§ RULE 3-510 SUBPOENAS
RULE 3-510. SUBPOENAS
(a) Use. A subpoena is required to compel the person to whom it is directed to attend, give testimony, and produce designated documents or other tangible things at a court proceeding, including proceedings before a master, auditor, or examiner. A subpoena is also required to compel a nonparty and may be used to compel a party over whom the court has acquired jurisdiction to attend, give testimony, and produce and permit inspection and copying of designated documents or other tangible things at a deposition taken pursuant to Rule 3-401 or 3-431. A subpoena shall not be used for any other purpose. If the court, on motion of a party alleging a violation of this section or on its own initiative, after affording the alleged violator a hearing, finds that a party or attorney used or attempted to use a subpoena for a purpose other than a purpose allowed under this section, the court may impose an appropriate sanction upon the party or attorney, including an award of a reasonable attorney's fee and costs, the exclusion of evidence obtained by the subpoena, and reimbursement of any person inconvenienced for time and expenses incurred.
(b) Issuance. On the request of a person entitled to the issuance of a subpoena, the clerk shall issue a completed subpoena, or provide a blank form of subpoena which shall be filled in and returned to the clerk to be signed and sealed before service. On the request of an attorney or other officer of the court entitled to the issuance of a subpoena, the clerk shall issue a subpoena signed and sealed but otherwise in blank, which shall be filled in before service.
(c) Form. Every subpoena shall contain: (1) the caption of the action, (2) the name and address of the person to whom it is directed, (3) the name of the person at whose request it is issued, (4) the date, time, and place where attendance is required, (5) a description of any documents or other tangible things to be produced.
(d) Service. A subpoena shall be served by delivering a copy to the person named or to an agent authorized by appointment or by law to receive service for the person named or as permitted by Rule 3-121 (a)(3). Service of a subpoena upon a party represented by an attorney may be made by service upon the attorney under Rule 1-321 (a). A subpoena may be served by a sheriff of any county or by any person who is not a party and who is not less than 18 years of age. Unless impracticable, a party shall make a good faith effort to cause a trial or hearing subpoena to be served at least five days before the trial or hearing.
Cross reference: See Code, Courts Article, § 6-410, concerning service upon certain persons other than the custodian of public records named in the subpoena if the custodian is not known and cannot be ascertained after a reasonable effort. As to additional requirements for certain subpoenas, see Code, Health- General Article, § 4-306 (b)(6) and Code, Financial Institutions Article, § 1-304.
(e) Objection to Subpoena for Court Proceedings. On motion of a person served with a subpoena to attend a court proceeding (including a proceeding before a master, auditor, or examiner) filed promptly and, whenever practicable, at or before the time specified in the subpoena for compliance, the court may enter an order that justice requires to protect the person from annoyance, embarrassment, oppression, or undue burden or expense, including one or more the following:
(1) that the subpoena be quashed or modified;
(2) that the subpoena be complied with only at some designated time or place other than that stated in the subpoena;
(3) that documents or other tangible things designated in the subpoena be produced only upon the advancement by the party serving the subpoena of the reasonable costs of producing them; or
(4) that documents or other tangible things designated in the subpoena be delivered to the court at or before the proceeding or before the time when they are to be offered in evidence, subject to further order of court to permit inspection of them.
(f) Objection to Subpoena for Deposition. A person served with a subpoena to attend a deposition may seek a protective order pursuant to Rule 2-403. If the subpoena also commands the production of documents or other tangible things at the deposition, the person served may seek a protective order pursuant to Rule 2-403 or may file, within ten days after service of the subpoena, an objection to production of any or all of the designated materials. The objection shall be in writing and shall state the reasons for the objection. If an objection is filed, the party serving the subpoena is not entitled to production of the materials except pursuant to an order of the court from which the subpoena was issued. At any time before or within 15 days after completion of the deposition and upon notice to the deponent, the party serving the subpoena may move for an order to compel the production.
(g) Protection of Persons Subject to Subpoenas. A party or an attorney responsible for the issuance and service of a subpoena shall take reasonable steps to avoid imposing undue burden or expense on a person subject to the subpoena.
Cross reference: For the availability of sanctions for violations of this section, see Rules 1-201 (a) and 1-341.
(h) Records Produced by Custodians.
(1) Generally. A custodian of records served with a subpoena to produce records at trial may comply by delivering the records to the clerk of the court that issued the subpoena at or before the time specified for production. The custodian may produce exact copies of the records designated unless the subpoena specifies that the original records be produced. The records shall be delivered in a sealed envelope labeled with the caption of the action, the date specified for production, and the name and address of the person at whose request the subpoena was issued. The records shall be accompanied by a certificate of the custodian that they are the complete records requested for the period designated in the subpoena and that the records are maintained in the regular course of business. The certification shall be prima facie evidence of the authenticity of the records.
Cross reference: Code, Health-General Article, § 4-306 (b)(6); Code, Financial Institutions Article, § 1-304.
(2) During Trial. Unless the court has ordered that the records may be inspected and copied prior to trial, upon commencement of the trial, the clerk shall release the records only to the courtroom clerk assigned to the trial. The courtroom clerk shall return the records to the clerk promptly upon completion of trial or at an earlier time if there is no longer a need for them. Upon final disposition of the action, the clerk shall return the original records to the custodian but need not return copies.
(3) Presence of Custodian. When the actual presence of the custodian of records is required, the subpoena shall state with specificity the reason for the presence of the custodian.
Cross reference: Code, Courts Article, § 10-104 includes an alternative method of authenticating medical records in certain cases.
(i) Attachment. A witness served with a subpoena under this Rule is liable to body attachment and fine for failure to obey the subpoena without sufficient excuse. The writ of attachment may be executed by the sheriff or peace officer of any county and shall be returned to the court issuing it. The witness attached shall be taken immediately before the court if then in session. If the court is not in session, the witness shall be taken before a judicial officer of the District Court for a determination of appropriate conditions of release to ensure the witness' appearance at the next session of the court that issued the attachment.
Source: This Rule is derived as follows:
Section (a) is new but the second sentence is derived in part from former Rule 407 a.
Section (b) is new.
Section (c) is derived from former M.D.R. 114 a and b and 115 a.
Section (d) is derived from former M.D.R. 104 a and b and 116 b.
Section (e) is derived from former M.D.R. 115 b.
Section (f) is derived from the 1980 version of Fed. R. Civ. P. 45 (d)(1).
Section (g) is derived from the 1991 version of Fed. R. Civ. P. 45 (c)(1).
Section (h) is new.
Section (i) is derived from former M.D.R. 114 d and 742 e.