How to Write Requests for Admissions

Posted by Katherine Gallo on February 15, 2011 Print Comments (2) More Sharing Ser i!esShare "in# $e%uests &or admissions may be used to (1) establish the truth o& s'e!i&ied &a!ts, (2) admit a legal !on!lusion, (() determine a 'arty)s o'inion relating to a &a!t, (*) settle a matter in !ontro ersy, and (5) admit the genuineness o& do!uments+ See C+C+P+ ,20((+010 ('d&)- .eil and /ro0n, Cal. Prac. Guide: Civil Procedure Before Trial (1$G 2010), 22341233 5 341(01+2- C6/ California Civil Discovery Practice *th 6dition ,, 7418 5 7420+ 9o0e er that is all good and dandy, but ho0 to 0rite a re%uest &or admission in order to obtain e&&e!ti e e iden!e or to set u' a !ost o& 'roo& san!tion is di&&i!ult+ C+C+P+ ,20((+0:0 ('d&) sets &orth the basi! tenants as to ho0 a re%uest &or admission must be dra&ted4 6a!h re%uest must be numbered !onse!uti ely+ C+C+P+ ,20((+0:0(a) 1he &irst 'aragra'h immediately shall state he identity o& the 'arty re%uesting the admissions, the set number, and the identity o& the res'onding 'arty+ C+C+P+ ,20((+0:0(b) 6a!h re%uest shall be ;se'arately set &orth+< C+C+P+ , 20((+0:0(!) 6a!h re%uest shall be ;&ull and !om'lete in and o& itsel&< and there shall be no 're&a!e or instru!tions+ C+C+P+ ,20((+0:0(d) =o !arry o er de&initions+ C+C+P+ ,20((+0:0(e) =o sub'arts or ;!om'ound, !on>un!ti e or dis>un!ti e< re%uests+ C+C+P+ ,20((+0:0(&) ?& you are re%uesting an admission o& the genuineness o& do!uments, then they must be atta!hed+ C+C+P+ ,20((+0:0(g) 1he dis!o ery treatises also gi e some hel'&ul ad i!e+ .eil and /ro0n, Cal. Prac. Guide: Civil Procedure Before Trial (1$G 2010), ,341238+1 states4 Keep your RFAs as simple as possi le so t!ere is no room for denial" T!is #ill avoid o $ections on t!e %round of &compound and con$unctive. Keep in mind t!at any admission o tained #ill pro a ly e construed narro#ly. 'o( ma)e sure t!ere is no room for *ui lin% as to #!at #as admitted" C6/, California Civil Discovery Practice (*th ed+ 2010) ,7418 ad ises that be!ause the !ourt has broad dis!retion in determining admissibility and rele an!e o& e iden!e and s!o'e and e&&e!t o& an admission the + . . RFAs must e clear concise and unam i%uous. See Frederic)s v. Kontos +ndus.( +nc. (1738) 137 C@ (d 282, 288 ('d&) ,if admission is suscepti le to more t!an one meanin%( trial court must e-ercise its discretion to determine scope and effect of admission &so t!at it accurately reflects #!at facts are admitted in t!e li%!t of ot!er evidence. Trial courts may consider parol evidence t!at e-plains an admission ut cannot use parol evidence to

contradict t!e plain meanin% of a response to an RFA. if a response to an RFA is unam i%uous( t!e matter admitted is conclusively esta lis!ed. /onroy v. City of 0os An%eles (2003) 1:* C@*th 2*3, 2:0 ('d&) 9o0e er, the best ad i!e ? 0as e er gi en 0as 0hen ? 0as admonished by a Audge+ Buring a Case Management Con&eren!e the Audge as#ed me 0hat 0ere the >ury instru!tions ? 0as going to use at trial+ ? res'onded ;1our 2onor #e dont even !ave a trial date yet+< 1he Audge re'lied ;T!en !o# do you )no# #!at discovery you need to prove your case3< ? 0ent ba!# to my o&&i!e and 0hined to our seasoned trial attorney+ 9e had no sym'athy &or me and said ; T!e 4ud%e is ri%!t. Go loo) at t!e $ury instructions and fi%ure out your case+< .ith my tail bet0een my legs ? 0ent to the library and loo#ed at >ury instru!tions &or the &irst time+ 1hey 0ere amaCing+ 1hey 0ere one 'age road ma's as to 0hat ? had to 'ro e+ $ight then and there ? started using re%uests &or admissions+ @s an eDam'le, using Cali&ornia Aury ?nstru!tion 1201 1itled Stri!t "iabilityEManu&a!turing Be&e!tE 6ssential Fa!tual 6lements ('d&), ? 0ould 0rite my re%uests as &ollo0s4 Request # 14 @dmit that Fname of defendantG Fmanufactured5 distri uted5 soldG the FproductG+ Request #2: @dmit that the FproductG !ontained a manu&a!turing de&e!t 0hen it le&t Fname of defendantG)s 'ossession. Request #34 @dmit that Fname of plaintiffG 0as harmed 0hile using the FproductG in a reasonably &oreseeable 0ay+ Request #44 harm+ @dmit that the FproductG)s de&e!t 0as a substantial &a!tor in !ausing Fname of plaintiffG)s

