The Subpoena Duces Tecum at the Formal Review Hearing

The Bureau of Administrative Reviews (BAR) of the Florida DHSMV has been busy writing memorandums explaining their interpretation of the administrative rules and how the rules apply to the new telephonic hearings. Please leave a comment if you disagree with our strategy or use a different strategy.

Read the new rules carefully. It is not particularly difficult to comply with the rules. Although there is no set format for many of the notice requirements, we use this method:

  • File a notice to the State Attorney’s Office in the criminal case that discloses the issuance of each subpoena / subpoena duces tecum with a copy of each attached as an exhibit.
  • Write a $5.00 witness compensation check to the witness and attach the check to the subpoena.
  • How do you make arrangements to pay any costs to obtain subpoena duces tecum items, manuals, cumbersome items or DVDs from the law enforcement agency?
    • When you serve the subpoena duces tecum on the witness, include a second $5.00 check to cover the copy costs for any of the documents you have requested. 
  • Have your process server serve the subpoena / subpoena duces tecum and witness fee check(s) on each witness;
  • Make sure the process server provides you with proof of service prior to the hearing that references:
    • date and time of service;
    • the name of the person served;
    • a certification of service by the person who served the subpoena;
    • proof of payment of witness compensation pursuant to Chapter 92, F.S. (a copy of the $5.00 check for the witness fee); and
    • proof of payment of any other check intended to cover copy costs for a subpoena duces tecum.

If the items are not provided to you before the hearing, move to continue the hearing with a temporary permit to enforce the subpoena. You can file the motion to enforce the subpoena in front of the judge assigned to the underlying criminal case.


Viewing the DUI Video at the Telephonic Formal Review Hearing

So what does the memo mean when it says: “If the video is to be viewed at the hearing, all parties must have the ability to view the video at the time of the hearing in their respective offices.” How is that supposed to happen in a telephonic hearing?

At the Sammis Law Firm, our attorneys typically appear in person at each formal review hearing, even the telephonic hearings. Sitting in the room with the hearing officer and court reporter is easier than appearing telephonically. You can also ensure that the court reporter is able to accurately transcribe what is said during the hearing.

A memorandum circulated to law enforcement for formal review hearings in Monroe County, FL, provides that the “video will need to be submitted to the hearing officer and to petitioner/petitioner’s attorney by hand delivery or mail at least one hour prior to the hearing. (Note: These are the same procedures as in the past.)”

The Monroe County memo also provided: “Everyone will be allowed to view the video at the same time by logging onto the department approved website (WebEx). The link to the website will be sent to the individual’s email. The hearing officer will advise all parties when to join the WebEx. Please check with your agency to make sure this website is NOT blocked. https://suncom.webex [dot] com….The witness will need to have access to a system where they can retrieve their email and log onto the Internet. It is very important to notify the hearing officer of your e-mail address once you have been issued a subpoena for the hearing.”

If you serve a subpoena duces tecum for the DUI video, object to a procedural due process violation if you do not receive a copy of the video in advance of the hearing. Alternatively, you can ask the hearing officer to play the video during the hearing and object to due process if you, the witness, and the hearing officer cannot view the video simultaneously.


Memorandums Circulated in the Tampa Bay Area 

The memorandums circulated for cases in Manatee County, Hardee County, and Pasco County provide:

State of Florida
Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles
Bureau of Administrative Reviews


GENERAL INFORMATION
SUBPOENA / SUBPOENA DUCES TECUM


Subpoenas are issued for the officers and witnesses identified in documents pursuant to sections 322.2615(2), 322.64(2), and 322.2616(3), Florida Statutes, and pursuant to R. 15A-6.012, F.A.C.

If a subpoena duces tecum is requested, it shall be described with particularity and specificity any materials to be produced and the relevancy of such materials pursuant to R. 15A-6.012(1), F.A.C.

Pursuant to Section 92.142, Florida Statute, witness fees are $5.00 per day plus 6 cents per mile round trip. Section 112.061(7)(a)(d), Florida Statutes, allows public officers, employees and authorized personnel 44.5 cents a mile whenever travel is by privately owned vehicles. Subpoenas should be served pursuant to sections 48.031, 92.141, and 92.142, Florida Statutes.

Written notice, including a copy of the subpoena, must be provided to the individual Assistant State Attorney assigned to the DUI case, or the appropriate state attorney’s office if no prosecutor has been assigned to the DUI case pursuant to R. 15A-6.012(5), F.A.C.

Proof of service must include the following: the date and time of service; payment of witness fee; names of person who accepted service; certification of service by the person who served the subpoena; and written notice to the appropriate state attorney’s office. See, R. 15A-6.012(4), F.A.C.

