{"id":897852,"date":"2020-08-19T11:11:56","date_gmt":"2020-08-19T17:11:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.myconstructionexpert.com\/blog\/?p=897852"},"modified":"2020-08-19T11:11:59","modified_gmt":"2020-08-19T17:11:59","slug":"remote-depositions-ordered-by-courts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.myconstructionexpert.com\/blog\/remote-depositions-ordered-by-courts\/","title":{"rendered":"Courts Are Ordering Remote Depositions as the COVID-19 Pandemic Continues"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Victor J. Zarrilli, Robert G. Devine and Douglas M. Weck | White and Williams<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The COVID-19 pandemic has generally put a stop to in-person depositions<\/a> nationwide. Many litigants and their attorneys have also resisted attempts to proceed with remote\u00a0video\u00a0depositions,\u00a0some\u00a0holding out for the pandemic to subside and for the return of in-person business as usual\u00a0while others are resistant to using new or unfamiliar virtual\u00a0video technology. However, with COVID-19 cases still increasing nationwide, courts are beginning to mandate that depositions<\/a> proceed remotely\u00a0regardless of these apprehensions. It looks like remote\u00a0video\u00a0depositions\u00a0may\u00a0become\u00a0part of\u00a0a new set of best practices\u00a0and perhaps mandatory\u00a0in some circumstances\u00a0for the foreseeable future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Supreme Court of New Jersey, for example, has ordered that \u201c[t]o the extent practicable . . . depositions should continue to be conducted remotely using necessary and available video technology.\u201d The court has not explicitly mandated remote depositions, but has certainly encouraged trial courts to do so, indicating in orders litigants are \u201cstrongly encouraged\u201d to depose witnesses remotely. Other jurisdictions, such as Philadelphia\u2019s First Judicial District, have given trial court\u2019s similar authority and flexibility.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Recently, a trial court in Middlesex County, New Jersey granted a\u00a0motion to compel a defense deposition\u00a0of the plaintiff to proceed remotely, if not in person, over the objection of plaintiff\u2019s counsel in a slip-and-fall case.\u00a0This is one of the first such rulings in this area.\u00a0The plaintiff\u2019s counsel objected to the remote deposition on the grounds that his client was elderly with a heavy accent, had no technology knowledge, and had no internet access. That would seem to be a pretty good argument that a remote deposition would be impracticable. However, the defendant bolstered their case with an offer to cover the cost of renting and delivering a remote deposition technology package to\u00a0the\u00a0plaintiff, complete with a tablet, phone, speaker, internet hotspot and remote training beforehand. Although the trial court acknowledged the plaintiff\u2019s \u201csignificant hardship,\u201d the court ordered that the deposition proceed remotely if not in person.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Disputes over remote depositions will need to be resolved on a case-by-case basis in light of the particular needs of the parties and the case. The COVID-19 pandemic is a unique circumstance. But well before the pandemic, courts have ordered depositions to take place remotely where warranted by the circumstances. Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 30(b)(4), for example, explicitly empowers trial courts to order remote depositions. When disputes arise, federal courts generally focus on whether the party opposing the remote deposition can demonstrate sufficient prejudice, and whether there is sufficient assurance that the deposition will produce accurate and trustworthy testimony.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It should be anticipated that courts will begin to order remote depositions more readily as judges, attorneys, and members of the public become more comfortable with remote technology and understand that cases will need to move forward despite the pandemic. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Victor J. Zarrilli, Robert G. Devine and Douglas M. Weck | White and Williams The COVID-19 pandemic has generally put a stop to in-person depositions nationwide. Many litigants and their attorneys have also resisted attempts to proceed with remote\u00a0video\u00a0depositions,\u00a0some\u00a0holding out for the pandemic to subside and for the return of in-person business as usual\u00a0while others… Continue reading Courts Are Ordering Remote Depositions as the COVID-19 Pandemic Continues<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[172],"tags":[9895,11113,8015],"class_list":["post-897852","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-construction-law-2","tag-advise-consult","tag-covid-19","tag-depositions","entry"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"yoast_head":"\nCourts Are Ordering Remote Depositions as the COVID-19 Pandemic Continues - 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