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§ RULE 37 FAILURE TO MAKE OR COOPERATE IN DISCOVERY; SANCTIONS

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RULE 37. FAILURE TO MAKE OR COOPERATE IN DISCOVERY; SANCTIONS

    (a) Motion for order compelling discovery. A party, upon reasonable notice to other parties and all persons affected thereby, may apply for an order compelling discovery as follows:

    (a)(1) Appropriate court. An application for an order to a party may be made to the court in which the action is pending, or, on matters relating to a deposition, to the court in the district where the deposition is being taken. An application for an order to a deponent who is not a party shall be made to the court in the district where the deposition is being taken.

    (a)(2) Motion.

    (a)(2)(A) If a party fails to make a disclosure required by Rule 26(a), any other party may move to compel disclosure and for appropriate sanctions. The motion must include a certification that the movant has in good faith conferred or attempted to confer with the party not making the disclosure in an effort to secure the disclosure without court action.

    (a)(2)(B) If a deponent fails to answer a question propounded or submitted under Rule 30 or 31, or a corporation or other entity fails to make a designation under Rule 30(b)(6) or 31(a), or a party fails to answer an interrogatory submitted under Rule 33, or if a party, in response to a request for inspection submitted under Rule 34, fails to respond that inspection will be permitted as requested or fails to permit inspection as requested, the discovering party may move for an order compelling an answer, or a designation, or an order compelling inspection in accordance with the request. The motion must include a certification that the movant has in good faith conferred or attempted to confer with the person or party failing to make the discovery in an effort to secure the information or material without court action. When taking a deposition on oral examination, the proponent of the question may complete or adjourn the examination before applying for an order.

    (a)(3) Evasive or incomplete disclosure, answer, or response. For purposes of this subdivision an evasive or incomplete disclosure, answer, or response is to be treated as a failure to disclose, answer, or respond.

    (a)(4) Expenses and sanctions.

    (a)(4)(A) If the motion is granted, or if the disclosure or requested discovery is provided after the motion was filed, the court shall, after opportunity for hearing, require the party or deponent whose conduct necessitated the motion or the party or attorney advising such conduct or both of them to pay to the moving party the reasonable expenses incurred in obtaining the order, including attorney fees, unless the court finds that the motion was filed without the movant's first making a good faith effort to obtain the disclosure or discovery without court action, or that the opposing party's nondisclosure, response, or objection was substantially justified, or that other circumstances make an award of expenses unjust.

    (a)(4)(B) If the motion is denied, the court may enter any protective order authorized under Rule 26(c) and shall, after opportunity for hearing, require the moving party or the attorney 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 fees, unless the court finds that the making of the motion was substantially justified or that other circumstances make an award of expenses unjust.

    (a)(4)(C) If the motion is granted in part and denied in part, the court may enter any protective order authorized under Rule 26(c) and may, after opportunity for hearing, apportion the reasonable expenses incurred in relation to the motion among the parties and persons in a just manner.

    (b) Failure to comply with order.

    (b)(1) Sanctions by court in district where deposition is taken. If a deponent fails to be sworn or to answer a question after being directed to do so by the court in the district in which the deposition is being taken, the failure may be considered a contempt of that court.

    (b)(2) Sanctions by court in which action is pending. If a party fails to obey an order entered under Rule 16(b) or if a party or an officer, director, or managing agent of a party or a person designated under Rule 30(b)(6) or 31(a) to testify on behalf of a party fails to obey an order to provide or permit discovery, including an order made under Subdivision (a) of this rule or Rule 35,, unless the court finds that the failure was substantially justified, the court in which the action is pending may take such action in regard to the failure as are just, including the following:

    (b)(2)(A) deem the matter or any other designated facts to be established for the purposes of the action in accordance with the claim of the party obtaining the order;

    (b)(2)(B) prohibit the disobedient party from supporting or opposing designated claims or defenses or from introducing designated matters in evidence;

    (b)(2)(C) strike pleadings or parts thereof, stay further proceedings until the order is obeyed, dismiss the action or proceeding or any part thereof, or render judgment by default against the disobedient party;

    (b)(2)(D) order the party or the attorney to pay the reasonable expenses, including attorney fees, caused by the failure;

    (b)(2)(E) treat the failure to obey an order, other than an order to submit to a physical or mental examination, as contempt of court; and

    (b)(2)(F) instruct the jury regarding an adverse inference.

    (c) Expenses on failure to admit. If a party fails to admit the genuineness of any document or the truth of any matter as requested under Rule 36, and if the party requesting the admissions thereafter proves the genuineness of the document or the truth of the matter, the party requesting the admissions may apply to the court for an order requiring the other party to pay the reasonable expenses incurred in making that proof, including reasonable attorney fees. The court shall make the order unless it finds that (1) the request was held objectionable pursuant to Rule 36(a), or (2) the admission sought was of no substantial importance, or (3) the party failing to admit had reasonable ground to believe that he might prevail on the matter, or (4) there was other good reason for the failure to admit.

    (d) Failure of party to attend at own deposition or serve answers to interrogatories or respond to request for inspection. If a party or an officer, director, or managing agent of a party or a person designated under Rule 30(b)(6) or 31(a) to testify on behalf of a party fails (1) to appear before the officer who is to take the deposition, after being served with a proper notice, or (2) to serve answers or objections to interrogatories submitted under Rule 33, after proper service of the interrogatories, or (3) to serve a written response to a request for inspection submitted under Rule 34, after proper service of the request, the court on motion may take any action authorized by Subdivision (b)(2).

    The failure to act described in this subdivision may not be excused on the ground that the discovery sought is objectionable unless the party failing to act has applied for a protective order as provided by Rule 26(c).

    (e) Failure to participate in the framing of a discovery plan. If a party or attorney fails to participate in good faith in the framing of a discovery plan by agreement as is required by Rule 26(f), the court on motion may take any action authorized by Subdivision (b)(2).

    (f) Failure to disclose. If a party fails to disclose a witness, document or other material as required by Rule 26(a) or Rule 26(e)(1), or to amend a prior response to discovery as required by Rule 26(e)(2), that party shall not be permitted to use the witness, document or other material at any hearing unless the failure to disclose is harmless or the party shows good cause for the failure to disclose. In addition to or in lieu of this sanction, the court on motion may take any action authorized by Subdivision (b)(2).

    (g) Failure to preserve evidence. Nothing in this rule limits the inherent power of the court to take any action authorized by Subdivision (b)(2) if a party destroys, conceals, alters, tampers with or fails to preserve a document, tangible item, electronic data or other evidence in violation of a duty. Absent exceptional circumstances, a court may not impose sanctions under these rules on a party for failing to provide electronically stored information lost as a result of the routine, good-faith operation of an electronic information system.