Section 3113. Conduct of the examination  


Latest version.
  • (a)  Persons  before whom
      depositions may be taken. Depositions may be taken  before  any  of  the
      following  persons except an attorney, or employee of an attorney, for a
      party or prospective party and except a person who would be disqualified
      to act as a juror because of interest in the event or  consanguinity  or
      affinity to a party:
        1.  within  the state, a person authorized by the laws of the state to
      administer oaths;
        2. without the  state  but  within  the  United  States  or  within  a
      territory  or  possession  subject  to  the  jurisdiction  of the United
      States, a person authorized to take acknowledgments of deeds outside  of
      the  state  by the real property law of the state or to administer oaths
      by the laws of the United States or of the place where the deposition is
      taken; and
        3.  in  a  foreign  country,  any  diplomatic  or  consular  agent  or
      representative  of  the  United  States, appointed or accredited to, and
      residing within, the country, or a person  appointed  by  commission  or
      under  letters rogatory, or an officer of the armed forces authorized to
      take the acknowledgment of deeds.
        Officers may be designated in notices or commissions either by name or
      descriptive  title  and  letters  rogatory  may  be  addressed  "To  the
      Appropriate Authority in (here name the state or country)."
        (b)  Oath  of  witness; recording of testimony; objections; continuous
      examination; written questions read by examining  officer.  The  officer
      before  whom the deposition is to be taken shall put the witness on oath
      and shall personally, or by someone acting under his  direction,  record
      the  testimony. The testimony shall be recorded by stenographic or other
      means, subject to such rules as may be adopted by the appellate division
      in the department where the action is pending. All  objections  made  at
      the  time of the examination to the qualifications of the officer taking
      the deposition or the person recording it, or to the  manner  of  taking
      it,  or to the testimony presented, or to the conduct of any person, and
      any other objection to the proceedings, shall be noted  by  the  officer
      upon  the  deposition  and  the  deposition shall proceed subject to the
      right of a person to apply for a protective order. The deposition  shall
      be  taken  continuously and without unreasonable adjournment, unless the
      court otherwise orders or the  witness  and  parties  present  otherwise
      agree. In lieu of participating in an oral examination, any party served
      with notice of taking a deposition may transmit written questions to the
      officer, who shall propound them to the witness and record the answers.
        (c)     Examination    and    cross-examination.    Examination    and
      cross-examination of deponents shall proceed as permitted in  the  trial
      of actions in open court. When the deposition of a party is taken at the
      instance  of an adverse party, the deponent may be cross-examined by his
      own attorney.   Cross-examination need not be  limited  to  the  subject
      matter of the examination in chief.
        (d)  The parties may stipulate that a deposition be taken by telephone
      or other remote electronic  means  and  that  a  party  may  participate
      electronically. The stipulation shall designate reasonable provisions to
      ensure  that  an  accurate  record of the deposition is generated, shall
      specify, if appropriate, reasonable provisions for the use  of  exhibits
      at  the  deposition;  shall  specify  who must and who may physically be
      present at the deposition; and shall provide for  any  other  provisions
      appropriate  under  the circumstances. Unless otherwise stipulated to by
      the parties, the officer administering  the  oath  shall  be  physically
      present  at  the  place  of  the  deposition and the additional costs of
      conducting the deposition  by  telephonic  or  other  remote  electronic
    
      means, such as telephone charges, shall be borne by the party requesting
      that the deposition be conducted by such means.