908.47—Request for document discovery from parties.
(a) General rule.
Any party may serve on any other party a request to produce for inspection any discoverable documents that are in the possession, custody, or control of the party upon whom the request is served. Copies of the request shall be served on all other parties. The request must identify the documents to be produced either by individual item or by category and must describe each item and category with reasonable particularity. Documents must be produced as they are kept in the usual course of business or they shall be labeled and organized to correspond with the categories in the request.
(b) Production or copying.
The request shall specify a reasonable time, place and manner for production and performing any related acts. In lieu of inspecting the documents, the requesting party may specify that all or some of the responsive documents be copied and the copies delivered to the requesting party. If copying of fewer than 250 pages is requested, the party to whom the request is addressed shall bear the cost of copying and shipping charges. If a party requests more than 250 pages of copying, the requesting party shall pay for copying and shipping charges. Copying charges are at the current rate per page imposed by the Finance Board at § 910.9(g) of this chapter for requests for documents filed under the Freedom of Information Act, 5 U.S.C. 552. The party to whom the request is addressed may require payment in advance before producing the documents.
(c) Obligation to update responses.
A party who has responded to a discovery request is not required to supplement the response, unless:
(1)
The responding party learns that in some material respect the information disclosed is incomplete or incorrect, and
(2)
The additional or corrective information has not otherwise been made known to the other parties during the discovery process or in writing.
(d) Motions to strike or limit discovery requests.
(1)
Any party that objects to a discovery request may, within ten (10) days of being served with such request, file a motion in accordance with the provisions of § 908.45 requesting the presiding officer order the request be stricken or otherwise limited. If an objection is made to only a portion of an item or category in a request, the objection shall specify that portion. Any objections not made in accordance with this paragraph and § 908.45 are waived.
(2)
The party who served the request that is the subject of a motion to strike or limit may file a written response within five (5) days of service of the motion. No other party may file a response.
(e) Privilege.
At the time other documents are produced, all documents withheld on the grounds of privilege must be reasonably identified, together with a statement of the basis for the assertion of privilege. When similar documents that are protected by deliberative process, attorney work-product, or attorney-client privilege are voluminous, these documents may be identified by category instead of by individual document. The presiding officer has discretion to determine when the identification by category is insufficient.
(f) Motions to compel production.
(1)
If a party withholds any documents as privileged or fails to comply fully with a discovery request, the requesting party may, within (10) ten days of the assertion of privilege or of the time the failure to comply becomes known to the requesting party, file a motion in accordance with the provisions of § 908.45 for the issuance of a subpoena compelling production.
(2)
The party who asserted the privilege or failed to comply with the request may, within five (5) days of service of a motion for the issuance of a subpoena compelling production, file a written response to the motion. No other party may file a response.
(g) Ruling on motions.
After the time for filing responses to motions pursuant to this section has expired, the presiding officer shall rule promptly on all such motions. If the presiding officer determines that a discovery request or any of its terms calls for irrelevant material, is unreasonable, oppressive, excessive in scope, unduly burdensome, or repetitive of previous requests, or seeks to obtain privileged documents, he or she may deny or modify the request and may issue appropriate protective orders, upon such conditions as justice may require. The pendency of a motion to strike or limit discovery or to compel production shall not be a basis for staying or continuing the proceeding, unless otherwise ordered by the presiding officer. Notwithstanding any other provision in this part, the presiding officer may not release, or order a party to produce, documents withheld on grounds of privilege if the party has stated to the presiding officer its intention to file a timely motion for interlocutory review of the presiding officer's order to produce the documents, until the motion for interlocutory review has been decided.
(h) Enforcing discovery subpoenas.
If the presiding officer issues a subpoena compelling production of documents by a party, the subpoenaing party may, in the event of noncompliance and to the extent authorized by applicable law, apply to any appropriate United States district court for an order requiring compliance with the subpoena. A party's right to seek court enforcement of a subpoena shall not in any manner limit the sanctions that may be imposed by the presiding officer against a party who fails to produce or induces another to fail to produce subpoenaed documents.