Subpoena duces tecum items for formal reviews, other than what the officer submitted pursuant to sections 322.2615, 322.2616, and 322.64 to the Bureau of Administrative Reviews office prior to the hearing, will need to be submitted to the hearing officer prior to or brought to the hearing.

A copy of the subpoenaed item(s) can be delivered, mailed, or faxed to the hearing officer at least one hour prior to the hearing date and time unless brought to the hearing in person.

The petitioner or petitioner’s attorney will need to make arrangements to pay any costs to obtain subpoena duces tecum items, manuals, cumbersome items or DVDs from the law enforcement agency. Discovery subpoenas will not be issued.

Videos are to be copied to a DVD and certified as a true and correct copy by the law enforcement agency, prior to it being submitted to the hearing officer. If the video is to be viewed at the hearing, all parties must have the ability to view the video in their respective offices at the time of the hearing.

(REV 10/11)


Additional Resources:

Read more about the new procedures for telephonic formal review hearings.

Subpoena Duces Tecum Bureau of Administrative Reviews Rules


SUBPOENA/SUBPOENA DUCES TECUM

STATE OF FLORIDA
DEPARTMENT OF HIGHWAY SAFETY AND MOTOR VEHICLES
BUREAU OF ADMINISTRATIVE REVIEWS

ADMINISTRATIVE SUSPENSION CASE NO.: Citation Number

IN RE.:     Driver/Petitioner Name        DRIVER LICENSE NO.: DL #

TO:         Witness Name
Agency and Address

YOU ARE SUMMONED TO APPEAR BY TELEPHONE BEFORE A HEARING OFFICER AT:

DATE:                                                   TIME:

LOCATION: REPORT TO A DUTY STATION WHERE YOU CAN BE SWORN IN BY A FELLOW OFFICER OR NOTARY PUBLIC

TELEPHONE: B.A.R. Office Number and Office Email

and bring with you the following:

You will need to call the telephone number above at least one hour prior to the hearing to confirm out appearance and to leave a call back number for your testimony. Telephone numbers provided must be landline numbers; cellular telephone numbers are not acceptable.

A copy of the subpoena duces tecum items will need to be submitted to the hearing officer by hand delivery, mail, or fax at least one hour prior to the hearing time and date if the witness is appearing by telephone. The petitioner or the petitioner’s attorney will need to make arrangements and pay any costs to obtain subpoena duces tecum items, manuals, cumbersome items or DVDs from the law enforcement agency. Videos are to be copied to a DVD and certified as a true and correct copy by the law enforcement agency prior to being submitted to the hearing officer.

WITNESS my hand and seal of the Department this ____ day of ______________, 2014.

DEPARTMENT OF HIGHWAY SAFETY AND MOTOR VEHICLES
BY:     ___________________, Hearing Officer

Only the Hearing Officer may release you from this subpoena. Inquires regarding your obligations under this subpoena may be directed to the supervisor or designee of the Bureau of Administrative Review office.

Subpoena requested by: Petitioner / Petitioner’s Attorney

NOTICE:      ANY ALTERATIONS TO THIS SUBPOENA WILL RENDER IT NULL AND VOID.

Pursuant to the provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act, any person requiring special accommodations to participate in the proceedings please contact the Hearing Officer at the address and telephone number above at least seven days before the scheduled hearings.

subpoena duces tecum formal review hearing by telephone

Update: The 2019 Hearing Officer’s training materials on a subpoena request or video request provided:

  • Make sure the request is made to the specific officer subpoenaed.
  • Ensure the request is not for “any and all video” without limitation.
  • If the request is limited to the day of the incident, likely okay.
  • Don’t assume there is no videotape just because it is not present in file.

According to the training materials, possible acceptable language for video requests in subpoenas: “…any and all videos from body cameras and/or in car cameras recorded by the officer subpoenaed relating to the Petitioner on the date of (date of incident).”

5 comments

  1. After reading the rules this is my opinion:

    1. There is no need to pay a server to serve the Written Notice to the State attorney, I think you can just mail it certified mail or even email it to the state attorney.

    2. You don’t need to attach “Certification of Written notice” to the subpoenas that you serve to the witnesses.

      1. I’m representing myself pro se and your site provided a lot of help, Thanks! if you want to get involved in taking a case of: “anonymous BOLO + unlawful stop with no traffic violations + took a breath test” and take it to the supreme court let me know.
        We can make them change the language in Hernandez to include people who agree to take the test.
        the only significant case I found was this (for illegally arrested people who took the test): CARRIZOSA v. DEPARTMENT OF HIGHWAY SAFETY AND MOTOR VEHICLES, Case No. 2D12-5336 (FL Dist. 2 Ct. App., Nov. 6, 2013).

        Thanks

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