46-15-328. Excision and protective orders. - Montana Statutes

     46-15-328. Excision and protective orders. (1) Upon a motion of any party showing good cause, the court may at any time order that any disclosure be deferred or regulated when it finds:
     (a) that the disclosure would result in a risk or harm outweighing any usefulness of the unrestricted disclosure to any party; and
     (b) that the risk cannot be eliminated by a less substantial restriction of discovery rights.
     (2) Whenever the court finds, on motion of any party, that only a portion of a document or other material is discoverable, it may authorize the party disclosing it to excise that portion of the material that is nondiscoverable and disclose the remainder.
     (3) On motion of the party seeking a protective or excision order or in submitting for the court's determination the discoverability of any material or information, the court may permit that party to present the material or information for the inspection of the judge alone. Counsel for all other parties are entitled to be present when the presentation is made.
     (4) If the court enters an order that any material or any portion of the material is not discoverable, the entire text of the material must be sealed and preserved in the record in the event of an appeal.

     History: En. Sec. 8, Ch. 202, L. 1985; amd. Sec. 143, Ch. 800, L. 1991.