FRCP 34 – Federal Rules of Civil Procedure Rule No 34 [2024]

The legal procedure is essential for any organization or company. The legal team now follows Electronically Stored Information ESI through emails, videos, images, files, audio clips and other documents. It is necessary to follow protocols outlined by FRCP. FRCP stands for Federal Rules of Civil Procedure. There are 86 FRCP rules and FRCP 34 rule states about Producing Documents, Electronically Stored Information, and Tangible Things, or Entering onto Land for Inspection and Other Purposes.

The rule provides a request for inspection to set forth the items to be inspected either by item or category, describing with reasonable particularity. It shall specify a good time, place, and manner of making the inspection.

FRCP 34 Information

Many courts were following British policies and procedures. So, to streamline the US court system, Congress launched a series of reforms starting with the Conformity Act in 1872. In 1937, Congress passed the FRCP.  This gave the Supreme Court permission to issue general rules of practice and procedure for district courts across the country.

Since then, the FRCP has gone through numerous rounds of amendments. However, the FRCP still provides the basic framework governing how district courts should operate. Many state and local courts also model the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, making them a critical part of the US court system.

Here, a party may serve on any other party a request:

• To produce and permit to inspect, copying or test of the substance in the responding party’s possession, custody, or control
• Any designated documents or electronically stored information like writings, drawings, graphs, charts, photographs, sound recordings or images.  And also, other data stored in any medium from which information can be obtained either directly after translation by the responding party into a reasonably usable form; or
• to permit entry onto designated land or other tangible things possessed by the party so that the requesting party may inspect, measure, survey, photograph, or sample the property or any designated object on it.

FRCP 34 Procedure

One of the essential functions of the FRCP is to provide a uniform and repeatable process for requesting and procuring evidence during a court case. These rules are explicitly stated in Rule 34 of the FRCP.  It outlines expectations around producing documents, ESI, and tangible things or going onto someone’s property for inspection and other purposes.

FRCP 34 clarifies the contents of every request. It gives clear instructions as below:

• must describe a reasonable item or category of things to be inspected;
• must specify a good time, place, and manner for the inspection and for performing the related acts; and
• may determine the form in which electronically stored information is to be produced.

FRCP 34 Responses

The party to whom the request is heading has to respond in writing within 30 days of being served. If the request was to deliver under Rule 26(d)(2) within 30 days, a shorter or longer time may be stipulated under Rule 29 or be ordered by the court.

The response must either state as inspection and related activities will be permitted as requested or state the grounds for objecting to the request, including the reasons. The responding party can say that it will produce copies of documents or electronically stored information instead of permitting inspection. The production must then be completed for review specified in the request or another reasonable time specified in the response.

FRCP 34 Objections

Objecting to discovery requests is a routine but significant part of the discovery process. These critical tools allow attorneys to protect clients‘ interests and rights. But certain objection practices—many of which are commonplace among attorneys—are explicitly prohibited by the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure. Failing to adhere to these restrictions can lead to an array of consequences, including sanctions in some cases.

Conclusion

The amendments to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 34 address several problems in discovery practice, particularly objections that provide little, if any, information about the bases or consequences of those objections. The Advisory Committee Notes state that the amendments aim to reduce the potential to impose unreasonable burdens by objections to requests to produce. The practitioners responding to document requests should be specific, prepared, frank and timely.