Q: I fully answered interrogatories. The defendant went to a judge and told them they wanted more information to harass me. I don’t have more information to give.  Some questions were irrelevant to the case and were excessive and abusive. The judge told me to put more information into my answers. I don’t have any more information. Can I state that? Some of the questions have NOTHING to do with the landlord tenants issues in the case. Can I still make an objection to the fact that the question isn’t relevant and creates a security issue with my job? Also, Can I server written depositions on witnesses through mail as written interrogatories? The rules say you can send written questions without notice. Do I just send them to the witness and state they have 30 days to answer? (Washington, PA)

A: You have the right to not answer a question posed through interrogatories if you have a legal basis not to. I suggest you consult with the Discovery section of the PA Rules of Civil Procedure so that you can formulate reasons to object that are legally acceptable. If you do not, you may be back in court on a contempt of court motion. As far as your objection that your answer would give rise to a security issue with your job, I suggest that you look at the rules regarding a motion for protective order. In regard to your notice of deposition, you can depose a party, or a witness, but again you must comply with the Rules of Procedure. You cannot send something called “written depositions” on parties in which you ask them to answer questions. I feel you could greatly benefit from having a lawyer.