I watched a judge tear apart a discovery request on procedural grounds

I was sitting in on a deposition prep session in Chicago last month when opposing counsel tried to submit a massive discovery request with zero specificity. The judge asked them to point to one relevant fact and they couldn't do it. I saw 15 pages of boilerplate objections get tossed in under two minutes. Has anyone else seen discovery abuse get smacked down that fast?

2 comments

2 Comments

joseph_hart5d ago

The 90 day time limit in Illinois Rule 214 does exactly that if you know how to use it. I've seen judges toss fishing expeditions that don't connect each request to a specific defense or claim. Keep your objections tight and let them embarrass themselves when they can't answer a direct question about relevance.

barnes.brian4d ago

Does Rule 214 actually get enforced that hard in practice, or was it just a judge having a bad day? I've seen too many attorneys treat it like a suggestion and get away with it for months. Usually takes a couple of hearings before they finally get the message.