(b) Document Demand: As the name indicates, this is a written demand in which one party demands that the other produce certain documents for inspection and copying. (This device is also referred to as a notice of discovery and inspection). The demand must define the items sought with reasonable particularity.
Write out each fact you wish the other party to admit is true. When writing these facts, be as clear and concise as possible. Each request must be for a single fact; do not include multiple facts, compound questions, or subparts.
You have 30 days to respond to interrogatories, but you may ask the other party for more time. If the other party declines, you may write to the judge to ask for an extension of time. You must answer each interrogatory separately and fully in writing and under oath.
One of the tools that a knowledgeable criminal defense attorney will use to defend your rights is the pre-trial discovery process when the defense can file a “Demand for Discovery and Inspection” requesting that the prosecution share its evidence with the defense.
Effective January 1, 2020, New York State is replacing its discovery law, dubbed the “blindfold” law, with a new statute requiring the sharing of evidence by default between the prosecution and defense on an accelerated timeline.
“At the conclusion of other discovery and at least 30 days prior the discovery cut-off date,” parties may serve contention interrogatories (Comm'l Div. Rule 11-ad). Requests for admission are unlimited and can be served up to 20 days before trial; responses are due within 20 days (CPLR Section 3123a).
In some cases, the offense may not become known until a later date. In these instances, New York laws sometimes allow the statute of limitations period to commence on the date the injury is discovered or should reasonably have been discovered. This is known as the discovery rule.
The rule acknowledges that victims cannot sue for damages they are unaware of, and it adjusts the legal timeline ingly. This rule, however, is not without its limits. New York law specifies certain conditions under which the discovery rule applies, and understanding these specifics is crucial.
The California discovery rule stops the clock on the statute of limitations until the plaintiff either finds out about the cause of action or has a good reason to do so. This rule comes into play when the plaintiff didn't realize, and a reasonable person wouldn't have realized, that they were harmed.