Colo. R. Civ. P. 31

As amended through Rule Change 2024(9), effective May 2, 2024

Rule 31 - Depositions Upon Written Questions

(a) Serving Questions; Notice.

(1) A party may take the testimony of any person, including a party, by deposition upon written questions without leave of court except as provided in paragraph (2) of this section. The attendance of witnesses may be compelled by the use of subpoena as provided in C.R.C.P. 45.

(2) A party must obtain leave of court, and the court must grant leave to the extent consistent with C.R.C.P. 26(b)(2) if:

(A) a proposed deposition, if taken, would result in more depositions than set forth in the Case Management Order;

(B) the person to be examined already has been deposed in the case;

(C) a party seeks to take a deposition before the time specified in C.R.C.P. 26(d); or

(D) the person to be examined is confined in prison.

(3) A party desiring to take a deposition upon written questions shall serve them upon every other party with a notice stating:

(A) the name and address of the person who is to answer them, if known, and if the name is not known, a general description sufficient to identify the person or the particular class or group to which the person belongs; and

(B) the name or descriptive title and address of the officer before whom the deposition is to be taken.

A deposition upon written questions may be taken of a public or private corporation, or a partnership, or association, or governmental agency in accordance with the provision of C.R.C.P. 30(b)(6).

(4) Within 21 days after the notice and written questions are served, a party may serve cross questions upon all other parties. Within 14 days after being served with cross questions, a party may serve redirect questions upon all other parties. Within 7 days after being served with redirect questions, a party may serve re-cross questions upon all other parties. The court may for cause shown enlarge or shorten the time.

(b) Officer to Take Responses and Prepare Record. A copy of the notice and copies of all questions served shall be delivered by the party taking the deposition to the officer designated in the notice, who shall proceed promptly, in the manner provided by Rule 30(c), (e), and (f), to take the testimony of the witness in response to the questions and to prepare, certify, and file or mail the deposition, attaching thereto the copy of the notice and the questions received by him.

(c)Notice of Filing. When the deposition is filed the party taking it shall promptly give notice thereof to all other parties.

C.R.C.P. 31

Source: a amended and adopted April 14, 1994, effective January 1, 1995, for all cases filed on or after that date; committee comment approved June 10, 1994; a4 amended and adopted December 14, 2011, effective January 1, 2012, for all cases pending on or filed on or after January 1, 2012, pursuant to C.R.C.P. 1 b. Amendments effective July 1, 2015 for cases filed on or after July 1, 2015.

Comments

1995

[1] Revised C.R.C.P. 31 now interrelates with the differential case management features of C.R.C.P. 16 and C.R.C.P. 26. Because of mandatory disclosure, substantially less discovery is needed.

[2] A discovery schedule for the case is required by C.R.C.P. 16(b)(1)(IV). Under the requirements of that Rule, the parties must set forth in the Case Management Order the timing and number of depositions and the basis for the necessity of such discovery with attention to the presumptive limitations and standards set forth in C.R.C.P. 26(b)(2). There is also the requirement that counsel certify they have advised their clients of the estimated expenses and fees involved in the discovery. Discovery is thus tailored to the particular case. The parties in the first instance and ultimately the Court are responsible for setting reasonable limits and preventing abuse.

Annotation Law reviews. For article, "Depositions and Discovery, Rules 26 to 37 ", see 28 Dicta 375 (1951). For article, "Depositions and Discovery: Rules 26-37 ", see 23 Rocky Mt. L. Rev. 562 (1951). For article, "Plaintiff's Advantageous Use of Discovery, Pre-Trial and Summary Judgment", see 40 Den. L. Ctr. J. 192 (1963). For article, "A Deposition Primer, Part I: Setting Up the Deposition", see 11 Colo. Law. 938 (1982). For article, "Alternative Depositions: Practice and Procedure", see 19 Colo. Law. 57 (1990). C.R.C.P. 26 to 37 must be construed together along with the requirement that plaintiff establish a prima facie case for punitive damages, as a condition precedent to the plaintiff's right to discovery of defendant's financial information. Leidholt v. District Court, 619 P.2d 768 (Colo. 1980). For purposes of discovery in negligence action by patient who was infected with the AIDS virus after a blood transfusion, patient-plaintiff was entitled to submit written questions to anonymous blood donor, but may not ask donor's name or address. Belle Bonfils Memorial Blood Center v. District Court, 763 P.2d 1003 (Colo. 1988). Applied in Ricci v. Davis, 627 P.2d 1111 (Colo. 1981).

For subpoena for taking depositions, see C.R.C.P. 45(d); for taking of deposition of public or private corporation, partnership, association, or governmental agency, see C.R.C.P. 30(b)(6); for proceedings in taking depositions, see C.R.C.P. 30(c), (e), and (f); for notice of filing with depositions upon oral examination, see C.R.C.P. 30(f).