49 CFR 31.21 – Discovery
(a) The following types of discovery are authorized:
Terms Used In 49 CFR 31.21
- Deposition: An oral statement made before an officer authorized by law to administer oaths. Such statements are often taken to examine potential witnesses, to obtain discovery, or to be used later in trial.
- Discovery: Lawyers' examination, before trial, of facts and documents in possession of the opponents to help the lawyers prepare for trial.
- Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
- Interrogatories: Written questions asked by one party of an opposing party, who must answer them in writing under oath; a discovery device in a lawsuit.
- Subpoena: A command to a witness to appear and give testimony.
- Transcript: A written, word-for-word record of what was said, either in a proceeding such as a trial or during some other conversation, as in a transcript of a hearing or oral deposition.
(1) Requests for production of documents for inspection and copying;
(2) Requests for admissions of the authenticity of any relevant document or of the truth of any relevant fact;
(3) Written interrogatories; and
(4) Depositions.
(b) For the purpose of this section and §§ 31.22 and 31.23, the term “documents” includes information, documents, reports, answers, records, accounts, papers, and other data and documentary evidence. Nothing contained herein shall be interpreted to require the creation of a document.
(c) Unless mutually agreed to by the parties, discovery is available only as ordered by the ALJ. The ALJ shall regulate the timing of discovery.
(d) Motions for discovery. (1) A party seeking discovery may file a motion. Such a motion shall be accompanied by a copy of the request for production of documents, request for admissions, or interrogatories, or in the case of depositions, a summary of the scope of the proposed deposition.
(2) Within ten days of service, a party may file an opposition to the motion and/or a motion for protective order as provided in § 31.24.
(3) The ALJ may grant a motion for discovery only if he or she finds that the discovery sought—
(i) Is necessary for the expeditious, fair, and reasonable consideration of the issues;
(ii) Is not unduly costly or burdensome;
(iii) Will not unduly delay the proceeding; and
(iv) Does not seek privileged information.
(4) The burden of showing that discovery should be allowed is on the party seeking discovery.
(5) The ALJ may grant discovery subject to a protective order under § 31.24.
(e) Depositions. (1) If a motion for deposition is granted, the ALJ shall issue a subpoena for the deponent, which may require the deponent to produce documents. The subpoena shall specify the time and place at which the deposition will be held.
(2) The party seeking to depose shall serve the subpoena in the manner prescribed in § 31.8.
(3) The deponent may file a motion to quash the subpoena or a motion for a protective order within ten days of service. If the ALJ has not acted on such a motion by the return date, such date shall be suspended pending the ALJ’s final action on the motion.
(4) The party seeking to depose shall provide for the taking of a verbatim transcript of the deposition, which it shall make available to all other parties for inspection and copying.
(f) Each party shall bear its own costs of discovery.