Exclusion of Witnesses

download Exclusion of Witnesses

of 5

Transcript of Exclusion of Witnesses

  • 8/12/2019 Exclusion of Witnesses

    1/5

  • 8/12/2019 Exclusion of Witnesses

    2/5

    Anot#er assi&nment o error alle&e! b/ t#e appellants in t#isinstane !eals it# t#e trial o)rts re)sal to a!mit a ertain itness

    presente! b/ t#e !eense. "#e o)rt too t#is stan! or t#e reasont#at t#is itness #a! been present !)rin& t#e #earin&

    notit#stan!in& t#e o)rts or!er t#at all itnesses leae t#e o)rt

    room. ;n!er s)# ir)mstanes it lies it#in t#e o)rts !isretionto a!mit or re(et t#e testimon/ o t#e itness. An! alt#o) e are

    o opinion t#at t#e o)rt belo s#o)l! #ae a!mitte! t#e testimon/o t#is itness, espeiall/ #en #e state! t#at #e !i! not #ear #at

    t#e ot#er itnesses testiie!, /et t#ere is not#in& to s#o t#at t#is

    error #as aete! t#e appellants !eense. "#ere is not#in& to s#o#at t#is itness o)l! #ae testiie! i a!mitte!, an! so it annot

    be #el! t#at #is ail)re to testi/ #as materiall/ aete! t#eappellants !eense.

    "#e appellants also assi&n as an error t#e at t#at t#e trial o)rt

    aile! to re6)ire t#e isal to e8#ibit t#e testimon/ &ien b/ t#eitnesses !)rin& t#e preliminar/ inesti&ation on!)te! b/ t#e

    ()stie o t#e peae. B)t t#e onl/ eet o t#is ail)re as to entitlet#e !eense to a!!)e seon!ar/ ei!ene to)#in& t#e testimon/ o

    sai! itnesses, or t#e p)rpose o attain& t#eir erait/, s#o)l!

    t#e/ #ae been presente! as itnesses !)rin& t#e trial.

    Neit#er !i! t#e trial o)rt ommit an error in re)sin& t#e !eense

    an e8tension o time to present otor *eliiano, or t#is is a matter#oll/ it#in t#e o)rts !isretion, t#e ab)se #ereo #as not been

    s#on, espeiall/ in ie o t#e at t#at it as not inorme! o t#e

    nat)re o t#is itnesss testimon/.

    #ereore, t#e ()!&ment appeale! rom is airme!, it# osts

    a&ainst t#e appellants. So or!ere!.

    Street, Villamor, Ostrand, Romualdez and Villa-Real, JJ.,on)r.Jons, J., ! dissents.

    STATE v. BISHOP

    492 P.2d !9 "#9$2%

    STATE &' O()*&n, R)s+&nd)n,v.-&) B)(( BISHOP, A++)//an.

    C&0( &' A++)a/s &' O()*&n, D)+a(1)n 2.

    A(*0)d and S013)d D))1)( 2, #9$#.

    D)3d)d -an0a( 5, #9$2.

    Ga( D. Ba&6, P0/3 D)')nd)(, Sa/)1, a(*0)d 7) a0s) and'3/)d 7) (3)' '&( a++)//an.

    -&7n 8. Os0(n, S&/. G)n., Sa/)1, a(*0)d 7) a0s) '&(()s+&nd)n. 837 731 &n 7) (3)' as L)) -&7ns&n,A. G)n., Sa/)1.

    B)'&() SCH8AB, C.-., and LANGTR and THORNTON, --.

    SC7AB, C#ie e! b/ RS 45.510.

    2 E8l)sion o itnesses

  • 8/12/2019 Exclusion of Witnesses

    3/5

    #en t#e ase as alle! or trial, !eense o)nsel re6)este! allitnesses be e8l)!e!. )rin& t#e brie !is)ssion t#at olloe!,

    t#e prose)tor state! t#at most o #is itnesses ere polie oiers.Co)nsel or t#e !een!ant ar&)e! #is lient o)l! be pre()!ie! b/

    alloin& t#e oiers to remain

    ?"#e onl/ a!anta&e or t#em bein& in t#e o)rtroom isto #ear t#e ross e8amination b/ !eense o)nsel, to

    !etermine #at t#e t#eor/ o t#e !eense is in t#is ase,

    an! to !etermine t#ese t#in&s instea! o omin& in ont#e 6)estions ol! @ @ @.?

    "#e trial ()!&e !enie! t#e motion an! e8plaine! #is ation in t#eseterms

    ?@ @ @ No, it as apparent in /ester!a/s trial t#atsome o t#e praties o t#e polie in onnetion it#

    t#e )sto!/ o ei!ene o)l! be 6)estione!. @ @ @ +t

    seems to me #il/ !esirable rom t#e p)bli stan!point@ @ @ t#at @ @ @ oiers #ae an opport)nit/ to learn

    #at it is abo)t t#eir polie praties t#at is bein&6)estione!, an! to &ie are)l t#o)t to t#eir on

    praties @ @ @.?

    "#e ()!&e )rt#er e8plaine! t#at some o t#e polie oiers ereinole! in motions to s)ppress in ?t#is &ro)p o ases? an! s#o)l!

    be alloe! to see t#e trials ?t#at inole t#e eorts t#at t#e/e

    ma!e.?

    #en e #ae preio)sl/ onsi!ere! t#e 6)estion o #et#er t#e

    ail)re to &rant a motion to e8l)!e itnesses is error, e #aemerel/ sai! t#at t#is matter is it#in t#e !isretion o t#e trial o)rt.

