(A) This section may be cited as the “Uniform Interstate Depositions and Discovery Act.”

Terms Used In Ohio Code 2319.09

  • Clerk of court: An officer appointed by the court to work with the chief judge in overseeing the court's administration, especially to assist in managing the flow of cases through the court and to maintain court records.
  • Corporation: A legal entity owned by the holders of shares of stock that have been issued, and that can own, receive, and transfer property, and carry on business in its own name.
  • Deposition: An oral statement made before an officer authorized by law to administer oaths. Such statements are often taken to examine potential witnesses, to obtain discovery, or to be used later in trial.
  • Discovery: Lawyers' examination, before trial, of facts and documents in possession of the opponents to help the lawyers prepare for trial.
  • Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
  • Partnership: A voluntary contract between two or more persons to pool some or all of their assets into a business, with the agreement that there will be a proportional sharing of profits and losses.
  • Person: includes an individual, corporation, business trust, estate, trust, partnership, and association. See Ohio Code 1.59
  • Rule: includes regulation. See Ohio Code 1.59
  • state: means the state of Ohio. See Ohio Code 1.59
  • Statute: A law passed by a legislature.
  • Subpoena: A command to a witness to appear and give testimony.
  • Testimony: Evidence presented orally by witnesses during trials or before grand juries.
  • United States: includes all the states. See Ohio Code 1.59

(B) As used in this section:

(1) “Foreign jurisdiction” means a state other than Ohio.

(2) “Foreign subpoena” means a subpoena issued under authority of a court of record of a foreign jurisdiction.

(3) “Person” means an individual, corporation, business trust, estate, trust, partnership, limited liability company, association, joint venture, public corporation, government, or governmental subdivision, agency, or instrumentality, or any other legal or commercial entity.

(4) “State” means a state of the United States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the United States Virgin Islands, a federally recognized Indian tribe, or any territory or insular possession subject to the jurisdiction of the United States.

(5) “Subpoena” means a document, however denominated, issued under authority of a court of record requiring a person to do any of the following:

(a) Attend and give testimony at a deposition;

(b) Produce and permit inspection and copying of designated books, documents, records, electronically stored information, or tangible things in the possession, custody, or control of the person;

(c) Permit inspection of premises under the control of the person.

(C)(1) To request issuance of a subpoena under this section, a party shall submit a foreign subpoena to a clerk of court in the county in which discovery is sought to be conducted in this state. A request for the issuance of a subpoena under this section does not constitute an appearance in the courts of this state.

(2) When a party submits a foreign subpoena to a clerk of court in this state, the clerk, in accordance with that court’s procedure, shall promptly issue a subpoena for service upon the person to which the foreign subpoena is directed.

(3) A subpoena issued under division (C)(2) of this section shall do both of the following:

(a) Incorporate the terms used in the foreign subpoena;

(b) Contain or be accompanied by the names, addresses, and telephone numbers of all counsel of record in the proceeding to which the subpoena relates and of any party not represented by counsel.

(D) A subpoena issued by a clerk of court under division (C) of this section shall be served in compliance with any rule of court or statute relating to the service of a subpoena issued in this state.

(E) The Ohio Rules of Civil Procedure and any statutes relating to service of subpoenas and compliance with subpoenas to attend and give testimony, produce designated books, documents, records, electronically stored information, or other tangible things, or to allow inspection of premises shall apply to subpoenas issued under division (C) of this section.

(F) An application to the court for a protective order or to enforce, quash, or modify a subpoena issued by a clerk of court under division (C) of this section shall comply with the Ohio Rules of Civil Procedure and be submitted to the court in the county in which discovery is to be conducted.

(G) In applying and construing this section, consideration shall be given to the need to promote uniformity of the law with respect to its subject matter among states that enact a substantially similar statute or rule.

(H) This section applies to requests for discovery in cases pending on the effective date of this act.