Rule 45. Subpoena

(a) Form; issuance. --

(1) Every subpoena shall:

(A) State the name of the Court and the county from which it is issued; and

(B) state the title of the action, the name of the court in which it is pending, and its civil action number; and

(C) command each person to whom it is directed to attend and give testimony or to produce and permit inspection and copying of designated books, documents, or tangible things in the possession, custody or control of that person, or to permit inspection of premises, at a time and place therein specified; and

(D) set forth the text of subsection (e) of this rule. A command to produce evidence or to permit inspection may be joined with a command to appear at trial or hearing or may be issued separately.

(2) A subpoena shall issue from the county in which the action is pending.

(3) The clerk shall issue a subpoena, signed by either the clerk or a judge. A Delaware attorney, as an officer of the Court, may also issue and sign a subpoena.

(4) A subpoena to compel any judge to testify concerning actions taken in his or her official capacity shall not be issued without the prior approval of the Court. A party or attorney seeking a subpoena to compel a judge to testify concerning his or her official actions shall seek an order of approval by written motion which shall specify the purposes for which the testimony is sought. The Court may hold a hearing. A judge shall not be required to respond to a subpoena concerning official actions unless it is accompanied by a copy of the court order approving the subpoena.

(5) Where a subpoena requested by a pro se litigant appears to be unreasonable or to subject a person to an undue burden, the Court may, on its own motion, deny the issuance of the subpoena or hold a hearing, as it deems necessary.

(b) Service. --

(1) A subpoena may be served by any person who is not a party and is not less than 18 years of age. Service of a subpoena upon a person named therein shall be made by delivering a copy of the subpoena to such person and providing a copy of the subpoena, with return of service noted, to the Court. Prior notice of any commanded production of documents and things or inspection of premises before trial shall be served on each party in the manner prescribed by Rule 5(b).

(2) Proof of service, when necessary, shall be made by filing with the Court from which the subpoena issued a statement of the date and manner of service and of the names of the persons served, certified by the person who made the service.

(c) Protection of persons subject to subpoenas. --

(1) 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 that subpoena. The Court shall enforce this duty and impose upon the party or attorney in breach of this duty an appropriate sanction, which may include, but is not limited to, lost earnings and a reasonable attorney's fee.

(2) 2.00000018 A person commanded to produce and permit inspection and copying of designated books, papers, documents or tangible things or inspection of premises need not appear in person at the place of production or inspection unless commanded to appear for hearing or trial.

(B) Subject to paragraph (d)(2) of this rule, a person commanded to produce and permit inspection and copying may, within 15 days after service of the subpoena or before the time specified for compliance if such time is less than 15 days after service, serve upon the party or attorney designated in the subpoena written objection to inspection or copying of any or all of the designated materials or of the premises. If objection is made, the party serving the subpoena shall not be entitled to inspect and copy the materials or inspect the premises except pursuant to an order of the Court. If objection has been made, the party serving the subpoena may, upon notice to the person commanded to produce, move at any time for an order to compel the production. Such an order to compel production shall protect any person who is not a party or an officer of a party from significant expense resulting from the inspection and copying commanded.

(3) 2.00000020 The Court may quash or modify the subpoena if it:

(i) Fails to allow reasonable time for compliance,

(ii) requires disclosure of privileged or other protected matter and no exception or waiver applies, or

(iii) subjects a person to undue burden.

(B) If a subpoena requires disclosure of an unretained expert's opinion or information not describing specific events or occurrences in dispute and resulting from the expert's study made not at the request of any party, the Court may, to protect a person subject to or affected by the subpoena, quash or modify the subpoena or, if the party in whose behalf the subpoena is issued shows a substantial need for the testimony or material that cannot be otherwise met without under hardship and assures that the person to whom the subpoena is addressed will be reasonably compensated, the Court may order appearance or production only upon specified conditions.

(d) Duties in responding to subpoena. --

(1) A person responding to a subpoena to produce documents shall produce them as they are kept in the usual course of business or shall organize and label them to correspond with the categories in the demand.

(2) When information subject to a subpoena is withheld on a claim that it is privileged or subject to protection as trial preparation materials, the claim shall be made expressly and shall be supported by a description of the nature of the documents, communications, or things not produced that is sufficient to enable the demanding party to contest the claim.

(e) Contempt. -- Failure by any person without adequate excuse to obey a subpoena served upon that person may be deemed a contempt of court.