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Case 1:15-cv-07433-LAP Document 1328-18 Filed 01/05/24 Page 27 of 50
This request is particularly improper as it cannot conceivably lead to admissible
evidence. While Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 26 controls the limits of discovery, FRE 412
informs discovery over the boundaries of the proper inquiry into an alleged sexual assault
victim’s sexual conduct and history. Silva v. Pioneer Janitorial Servs., Inc., No. CIV.A. 10-
11264-JGD, 2011 WL 4729783, at *1 (D. Mass. Oct. 4, 2011). See also Gibbons v. Food Lion,
Inc., No. 98-1197—CIV—T-23F, 1999 WL 33226474, at *2 (M.D. Fla. Feb.19, 1999) (stating that
a majority of courts that have considered whether Fed. R. Evid. 412 is applicable to discovery
“have found that Rule 412 has significance in the resolution of a discovery dispute’’).
“As explained in the Advisory Committee Notes regarding the 1994 amendments to Rule
412, ‘[t]he rule aims to safeguard the alleged victim against the invasion of privacy, potential
embarrassment and sexual stereotyping that is associated with public disclosure of intimate
sexual details and the infusion of sexual innuendo into the factfinding process.’ Moreover,
although the Advisory Committee Notes acknowledge that the procedures set forth in the Rule
for determining the admissibility of evidence relating to an alleged victim’s past sexual conduct
or predisposition do not apply to discovery, they nevertheless provide as follows:
In order not to undermine the rationale of Rule 412 ... courts should enter appropriate
orders pursuant to Fed. R. Civ. P. 26(c) to protect the victim against unwarranted
inquiries and to ensure confidentiality. Courts should presumptively issue protective
orders barring discovery unless the party seeking discovery makes a showing that the
evidence sought to be discovered would be relevant under the facts and theories of the
particular case, and cannot be obtained except through discovery. In an action for sexual
harassment, for instance, while some evidence of the alleged victim’s sexual behavior
and/or predisposition in the workplace may perhaps be relevant, non-workplace conduct
will usually be irrelevant.”
Silva, 2011 WL 4729783, at *1. (emphasis added). Accordingly, Ms. Giuffre objects to this
request based on the Federal Rules of Evidence and prevailing case law applying such Rules.
2. Interrogatory No. 14 is Propounded for Improper Purposes and
Harassment
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Dates
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| Filename | Giuffre_Maxwell_Batch4_p00330.png |
| File Size | 346.6 KB |
| OCR Confidence | 95.2% |
| Has Readable Text | Yes |
| Text Length | 2,420 characters |
| Indexed | 2026-02-04 12:41:57.374646 |