DOJ-OGR-00002893.jpg
Extracted Text (OCR)
Case 1:20-cr-00330-PAE Document195 Filed 04/05/21 Page4of11
Page 4
evidence; it cannot be used as a device to gain understanding or explanation.” United States v.
Rich, No. 83 Cr. 579 (SWK), 1984 WL 845, at *3 (S.D.N.Y. Sept. 7, 1984) (internal quotation
marks omitted) (emphasis added). Accordingly, subpoenas that call for “any” and “all” records
“do not evince specificity” and “read[] like a discovery request, which is not permitted under Rule
17(c).” Tagliaferro, 2021 WL 980004 at *3; see Pena, 2016 WL 8735699, at *3. And “[g]enerally
the need for evidence to impeach witnesses is insufficient to require its production in advance of
trial.” Nixon, 418 U.S. at 701 (citations omitted); see Fed. R. Crim. P. 17(h) (“No party may
subpoena a statement of a witness or of a prospective witness under this rule.”).
If a subpoena calls for “personal or confidential information about a victim,” the subpoena
may be served “only by court order” following “notice to the victim so that the victim can move
to quash or modify the subpoena or otherwise object.” Fed. R. Crim. P. 17(c)(3). After a subpoena
issues, “[t]he court may direct the witness to produce the designated items in court before trial or
before they are to be offered in evidence.” Fed. R. Crim. P. 17(c)(1). “When the items arrive, the
court may permit the parties and their attorneys to inspect all or part of them.” Jd.
II. The Court Should Direct the Defendant to Provide Notice of Prior and Future
Applications Under Rule 17(c) to the Government
The Government has legitimate and cognizable interests in Rule 17(c) subpoenas issued by
the defense. In particular, courts have routinely found that the Government has standing to move
to quash Rule 17(c) subpoenas that target information about anticipated Government witnesses
“based on the Government’s ‘interest in preventing any undue lengthening of the trial, any undue
harassment of the witness and his family, and any prejudicial over-emphasis on the witness’s
credibility.” United States v. Ray, -- F.R.D. --, No. 20 Cr. 110 (LJL), 2020 WL 6939677, at *7
(S.D.N.Y. Nov. 25, 2020) (alterations omitted) (quoting United States v. Giampa, No. 92 Cr. 437
(PKL), 1992 WL 296440, at *1 (S.D.N.Y. Oct. 7, 1992)); see United States v. Bergstein, No. 16
DOJ-OGR-00002893
Extracted Information
Document Details
| Filename | DOJ-OGR-00002893.jpg |
| File Size | 762.0 KB |
| OCR Confidence | 94.0% |
| Has Readable Text | Yes |
| Text Length | 2,295 characters |
| Indexed | 2026-02-03 16:28:15.633659 |