to Verizon Wireless, et al. (“Velez Motion”), No. 19-cv-02122-TDC (D. Md. filed June 10, 2019); In re Subpoena Duces Tecum to Verizon Wireless, et al. (“Powell Motion”), No. 19-cv-02123-TDC (D. Md. filed June 10, 2019). (D. Md. filed Dec. 12, 2018) (hereinafter the “Underlying Action”). Petitioners include four (4) named-defendants and six (6) nonparties to the Underlying Action. Pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 636 and Local Rules 301 and 302, the underlying matter was referred to the undersigned by the Honorable Theodore D. Chuang for all discovery and related scheduling matters. Underlying Action, ECF No. 48. Additionally, in each of the cases a separate referral has been made to the

undersigned. The Court has reviewed the Motions to Quash, the oppositions thereto, the related memoranda, and the applicable law. No hearing is deemed necessary. See Loc. R. 105.6 (D. Md.). For the reasons stated herein, the Court GRANTS Petitioners’ Motions for Protective Orders and DENIES Petitioners’ Motions to Quash. A separate order shall issue. I. Procedural Background On December 12, 2018, Plaintiffs Hispanic National Law Enforcement Association NCR (“HNLEA”) and United Black Police Officers Association (“UBPOA”), along with 122 of their members who are or were employed by the Prince George’s County Police Department (“PGCPD”) (collectively “Plaintiffs”),3 filed the Underlying Action alleging a custom and

practice of discrimination and retaliation against officers of color by the PGCPD and certain high-ranking PGCPD officials (collectively “Defendants”). Pls.’ Compl., Underlying Action, ECF No. 1. Plaintiffs asserted claims under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 for discrimination on the basis of race and color, in violation of the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, and retaliation, in violation of the First Amendment. Id. at ¶¶ 213– 29.

2 Plaintiffs’ Amended Complaint adds three additional individual plaintiffs bringing the current total to 15. Pls.’ 1st Am. Compl., Underlying Action, (May 28, 2019), ECF No. 54. 3 Respondents to the Motions to Quash are Plaintiffs in the Underlying Action. On February 26, 2019, Defendants filed their First Motion to Dismiss Plaintiffs’ claims under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 12(b)(6). Underlying Action, ECF No. 30. On June 7, 2019, a hearing was held before Judge Chuang. Underlying Action, ECF No. 57. On July 8, 2019, Judge Chuang partially granted Defendant’s First Motion to Dismiss and dismissed several of Plaintiffs’ claims against individually named Defendants without prejudice. See Order,

Chuang, J., Underlying Action, ECF No. 74. On May 28, 2019, Plaintiffs amended their Complaint and added claims for discrimination and retaliation in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, 42 U.S.C. §§ 2000e, et seq., claims of discrimination in violation of Title I of the Americans With Disabilities Act (“ADA”), 42 U.S.C. § 12111, et seq., and other common law claims. Pls.’ 1st Am. Compl. ¶¶ 276–300. The same day Judge Chuang heard arguments on Defendants’ First Motion to Dismiss, Defendants filed a Second Motion to Dismiss responding to the new claims alleged in Plaintiffs’ Amended Complaint. Underlying Action, ECF No. 58. That motion is currently pending before Judge Chuang.

At issue in this decision is a subpoena (the “Subpoena”) Plaintiffs served on Verizon Wireless (“Verizon”) on or around May 13, 2019.4 Verizon is a nonparty to the Underlying Action. Plaintiffs sought information concerning 11 phone numbers identified in the Subpoena.5 Id. Specifically, Plaintiffs sought:

4 All of the Motions to Quash are addressing the same Subpoena, copies of which were attached as exhibits to Petitioners’ Motions. See, e.g., Subpoena to Produce Docs., Information or Objects, Mills Mot., ECF No. 1, Ex. 2. 5 At one point, seven of the requested phone numbers were owned by Petitioner Prince George’s County and issued to its employees for official use. See, e.g., Powell Mot. ¶ 5. However, in May 2019, Petitioner Powell retired from PGCPD and ownership of the phone number issued to him was transferred to him. Id. Records relating to the phone numbers attached . . . for the period January 1, 2016 through the present, including the time, date, duration, and destination/origin phone number for all incoming/outgoing calls, and the time, date, destination/origin phone number, and content for all text messages.

Subpoena 1. On June 6 and June 10, 2019, Petitioners6 filed their respective Motions to Quash.7 See Motions to Quash. On July 16, 2019, Plaintiffs informed Verizon by letter that they were withdrawing their Subpoena request for text message records associated with the phone numbers. See, e.g., Pls.’ Resp. to Mots. to Quash Subpoena Issued to Verizon (“Pls.’ Opp’n”), Mills Mot., ECF No. 10, Ex. A. That same day, Plaintiffs filed oppositions to the Named-Defendants’ Motions to Quash. See, e.g., Pls.’ Opp’n, Mills Mot.. On July 30, 2019, the Named-Defendants filed replies to Plaintiffs’ Oppositions. See, e.g., Reply Mem. in Support of Mots. to Quash Subpoena Issued to Verizon, Mills Mot., ECF No. 11. On August 2, 2019, Plaintiffs filed oppositions to the Nonparty Petitioners’ Motions to Quash. See, e.g., Pls.’ Resp. to Mots. to Quash Subpoena Issued to Verizon, Lightner Mot., ECF No. 9. That same date, Named- Defendants filed a memorandum in support of Nonparty Petitioners’ Motions to Quash. See, e.g., Mem. Joining Pets. Prince George’s County, Kathleen Mills, Christopher Murtha, and Henry Stawinski’s Reply Mem. in Support of Mots.

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