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DIANNE L. KELLEY, KENNETH HANSEN, JIM WALTERS, MATT MORALES, RUSSELL HALL, and DON SCHRODER, individually and on behalf of others similarly situated, Plaintiffs, v. MICROSOFT CORPORATION, a Washington Corporation, Defendant, Order Denying Defendant’s Motion for a Protective Order Precluding the Deposition of Steven A. Ballmer:

The Court appreciates that there are severe demands on Mr. Ballmer’s time; however, a busy schedule cannot “shield” an executive from discovery. [...] The Court DENIES Defendant’s motion for a protective order and orders as follows:

1. Plaintiffs may take Mr. Ballmer’s deposition for no more than three (3) hours.
2. The deposition must take place within thirty (30) days of this order at a time and place of Mr. Ballmer’s convenience.

So can a man who’s so busy prevaricate for no more than three hours?

No sweat.

People with all the time in the world are subject to a very different kind of judicial exceptionalism. [Bum link fixed 09-04-30.]

(BNA’s Internet Law News [Geist] | Seattle Post-Intelligencer)