W.Va. Court Considers Sanctions for Fracking Defendant’s Late Subpoena of Physician

CLARKSBURG, W.Va. — Schlumberg Technology Corp. (NYSE: SLB) has withdrawn a subpoena issued to a non-party occupational medicine specialist on the eve of trial in a fracking chemical injury case, but a magistrate judge has already ruled that the timing warrants sanctions and scheduled a post-trial hearing on the issue.

Magistrate Judge James E. Seibert of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of West Virginia said in his Feb. 28 order that the Federal Rules require a court to enforce a reasonableness standard on attorneys issuing such subpoenas. He scheduled a hearing for March 25 to allow counsel …