    See,e.&., State . ais, r. App., 93 A!.S#. =4, 49 '.2! 9

    19=1D. "#e ase at bar #as onine! )s t#at t#is problem re6)iresloser anal/sis.

    RS 45.510 proi!es

    ?+ eit#er part/ re6)ires it, t#e ()!&e ma/ e8l)!e rom

    t#e o)rtroom an/ itness o t#e a!erse part/ not at

    t#e time )n!er e8amination, so t#at #e ma/ not #ear t#etestimon/ o ot#er itnesses.?

    "#e re&on S)preme Co)rt ases #i# #ae interprete! t#isstat)te are State . ilson, 1== r. 3=, 14 '.2! =22 1945D, an!

    State . E!e, 1= r. 40, 11= '.2! 235 1941D. "#e stat)te #as alsobeen mentione! in State . Fen!ri, 239 r. 512,39 '.2! 4=1

    195D: "rotter . "on o Sta/ton, 45 r. 301, == '. 395 1904D:

    an! S#nei!er . 7aas, 14 r. 1=4, 12 '. 23, 5 Am.Rep. 291=D.

    State . ilson, s)pra, an! State . E!e, s)pra, s)&&est t#at a motionto e8l)!e normall/ s#o)l! be &rante!. +n"det#e o)rt interprete!

    t#e stat)te not as permissie, b)t, rat#er, as ?!iretor/ in orm @ @

    @.? 1= r. at 42, 11= '.2! 235. An! t#is same i!ea as impliit in#ilson#ere t#e itnesses ere e8l)!e! an! t#e S)preme Co)rt

    o re&on )p#el! t#e e8l)sion on appeal.1

    ;492 P.2d ##e! in prior re&on ases. *or e8ample, S#nei!er . 7aas,

    s)pra, maes it lear t#at a part/ to a proee!in& #o ill later bealle! as a itness annot be e8l)!e!. "rotter . "on o Sta/ton,

    s)pra, s)&&ests b/ impliation t#at #en a orporation is a part/, itma/ be inappropriate to e8l)!e a prinipal oier o t#e

    orporation #o possesses some speial nole!&e an! #ose

    presene is neessar/ to protet t#e orporations interests. State .E!e, s)pra, #el! it as not error to e8l)!e all itnesses e8ept a

    epartment o A&ri)lt)re oiial #o as assistin& t#eprose)tion in a trial or laren/ o a o.

    n t#e ot#er #an!, some ases #ere a reersal res)lte! rom

    !en/in& e8l)sion it#o)t &oo! a)se are State . )en, 104N.

  • 8/12/2019 Exclusion of Witnesses

    5/5

    e8l)sion, its !eision ill not be !ist)rbe! on appeal. B)t i t#ereor! ontains no reason or not e8l)!in& itnesses, or an

    ins)iient reason, t#en t#e trial o)rt #as ab)se! its !isretion.

    ")rnin& to t#e ats o t#e ase at bar, e in! t#e reasons a!ane!b/ t#e trial o)rt to e8plain its re)sal to e8l)!e to be ina!e6)ate.

    As note! aboe, t#e trial o)rt ante! t#e polie oiers #oo)l! be itnesses to be able to ie t#e trial as an e!)ational

    e8periene, an! ante! t#em to be able to see t#e r)its o t#eir

    labors. "#ese reasons, #ile )n!o)bte!l/ sal)tar/ as an e!)ational!eie, ere not releant to t#e p)rpose o t#e trial H namel/, t#e

    !etermination o #et#er t#e !een!ant as &)ilt/ o t#e rime#ar&e!. Balane! a&ainst t#e !an&er t#at t#e itnesses memories

    mit be on)se! b/ ot#er testimon/, an! t#e ot#er reasons or t#er)le o se6)estration,see i&more, s)pra, t#e reasons a!ane!

    b/ t#e o)rt ere ins)iient.

    "#e remainin& iss)e is #et#er !een!ant as pre()!ie! b/ t#eail)re to e8l)!e itnesses. Resol)tion o t#is iss)e t)rns on

    #et#er it s#o)l! be t#e !een!ants b)r!en to proe at)al

    pre()!ie or t#e states b)r!en to proe la o pre()!ie. ebeliee t#e latter is t#e better r)le.

    "#e pratie o e8l)!in& itnesses is !esi&ne! to preent oneitness bein& inl)ene!, onsio)sl/ or )nonsio)sl/, b/ #earin&

    t#e testimon/ o prior itnesses. +t o)l! be !ii)lt, i not

    impossible, or a liti&ant to establis# t#at t#e presene o

    prospetie itnesses in t#e o)rtroom !)rin& t#e trial res)lte! int#e testimon/ o an/ one o t#em bein& inl)ene! b/ #at #e #ear!beore alle! to t#e itness stan!. "#)s, #en a trial o)rt #as

    ab)se! its !isretion b/ not e8l)!in& itnesses, e m)st ass)me

    pre()!ie )nless t#e reor! airmatiel/ relets t#e ontrar/.

    "#e best e8ample o a reor! t#at o)l! establis# no possible

    pre()!ie is one in #i# t#e itnesses all testiie! to totall/)nrelate! eents. B)t t#is is not s)# a ase. 7ere most o t#e states

    itnesses testiie! to t#e same eents an! o)rrenes. "#eirtestimon/ as )m)latie an! orroboratie. n t#is reor!, e

    annot sa/ t#at !een!ant as not pre()!ie!.

    Reerse! an! reman!e!.

    5 E8l)sion o itnesses