Zinna v. Board of County Commissioners

250 F.R.D. 527, 2007 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 56419
CourtDistrict Court, D. Colorado
DecidedAugust 2, 2007
DocketCivil Action No. 05-CV-01016-RPM-MJW
StatusPublished

This text of 250 F.R.D. 527 (Zinna v. Board of County Commissioners) 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
Zinna v. Board of County Commissioners, 250 F.R.D. 527, 2007 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 56419 (D. Colo. 2007).

Opinion

ORDER REGARDING: (1) DEFENDANT JAMES CONGROYE’S MOTION TO STAY DEPOSITION AND FOR PROTECTIVE ORDER (DOCKET NO. 128); (2) DEFENDANT JAMES CON-GROVE’S MOTION TO COMPEL (DOCKET NO. 129); (3) DEFENDANT JAMES CONGROVE’S RULE 26(C)(4) MOTION TO LIMIT SCOPE OF DEPOSITION (DOCKET NO. 134); AND, (4) PRO SE PLAINTIFF MICHAEL L. ZINNA’S MOTION TO AMEND SCHEDULING ORDER AND EXTEND THE DEADLINE FOR JOINDER OF PARTIES/AMENDMENT TO PLEADINGS (DOCKET NO. 146)

MICHAEL J. WATANABE, United States Magistrate Judge.

This matter is before the court on (1) Defendant James Congrove’s Motion to Stay Deposition and for Protective Order (docket no. 128); (2) Defendant James Congrove’s Motion to Compel (docket no. 129); (3) Defendant James Congrove’s Rule 26(c)(4) Motion to Limit Scope of Deposition (docket no. 134); and (4) Pro Se Plaintiff Michael L. Zinna’s Motion to Amend Scheduling Order and Extend the Deadline for Joinder of Parties/Amendment to Pleading (docket no. 146). The court has reviewed these motions, responses, and replies thereto that have been filed. In addition, the court has taken judicial notice of the court’s file and has considered applicable Federal Rules of Civil Procedure and case law. The court now being fully informed makes the following findings of fact, conclusions of law, and order.

FINDINGS OF FACT AND CONCLUSIONS OF LAW

The court finds:

1. That I have jurisdiction over the subject matter and over the parties to this lawsuit;

2. That venue is proper in the state and District of Colorado;

3. That each party has been given a fair and adequate opportunity to be heard on the subject motions listed above;

[529]*5294. That the Pro Se Plaintiff Michael L. Zinna (hereinafter “Pro Se Plaintiff Zinna”) has failed to file any timely response to Defendant James Con-grove’s Motion to Stay Deposition and for Protective Order (docket no. 126) and Defendant James Congrove’s Motion to Compel (docket no. 129) as required under D.C.COLO.LCivR 7.1 C, and therefore I find that the Pro Se Plaintiff Zinna has confessed both of these motions;

5. That Pro Se Plaintiff Zinna alleges a 42 U.S.C. § 1983 claim for relief in the Third Amended Complaint only. In particular, Pro Se Plaintiff Zinna alleges that Defendants Jefferson County and James Congrove violated his First Amendment rights from March to early May 2005 when Jefferson County informed the Pro Se Plaintiff it would be more receptive towards settling a lawsuit in which the Pro Se Plaintiff claimed a third party beneficial interest if the Pro Se Plaintiff refrained from filing Open Records Act requests, attending Board meetings, appearing in the Jefferson County Courts and Administration Building, and publishing on his website articles critical of Jefferson County government officials and their policies. Pro Se Plaintiff Zin-na further alleges that Defendants imposed prior restraint and viewpoint discrimination on him to prevent him from publishing information alleging James Congrove had engaged in bank fraud and forgery before James Con-grove became a Jefferson County Commissioner.

6. That the decision to grant a protective order under Fed.R.Civ.P. 26(c) is vested in the district court’s discretion. Thomas v. International Bus. Machines, 48 F.3d 478, 482 (10th Cir. 1995). Fed.R.Civ.P. 26(e) permits a trial judge to enter protective orders which will protect a party from annoyance, embarrassment, oppression, or undue burden. Cooke v. New Mexico Junior College Bd., 579 F.2d 568, 570 (10th Cir.1978).

7. That Fed.R.Civ.P. 26(b)(1) provides that parties may obtain discovery of any matter, not privileged, that is relevant to the claim or defense of any party. “[W]hen relevancy is not apparent on the face of the request, the party seeking the discover has the burden to show the relevancy of the request.” Johnson ex rel. Johnson v. Olathe Dish Schools, 212 F.R.D. 582, 586 (D.Kan.2003). Relevant information need not be admissible at the trial if the discovery appears reasonably calculated to lead to the discovery of admissible evidence. See Fed.R.Civ.P. 26(b)(1).

8. That Defendant Congrove’s personal financial affairs are irrelevant to Plaintiffs 42 U.S.C. § 1983 claim.

9. That Pro Se Plaintiff Zinna testified in his deposition that he has hundreds of hours of audiotape conversations of Mr. Congrove and other Jefferson County officers and employees who have been indemnified as fact witnesses;

10. That Rule 501 of the Federal Rules of Evidence provides that the privilege of a witness or person “shall be governed by the principles of the common law as they may interpreted by the courts of the United States in the light of reason and experience.” However, in cases where an element of a claim or defense as to which State law supplies the rule of decision, the privilege of a witness or person shall be governed by State law. Fed.R.Evid. 501;

11. That Pro Se Plaintiff Zinna’s Third Amended Complaint, which is the operative pleading in this case, alleges only a single cause of action, namely an alleged violation of 42 U.S.C. § 1983. Accordingly, Federal law and not State law on privilege applies in this ease, and therefore Pro Se Plaintiff Zinna’s claim of “press shield privilege” under Colorado law is without merit;

12. That to the extent that Pro Se Plaintiff Zinna is arguing that he also has a [530]*530Federal common law “press privilege,” this court finds that Plaintiff waived such privilege when he filed this lawsuit. Driscoll v. Morris, 111 F.R.D. 459 (D.Conn.1986); Anderson v. Nixon, 444 F.Supp. 1195 (D.D.C. 1978). See Campus Communications, Inc. v. Freedman, 374 So.2d 1169 (Fla.App.1979). Moreover, the court finds that Pro Se Plaintiff Zinna has failed to provide to Defendants a written privilege log after being requested to do so by Defendants’ counsel and has therefore failed to comply with Fed.R.Civ.P. 26(b)(5), and such conduct constitutes a waiver as to all documents, records, and recordings that Pro Se Plaintiff Zinna has withheld from disclosure;

13.

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579 F.2d 568 (Tenth Circuit, 1978)
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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
250 F.R.D. 527, 2007 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 56419, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/zinna-v-board-of-county-commissioners-cod-2007.