Watkins v. Sergeant M. Bigwood

District Court, S.D. Florida·Decided November 17, 2020·No. 0:18-cv-63035·Unknown

Opinion

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF FLORIDA

CASE NO. 18-CV-63035-BLOOM/STRAUSS

ERIC WATKINS,

Plaintiff,

v.

SERGEANT M. BIGWOOD, et al.,

Defendants. /

ORDER ON DEFENDANTS MOTION TO OVERRULE ERIC WATKINS’ OBJECTION TO SUBPOENA DUCES TECUM THIS CAUSE comes before the Court upon Defendants’ Motion to Overrule Plaintiff, Eric Watkins’ Objection to Subpoena Duces Tecum (the “Motion”). (ECF No. 82). U.S. District Judge Beth Bloom has referred discovery matters to the undersigned. (ECF No. 27; ECF No. 92). The undersigned has reviewed the Motion and Plaintiff’s Response (ECF No. 86), and being otherwise fully advised in the matter, it is hereby ORDERED that Defendants’ Motion is GRANTED IN PART. I. BACKGROUND This action arises out of Plaintiff’s involuntary commitment in the Florida Medical Center for a mental health evaluation on December 15, 2014. See generally (ECF No. 76). On August 24, 2020, Plaintiff filed a four-count Third Amended Complaint, alleging First and Fourth Amendment violations against the Individual Defendants and the City of Lauderhill (the “Third Amended Complaint”). Id. Plaintiff asserts, inter alia, that he was “in bad faith arrested and seized . . . pursuant to Florida statute 394.463 (the Baker Act) in spite of the fact that no mental health professional certified that [he] met the criteria for involuntary examination. There was no other valid of viable reason(s) to believe that Plaintiff had a mental illness which caused him to refuse voluntary examination . . .” (Id. ¶ 9). Plaintiff claims that “[p]rior to December 15, 2014, no mental health professional ever certified that Plaintiff met the criteria for involuntary examination.” (Id. ¶ 47). In his claim for damages, Plaintiff contends that he “suffered humiliation and embarrassment” and that “the whole incident, arrest and Baker acting caused Plaintiff

emotional stress and anguish for four days” in which Plaintiff was “frightened and worried.” (Id. ¶¶ 48 – 49). In his prayer for relieve, Plaintiff requests monetary relief for “Baker Acting [him] on false fabricated reasons and without probable cause,” and for the “mental distress, anguish and hardships [he] suffered” because of it. (Id. ¶¶ 62). On September 15, 2020, Defendants issued a Rule 45 subpoena duces tecum to the Florida Medical Center, seeking production of “[a]ny and all documents relating to [Plaintiff],” including his medical records. (ECF No. 82-1, Ex. A). Plaintiff verbally advised the records custodian of the Florida Medical Center that he did not want his records produced, which Florida Medical Center construed as a constructive objection to production. (ECF No. 82-4 at 1). The instant

motion by Defendants followed. (ECF No. 82). II. DISCUSSION Defendants contend that this Court should overrule Plaintiff’s objections to the production of his medical records because it is a “critical question in this matter [ ] whether . . . [Defendants] reasonably perceived probable cause to subject Plaintiff to an involuntary examination under the Baker Act.” (ECF No. 82 at 2) (quoting Greer v. Hillsborough Cty. Sheriff's Office, No. 806-CV- 213-T-23MSS, 2006 WL 2535050, at *2 (M.D. Fla. Aug. 31, 2006)). Defendants assert that “Plaintiff has waived the psychotherapist-patient privilege by placing his mental state at issue” when “asserting that his December 14, 2015 [sic] Baker Act was not legally supported,” and that the medical records “go directly to that claim and Defendants’ affirmative defenses.” Id. at 2-3. In addition, Defendants allege that “Plaintiff has directly placed his mental state at issue by asserting that he suffers “mental anguish” from the actions of Defendants. Id. at 2. Defendants also argue that records relating to treatment before and after the actual arrest on December 15, 2014 are relevant because they “may tend to support Defendants’ position that there was, in fact, reason to believe that a mental health examination was necessary for Plaintiff’s wellbeing and/or

that of others.” Id. at 2-3. Plaintiff contends that Defendants’ seeking of his medical records violates the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (“HIPAA”), arguing that Defendants were required to provide Plaintiff with a HIPAA release of medical records before contacting the Florida Medical Center and that, upon his objection, Defendants should have filed a motion to compel instead of the instant motion to overrule Plaintiff’s objections. Plaintiff further argues that the documents are not relevant to the issues in the instant litigation, as Plaintiff did not put his mental state at issue. Finally, Plaintiff asserts that the Defendants’ request is overbroad and must be narrowed specifically to Plaintiff’s medical records that pertain to the involuntary examination in

the context of the happenings on December 15, 2014. See generally (ECF No. 86). A. The Motion to Overrule Objection is Appropriate Initially, this Court finds unpersuasive Plaintiff’s claim that the issuance of a subpoena duces tecum and the filing of the instant Motion to overrule his objection to such subpoena were procedurally inappropriate. The Court similarly finds that HIPAA does not bar Defendants from obtaining the requested records even without Plaintiff’s consent. In Heimler v. Walgreen Co., No. 14-14043-CIV, 2014 WL 12774849 (S.D. Fla. Sept. 22, 2014) (Marra, D.J.), the court described more specifically discovery of medical records under HIPAA: HIPAA provides three mechanisms for discovery of health care information in civil litigation. These are: (1) patient authorization; (2) court order; and (3) certain types of subpoenas or discovery requests. The regulations to HIPAA state that health care providers may not “disclose protected health information except as permitted or required by this subpart or by subpart C of the part 160 of this subchapter.” 45 C.F.R. § 164.502(a). With respect to judicial or administrative proceedings, HIPAA regulations permit disclosure by an order from a court or administrative tribunal. 45 C.F.R. 164.512(e)(1). In response to a subpoena, discovery request or other lawful process that is not accompanied by an order of a court or administrative tribunal, private health care information may only be disclosed if reasonable efforts have been made to ensure that the individual who is the subject of the protected health information has been given notice of the request or a qualified protective order has been obtained. 45 C.F.R. 164.512(e)(1)(ii). Id. at *3. Here, on September 15, 2020, Defendants issued a subpoena duces tecum to the Florida Medical Center. (ECF No. 82-1 at 1). While Plaintiff might have preferred to receive a request for prior authorization, it is not the only option under HIPAA. Defendants’ method of obtaining information through a subpoena duces tecum is just as viable under 45 C.F.R. 164.512(e)(1)(ii), as long as Plaintiff is sufficiently notified. Plaintiff clearly had sufficient notice, as he was able to file his objections prior to disclosure. If the notified Plaintiff objects to the release of the requested documents, a motion to overrule such objection is a feasible way to try to get access to the documents. Indeed, it is the appropriate procedural tool in the context of third-party discovery, where (as here) the third party (Florida Medical Center) is generally willing to provide the documents but prevented to do so due to the party’s objection. See, e.g., Matter of Bavelis, No.

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