HOW TO DOMESTICATE A FOREIGN SUBPOENA IN Hawaii

This article will provide guidance on How To Domesticate a Foreign Subpoena in Hawaii.  Pleadings or other forms of reasonable written notice are required for any party intending to bring up a foreign law matter as per the UIDDA in Hawaii. The court may consider any document or source relevant to assessing foreign law, including testimony, whether or not submitted by a party or admissible under the Hawai'i Rules of Evidence and UIDDA in Hawai’i. The court's decision will be regarded as a decision on a legal issue or topic.

 A circuit court clerk issues subpoenas and must have that court's seal. They must include information such as the court's name and the title of the case, and they must require anybody who receives one to appear and provide testimony at the time and location stated. Signed and sealed, but otherwise, in the blank, the clerk will issue a subpoena to the party seeking it, who will fill it out before delivery according to the UIDDA in Hawai’i.

The person it addresses may be ordered by a subpoena to produce books, papers, or documents.  When a document or piece of electronically stored information is requested, the subpoena might specify the format in which it should be provided.

Uniform Interstate Depositions and Discovery Act (Uidda)-Hawaii

A subpoena may be served at any location in the state of Hawaii. Anyone under eighteen not a party to the case may serve a subpoena in the state, including the sheriff or deputy sheriff, or, in any county, a chief of police or an authorized subordinate. Delivering a copy of the summons to the person mentioned therein and providing the cost for one day's attendance and the distance permitted by law constitutes the service of a subpoena. It is unnecessary to pay costs and mileage when the summons is issued on behalf of the State or a county or an official agency of the State or a county.

 The clerk of the circuit court in which the deposition is to be taken may issue subpoenas to the people identified or described in the notice to take a deposition.

An objector to the examination or copying of some or all designated documents may serve a written objection on the attorney identified in the subpoena within ten days after service as per the UIDDA in Hawai’i; however, if such period is less than ten days after service before the time stated in the subpoena for compliance. If the deponent objects to the subpoena, the party issuing the subpoena may request an order at any point before or during the deposition, according to the UIDDA in Hawai’i.

RULES OF CIVIL PROCESS IN HAWAII

The county where a person lives, works, or does business or any other convenient location, as determined by court order, is the only place where a state resident may be ordered to appear for an examination, according to the UIDDA in Hawai’i. It is permitted for a non-resident of the state who is subpoenaed inside the state to be summoned simply to appear in the county where the individual is served with a subpoena to comply with the UIDDA in Hawaii.

The person answering a subpoena must submit papers or electronically stored material in a form or formats that are typically kept or generally useable. This is the default to follow the UIDDA in Hawai’i. The person replying does not need to provide identical papers or electronically stored material in more than one form unless there is a compelling reason to do so. The person replying does not have to provide discovery of papers or electronic material from sources that the person deems as not reasonably accessible because of excessive hardship or expense. People responding to subpoenas must establish that the information is not reasonably accessible because of an unreasonable hardship or expense to obtain a protective order, according to the UIDDA in Hawai’i. Even if a showing of good cause is not made, the Court may still compel discovery from such sources if that showing is made. The Court has the power to set the parameters for the investigation.

It is necessary to state clearly and explicitly the nature of the papers, electronically stored information, or physical items not delivered to allow the requesting party to oppose the assertion that information subject to a subpoena is privileged or protected as trial preparation materials. Anyone who fails to comply with a subpoena placed on them without good reason may be in contempt of the court that issued the subpoena.

An application for an order to a party may be made in the court where the case is underway or in the circuit where the deposition is being taken to comply with the UIDDA in Hawai’i. Depositions must be taken in the circuit where the application for an order to a person who is not a party must be made.

REQUIREMENTS FOR A DEPONENT IN HAWAII

The discovering party may assume that the deponent has failed to respond. In order to get the information or material without resorting to court action, the movant must certify in their application that they have spoken to or sought to speak with the person or entity that has failed to make the discovery. It is possible to delay or finish a deposition on oral examination before seeking an order of protection.

Once an opportunity to be heard has been provided, and if a motion has been granted or disclosure or requested discovery has been provided after filing, the court will require that the party or deponent whose conduct prompted the motion to be required to pay to the moving party the reasonable expenses incurred in making the motion, including legal fees unless the court finds otherwise.

Unless the court finds that making the motion was substantially justified or that the attorney's fees were reasonably incurred in opposing the motion, the court may enter any protective order and require the moving party or the attorney filing the motion or both of them to pay to the party or deponent who opposed the motion the reasonable expenses incurred in opposing the motion, including attorney's fees, if the motion is denied.

If a deponent refuses to take an oath or answer a question after the court in the circuit where the deposition is being conducted directs them, their refusal may be deemed a contempt of that court. In the event of a failure by a party to comply with an order to provide or permit discovery, the court can issue orders to remedy the failure that are just and equitable among the parties involved.

FOREIGN SUBPOENA

A  party must submit an original international subpoena to an appropriate clerk of court to obtain a subpoena as per the UIDDA in Hawai’i. A request for a subpoena is not a presence before the courts of this state. A court clerk in Hawaii must quickly issue a subpoena for service on the person to whom a foreign subpoena is addressed, in accordance with the UIDDA in Hawaii and the court process.

A foreign subpoena should include the phrases included in the subpoena from another country to comply with UIDDA in Hawaii. Any party not represented by an attorney should have their contact information included in the subpoena, as should all attorneys of record in the case. When a seal of office is used to validate a certificate, it may either be issued by a district or political subdivision judge or by any public officer in the district or political subdivision where the record is being held with official responsibilities and a seal of office.

