Opinion ID: 2338335
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Motions for Mistrial or Continuance

Text: Having established that the late production of documents did not violate defendant's right to due process of the law, we next examine whether the trial justice nonetheless abused his discretion in rejecting defendant's motions for a mistrial, or, in the alternative, for a continuance.Because we consistently have held that the trial justice is in the best position to determine whether any harm has resulted from noncompliance with discovery motions and whether the harm can be mitigated, we refrain from overturning a justice's denial of a motion for mistrial or for a continuance absent a clear abuse of discretion. State v. Brisson, 619 A.2d 1099, 1102 (R.I. 1993); State v. Coelho, 454 A.2d 241, 244-45 (R.I.1982). Generally, the declaration of a mistrial is inappropriate if a less drastic sanction, such as a continuance, would effectively serve the same purpose. State v. Musumeci, 717 A.2d 56, 63 (R.I.1998). Here, in the midst of a jury trial, defendant made two motions for mistrial. Clearly, the declaration of a mistrial produces disruption in the efficient administration of justice. See Coelho, post. The defendant has not articulated any reason why measures less severe than a mistrial would have been insufficient in these instances. Accordingly, we decline to hold that the trial justice abused his discretion in dismissing defendant's midtrial mistrial motions and proceed to review the justice's denial of defendant's two motions for a continuance. Overall, [i]n considering a continuance, the trial justice should balance the defendant's right to a fair trial against the `societal interest in the prompt and efficient administration of justice.' Coelho, 454 A.2d at 246 (quoting Slappy v. Morris, 649 F.2d 718, 721 (9th Cir. 1981) and Gandy v. Alabama, 569 F.2d 1318, 1323 (5th Cir.1978)). Ordinarily, the receipt of more than 800 pages of documents relating to a key witness late in the afternoon on the day before the witness will be cross-examined would signal that a continuance would be appropriate. Here, however, our review of the documents in contention satisfies us that the trial justice sufficiently weighed the interests at stake in reaching his conclusion to deny a continuance. When initially informed that some of the Harmony Hill documents were missing, after the state called Carl to testify, the trial justice set forth a protocol: I'm going to allow the State to continue with its case with the understanding and direction that the authorities from Harmony Hill will make every effort to get this information to the Court, and once it is delivered the Court will then make a decision as to how it should be handled so that defense counsel can have an opportunity to review the information and at the same time recognizing that since there is a jury present we want to try as best we can to accommodate all concerned including the jurors. The additional documents arrived that afternoon, and the next morning, before Carl was cross-examined, the trial justice informed defense counsel: Then yesterday, after [Carl] testified in direct [and after the additional documents from Harmony Hill arrived,] you suggested and I agreed and I think the State also agreed, that the prudent way [to proceed] would be to give you the evening to work on these documents and then start your cross-examination of [Carl] today. The materials were photocopied and were presented. We all had a chance to look at them yesterday and I do agree with you that there is a lot of material there, but it seems to me that even under the circumstances that you're in, and I think to a great extent it's caused by your own failure to act more quickly in this matter you still have time to review the materials and now adequately and properly cross-examine the witness. In explaining his decision not to grant the continuance, the trial justice noted: Much of [the additional Harmony Hill] material    is boiler plate. I grant you there is a lot of textual material there that can be reviewed. I believe from the perusal that I did this morning [analyzing the documents] could be done in a couple of hours by anyone who is trained as you are to review the materials. That's why I felt the time I gave you yesterday was adequate time to properly prepare in this matter. Based on our review of the documents, we concur with the trial justice's assessments of the material contained therein. Many pages were standard forms from Harmony Hill on which notations or some text was written. The overnight recess cited by the trial justice would have provided sufficient time for reviewing the material. Because he reviewed the documents and drew reasonable, well-articulated conclusions therefrom, the trial justice did not abuse hisdiscretion in determining that a continuance was not necessary, despite the late disclosure of the additional Harmony Hill documents. When defendant's motion for a continuance based on the late disclosure of Carl's juvenile record was called to the trial justice's attention just prior to Carl's cross-examination, the justice pointed out that the defense still had ample opportunity to use the new information to impeach Carl. In denying the motion, the trial justice articulated a sound rationale for his decision, and therefore he did not abuse his discretion.