(a) No Excuses. Except in cases involving qualified immunity or a court order to the contrary,
a party is not excused from responding to discovery because there are pending motions to
dismiss, to remand, or to change venue.
(b) Disclosure of Expert Testimony.
(1) When listing the cases in which the witness has testified as an expert, the disclosure
shall include the styles of the cases, the courts in which the cases were pending,
the cause numbers, and whether the testimony was in trial or by deposition.
(2) By order in the case, the judge may alter the type or form of disclosures to be made
with respect to particular experts or categories of experts, such as treating
physicians.
(c) Notice of Disclosure. The parties shall promptly file a notice with the court that the
disclosures required under Fed. R. Civ. P. 26(a)(1) and (a)(2) have taken place.
(d) Relevant to Any Party’s Claim or Defense. The following observations are provided for
counsel’s guidance in evaluating whether a particular piece of information is “relevant to
any party’s claim or defense”:
(1) it includes information that would not support the disclosing parties’ contentions;
(2) it includes those persons who, if their potential testimony were known, might
reasonably be expected to be deposed or called as a witness by any of the parties;
(3) it is information that is likely to have an influence on or affect the outcome of a
claim or defense;
(4) it is information that deserves to be considered in the preparation, evaluation, or
trial of a claim or defense; and
(5) it is information that reasonable and competent counsel would consider reasonably
necessary to prepare, evaluate, or try a claim or defense.
(e) Discovery Hotline (903) 590-1198. The court shall provide a judge on call during business
hours to rule on discovery disputes and to enforce provisions of these rules. Counsel may
contact the duty judge for that month by dialing the hotline number listed above for any
case in the district and get a hearing on the record and ruling on the discovery dispute,
including whether a particular discovery request falls within the applicable scope of
discovery, or request to enforce or modify provisions of the rules as they relate to a
particular case.