 Authentication by an official publication of a foreign official record, or a copy thereof, attested by a person authorized to do so, and accompanied by an official certification as to the authenticity of the signature and official position of the attesting person or any foreign official whose certification as to the genuineness of the signature and official position relates to the attestation according to the UIDDA in Hawaii.

Diplomats or consular agents of the United States or other countries accredited to the United States may provide a final certification on behalf of their respective embassies or legations. Attested copies may be admitted without final certification, provided all parties have a fair chance to examine the papers' validity and correctness. A summary of a foreign official record may also be accepted if the court shows good cause for doing so. The final certification is optional as long as the United States and a foreign nation to which the official record is situated are parties to a treaty or convention.

For domestic records, an authenticated written statement that there is no record or entry of this type in the designated records is admissible evidence as per the UIDDA in Hawai’i. For foreign records, a statement summary must meet this rule's requirements for an authenticated summary. However, it does not exclude the use of any other lawful means of proving the existence or absence of official documents, according to UIDDA in Hawaii.

In order to bring up a foreign law matter, a party must provide notice via pleadings or some other form of reasonable written notice to comply with the UIDDA in Hawaii. Subpoenas are issued under seal by clerks of the circuit courts in the circuits in which cases are pending, and they specify the court's name and the case's title, as well as the time and location at which the witness is required to appear and provide evidence. An unsigned and sealed blank subpoena will be sent to the party seeking it, and the party must fill it up before serving. In order to generate papers or electronically stored information, they might specify the format they should be in to follow the UIDDA in Hawaii.

The clerk of the circuit court of the circuit in which the deposition is to be taken may issue subpoenas to the people identified or described in the notice to take a deposition as per the UIDDA in Hawaii. Subpoenaed documents may be inspected or copied only when the person to whom the subpoena is addressed files a written objection within ten days of the serving of the subpoena or within the period stated in the subpoena for compliance if such time is less than ten days after service. There is no right for the person issuing the subpoena to view or copy any documents unless a court order is in place from which to do so, as mandated by the UIDDA in Hawaii. If the deponent objects to the subpoena, the party issuing the subpoena may request order at any point before or during the deposition.

It may only be permitted to examine a county where the individual lives, works, or transacts business personally or at such other location as a court order dictates. Subpoenaed nonresidents of the state may only be summoned to appear in the county in which they were served with a subpoena or at such other convenient location as the court deems appropriate.

For papers or electronic material not specified in a subpoena, the person answering must deliver it in a form or formats that are commonly maintained and in conjunction with the UIDDA in Hawaii. The person replying does not need to provide identical papers or electronically stored material in more than one form unless there is a compelling reason to do so, according to the UIDDA in Hawaii. Disclosure of papers or electronically stored material from sources not reasonably accessible owing to unreasonable difficulty or expense is not required from the respondent. People responding to subpoenas must establish that the information is not fairly accessible because of unreasonable effort or expense to get a protective order. However, the Court may still order discovery from these sources if the asking party can demonstrate that it has a legitimate need for it. Conditions for UIDDA in Hawaii discovery may be set by the Court.

Information withheld from production on the grounds that it is privileged or exempt from production as trial preparation materials must be stated explicitly and be accompanied by a sufficient description of any documents, electronic data, or tangible items not produced to allow the demanding party to refute the assertion.

Hawaii

Uniform Interstate Depositions and Discovery Act Adopted - 2012
Bill Number: HB 2841 - Sponsor Luke
HI. REV. STAT. §624D-3 (2016)
Subpoena Form Click Here
Hawaii Judiciary Click Here

(a) To request issuance of a subpoena, a party shall submit a foreign subpoena to a clerk of court in the circuit in which discovery is sought to be conducted in this State. A request for the issuance of a subpoena under this chapter does not constitute an appearance in the courts of this State.

(b) When a party submits a foreign subpoena to a clerk of court in this State, the clerk, in accordance with that court's procedure, shall promptly issue a subpoena for service upon the person to which the foreign subpoena is directed.

(c) A subpoena under subsection (b) shall:

(c) A subpoena under subsection (b) must:

(1) Incorporate the terms used in the foreign subpoena; and
(2) Contain or be accompanied by the names, addresses, and telephone numbers of all counsel of record in the proceeding to which the subpoena relates and of any party not represented by counsel. [L 2012, c 17, pt of §1]

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Sources

1. Including electronically stored information; or tangible things; however, the court may quash or modify the subpoena if it is unreasonable and oppressive or (2) condition denial of the motion on the advancement by the person on whose behalf the subpoena is issued.

2. as provided in Rules 30(b) and 31(a). In this case, the subpoena will be subject to the provisions of Rule 26(c) and subdivision (b) of this Rule 45 if it directs the person to whom it is directed to produce and permit inspection and copying of designated books, papers, documents, electronically stored information, or tangible things that constitute or contain matters within the scope of the examination permitted by Rule 26(b).

3. There is no right for the person delivering the subpoena to view or copy any documents unless a court order is in place from which a copying order was issued

4. A evasive or partial answer or response is construed as a failure to answer or reply for the purposes of this section.

5. Courts may make any protective order permitted by Rule 26(c) and apportion reasonable expenditures paid in connection to the motion among the parties and people after giving them a chance to be heard, in accordance with Rule 26(c).

6. Court-ordered restraining orders are also available

7. Or if a party fails to comply with an order entered under Rule 26(f),

8. For any purpose, a copy of a record held by the United States or by any state, district, commonwealth, territory, and territory under administrative and judicial jurisdiction of the United States may be evidenced by an official publication or by a copy attested by the officer having legal custody of the record or a deputy and accompanied by a certificate that the officer has the custody

9. According to Hawai'i's Rules of Evidence, a court may examine any significant evidence that is not provided by one of the parties, even if it is not admissible. The court's decision will be viewed as a decision on a legal issue.