? 0ould then ser e these $e%uests &or @dmissions 0ith Form ?nterrogatory H18+1 and a $e%uest &or Produ!tion o& Bo!uments &or ;all do!uments listed in your ans0ers to Form ?nterrogatory 18+1(d)+I 1he &oundation o& my dis!o ery 'lan 0as no0 set and ? 0as in a 'osition to re!ei e e&&e!ti e e iden!e or, in the alternati e, !ost o& 'roo& san!tions+ C+C+P+ ,20((+0:0 ('d&) sets &orth the basi! tenants as to ho0 a re%uest &or admission must be dra&ted4 6a!h re%uest must be numbered !onse!uti ely+ C+C+P+ ,20((+0:0(a) 1he &irst 'aragra'h immediately shall state he identity o& the 'arty re%uesting the admissions, the set number, and the identity o& the res'onding 'arty+ C+C+P+ ,20((+0:0(b) 6a!h re%uest shall be ;se'arately set &orth+< C+C+P+ , 20((+0:0(!) 6a!h re%uest shall be ;&ull and !om'lete in and o& itsel&< and there shall be no 're&a!e or instru!tions+ C+C+P+ ,20((+0:0(d) =o !arry o er de&initions+ C+C+P+ ,20((+0:0(e) =o sub'arts or ;!om'ound, !on>un!ti e or dis>un!ti e< re%uests+ C+C+P+ ,20((+0:0(&) ?& you are re%uesting an admission o& the genuineness o& do!uments, then they must be atta!hed+ C+C+P+ ,20((+0:0(g) 1he dis!o ery treatises also gi e some hel'&ul ad i!e+ .eil and /ro0n, Cal. Prac. Guide: Civil Procedure Before Trial (1$G 2010), ,341238+1 states4 Keep your RFAs as simple as possi le so t!ere is no room for denial" T!is #ill avoid o $ections on t!e %round of &compound and con$unctive. Keep in mind t!at any admission o tained #ill pro a ly e construed narro#ly. 'o( ma)e sure t!ere is no room for *ui lin% as to #!at #as admitted"

C6/, California Civil Discovery Practice (*th ed+ 2010) ,7418 ad ises that be!ause the !ourt has broad dis!retion in determining admissibility and rele an!e o& e iden!e and s!o'e and e&&e!t o& an admission the + . . RFAs must e clear concise and unam i%uous. See Frederic)s v. Kontos +ndus.( +nc. (1738) 137 C@ (d 282, 288 ('d&) ,if admission is suscepti le to more t!an one meanin%( trial court must e-ercise its discretion to determine scope and effect of admission &so t!at it accurately reflects #!at facts are admitted in t!e li%!t of ot!er evidence. Trial courts may consider parol evidence t!at e-plains an admission ut cannot use parol evidence to contradict t!e plain meanin% of a response to an RFA. if a response to an RFA is unam i%uous( t!e matter admitted is conclusively esta lis!ed. /onroy v. City of 0os An%eles (2003) 1:* C@*th 2*3, 2:0 ('d&) 9o0e er, the best ad i!e ? 0as e er gi en 0as 0hen ? 0as admonished by a Audge+ Buring a Case Management Con&eren!e the Audge as#ed me 0hat 0ere the >ury instru!tions ? 0as going to use at trial+ ? res'onded ;1our 2onor #e dont even !ave a trial date yet+< 1he Audge re'lied ;T!en !o# do you )no# #!at discovery you need to prove your case3< ? 0ent ba!# to my o&&i!e and 0hined to our seasoned trial attorney+ 9e had no sym'athy &or me and said ; T!e 4ud%e is ri%!t. Go loo) at t!e $ury instructions and fi%ure out your case+< .ith my tail bet0een my legs ? 0ent to the library and loo#ed at >ury instru!tions &or the &irst time+ 1hey 0ere amaCing+ 1hey 0ere one 'age road ma's as to 0hat ? had to 'ro e+ $ight then and there ? started using re%uests &or admissions+ @s an eDam'le, using Cali&ornia Aury ?nstru!tion 1201 1itled Stri!t "iabilityEManu&a!turing Be&e!tE 6ssential Fa!tual 6lements ('d&), ? 0ould 0rite my re%uests as &ollo0s4 Request # 14 @dmit that Fname of defendantG Fmanufactured5 distri uted5 soldG the FproductG+ Request #2: @dmit that the FproductG !ontained a manu&a!turing de&e!t 0hen it le&t Fname of defendantG)s 'ossession. Request #34 @dmit that Fname of plaintiffG 0as harmed 0hile using the FproductG in a reasonably &oreseeable 0ay+ Request #44 harm+ @dmit that the FproductG)s de&e!t 0as a substantial &a!tor in !ausing Fname of plaintiffG)s

? 0ould then ser e these $e%uests &or @dmissions 0ith Form ?nterrogatory H18+1 and a $e%uest &or Produ!tion o& Bo!uments &or ;all do!uments listed in your ans0ers to Form ?nterrogatory 18+1(d)+I 1he &oundation o& my dis!o ery 'lan 0as no0 set and ? 0as in a 'osition to re!ei e e&&e!ti e e iden!e or, in the alternati e, !ost o& 'roo& san!tions+