Subpoena Service

By: Akanksha A. Panicker

Calling witnesses to deposition is a long process that needs to check quite a few boxes, particularly the fee that has to be paid for these witnesses’ production. Individuals are required to be paid for their time and mileage to the office or courthouse.

However, not all witness fees are created equal, and not all states actually require witness fees. The rules surrounding them are also exceedingly different based on the state. Consequently, it can get difficult for attorneys to determine when a witness fee must be sent and how much it should be.

By: Akanksha A. Panicker

Preparing and serving outstate subpoenas can seem like a mystery. The Uniform Interstate Depositions and Discovery Act (UIDDA), was enacted purely to unravel this web, however, providing a simplified procedure for parties in an action in one state to obtain records or depose parties located in another. 

In 2007, the Uniform Law Commission promulgated the Uniform Interstate Depositions and Discovery Act (UIDDA) to streamline the arduous, time-consuming process of conducting out-of-state discovery for state court cases. The UIDDA provides a standardized means for litigants to take depositions and obtain discovery from individuals and entities located out of state. To do so, a litigant must primarily obtain a subpoena from the originating state court, which must then be presented to the clerk in the county where discovery is sought. Upon doing so, a local subpoena for service is issued by the clerk. The terms of the issued subpoena must incorporate the same terms as the original subpoena and contain the contact information for all counsel of record and any party not represented by counsel.

By: Akanksha A. Panicker

Depositions, testimony, discovery, and production of records and documents are always a core component of due process and the key to a fair and speedy trial. Mostly, all parties, witnesses, and potential evidence can be sourced in a local manner, is available within the same state. However, when a witness needs to be obtained from another country, a foreign subpoena is issued to compel the testimony or to produce the documents.

The Hague Service Convention makes it simpler to serve documents across countries, but subpoenas do not fall within this bracket. Service of subpoenas cannot technically be served in another country, and goes instead through the Hague Evidence Convention, wherein the process is decidedly more precise, and a little more complex.

Why the difference, then? This can be explained by the fact that subpoenas are mandatory compliance within their own jurisdiction, but once they move past that, they turn into a request. The scope of the subpoena then changes from a demand to a request once they’re outside their jurisdiction. Consequently, how subpoenas act under the Hague Evidence Convention actually corresponds to the process that surrounds the service of letters rogatory. In fact, if a country is not a part of the Hague Evidence Convention, then the subpoena is sent through Letter Rogatory like a summons or a complaint.

COMPOSITE EXAMPLE OF NEW YORK SUBPOENA

PURSUANT TO THE UNIFORM INTERSTATE DEPOSITIONS

DISCOVERY ACT 

Stat of New York Civil Practice Law and Rules § 3119

PLEASE NOTE:

COUNTY CLERKS IN NEW YORK DO NOT PROVIDE SUBPOENA FORMS.

THIS EXAMPLE IS NOT AN OFFICIAL FORM, AND IS PRESENTED FOR 

ILLUSTRATIVE PURPOSES ONLY.

****************************************

SUPREME COURT OF STATE OF NEW YORK 

COUNTY OF _______________________________                                                                 COUNTY CLERK LOG NO.

_______________________________________________________________x                              SUBPOENA 

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          

                                                                            Plaintiff/Petitioner,                              

              v.                                                                                                                                                                                   

                                                                                                                                             Originating State:

                                                                          Defendant/Respondent.                        Originating County:

_______________________________________________________________x                              Originating Court:

                                                                                                                                             Originating Case No.

SUBPOENA/SUBPOENA DUCES TECUM

Pursuant to the Uniform Interstate Depositions and Discovery Act

(Personal Attendance Required/Not Required)

TO: [NAME] [ADDRESS]

 

WE COMMAND YOU to appear at the time, date and place set forth below to testify at a deposition to be taken in this civil action and

each of you appear and attend before __________________________________________________

at _________________________________________________, on the _________ day of ______________, 20___, at________ o’clock, in the ___________________ noon, and at any recessed or adjourned date to give testimony in this action on the part of______________________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________; 

and/or that you bring with you, and produce at the time and place aforesaid, the following documents, electronically stored information, or objects, and permit their inspection, copying, testing or sampling of the material:

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________;

and/or that you permit entry onto the designated premises, land, or other property possessed or controlled by you at the time, date and location set forth below, so that we may inspect, measure, survey,, photograph, test, or sample the property or any designated object or operation on it

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________.

FAILURE TO COMPLY with this SUBPOENA is punishable as a contempt of Court and shall make you liable to the person on whose behalf this subpoena was issued for a penalty not to exceed one hundred fifty dollars and all damages sustained by reason of your failure to comply.

 

Additional Information:

[if any is contained in the Out-of-State subpoena]

 

Contact Information of Counsel for 

all parties (or contact information for parties pro se)

in the action:

 

Name

Address

Telephone Number Parties) Represented: 

(Repeat as required.)

Dated:_______________   ,______________(state)

            ________________________________

Court Clerk:__________________________________