Minshall et al v. Dufurrena et al
Filing
81
MEMORANDUM OPINION AND ORDER re 77 MOTION to Strike Errata Sheet Changes of Plaintiffs' Expert, Nena Winand, DVM's Deposition filed by Hartman Equine Reproduction Center, P.A.. Defendants Motion to Strike Errata Sheet Changes of Plaintiffs Expert, Nena Winand, DVMs Deposition (Dkt. #77) is hereby DENIED. Signed by Judge Amos L. Mazzant, III on 11/17/16. (cm, )
United States District Court
EASTERN DISTRICT OF TEXAS
SHERMAN DIVISION
SHAWN MINSHALL, LISA VICTORIA
MINSHALL, LAUREN VICTORIA
MINSHALL
v.
HARTMAN EQUINE REPRODUCTION
CENTER, P.A.
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Civil Action No. 4:15-CV-00764-ALM
Judge Mazzant
MEMORANDUM OPINION AND ORDER
Pending before the Court is Defendant’s Motion to Strike Errata Sheet Changes of
Plaintiffs’ Expert, Nena Winand, DVM’s Deposition (Dkt. #77). After reviewing the relevant
pleadings, the Court finds that the motion should be denied.
BACKGROUND
Defendant deposed Plaintiffs’ expert, Dr. Nena Winand (“Dr. Winand”), on
August 2, 2016. On September 13, 2016, Plaintiffs’ counsel sent Defendant an eight page errata
sheet containing thirty four changes to Dr. Winand’s deposition testimony. Many of the changes
substantively altered the original deposition testimony and replaced the original responses with
contradictory, new responses. For example, on several occasions, Dr. Winand changed her
response from being aware of certain policies to not being aware of the policies (Dkt #76 at p.
3–6; Dkt. #76, Exhibit 1).
On September 30, 2016, Defendant filed a motion to re-depose Dr. Winand (Dkt. #73).
On October 4, 2016, the Court held a hearing regarding the motion to re-depose. The Court
granted the motion on October 5, 2016, and gave Defendant the option to re-depose Dr. Winand
or file a motion to strike (Dkt. #75). On October 13, 2016, Defendant filed the pending Motion
to Strike Errata Sheet Changes (Dkt. #77). On October 17, 2015, Plaintiffs filed a response.
LEGAL STANDARD
Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 30(e)(1) provides that:
[o]n request by the deponent or a party before the deposition is completed, the
deponent must be allowed 30 days after being notified by the officer that the
transcript or recording is available in which:
(A) to review the transcript or recording; and
(B) if there are changes in form or substance, to sign a statement listing
the changes and the reasons for making them.
FED. R. CIV. P. 30(e)(1). The Fifth Circuit has not ruled on the scope of permissible
substantive corrections to a deposition under Rule 30(e).
There are “two lines of
cases . . . regarding the degree to which a deponent should be allowed to change the
substance of his testimony after the fact.” Raytheon Co. v. Indigo Sys. Corp., No. 4:07CV-109, 2009 WL 424773, at *2 (E.D. Tex. Feb. 18, 2009). “The majority of federal
courts place no limit on the nature of the changes a witness may make to the substance of
his testimony” and allow “both the original and amended versions of changed deposition
testimony to remain in the record, leaving the witness to explain the changes to a likely
skeptical jury.” Id. (citations omitted); see also Reilly v. TXU Corp., 230 F.R.D. 486,
489-90 (N.D. Tex. 2005). Courts also note whether a party filed an errata sheet before
moving for summary judgment and whether the party cited the deposition in its motion
for summary judgment. Id. However, a minority of courts have held that “Rule [30]
cannot be interpreted to allow one to alter what was said under oath.”
Greenway v. Int’l Paper Co., 144 F.R.D. 322 (W.D. La. 1992)).
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Id. (citing
ANALYSIS
Here, Dr. Winand made several substantive changes to her deposition testimony
and included contradictory responses in her errata sheet. However, the parties did not
cite Dr. Winand’s deposition or the errata sheet changes in their summary judgement
briefings.
Further, Defendant will have the opportunity to explore the changes Dr.
Winand made to her deposition testimony in front of the jury. Dr. Winand’s errata sheet
will be allowed to remain in the trial record, along with the original version of the
transcript.
CONCLUSION
.
It is therefore ORDERED that Defendant’s Motion to Strike Errata Sheet
Changes of Plaintiffs’ Expert, Nena Winand, DVM’s Deposition (Dkt. #77) is hereby
DENIED.
SIGNED this 17th day of November, 2016.
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AMOS L. MAZZANT
UNITED STATES DISTRICT JUDGE
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