Opinion ID: 1721290
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: availability of dr. krause as witness

Text: Menkens claims the trial court erred in admitting into evidence the videotape deposition of Dr. Krause without a proper showing of his unavailability. This court has determined depositions are hearsay and, as such, are only admissible if they fit within a hearsay exception. Maresh v. State, 241 Neb. 496, 489 N.W.2d 298 (1992). The exception to the hearsay rule contained in Neb.Rev.Stat. § 27-804(2)(a) (Reissue 1995) does not exclude depositions taken in compliance with law if the declarant is unavailable as a witness. Unavailability includes situations outlined in § 27-804(1). In permitting the taking and using of Dr. Krause's deposition, the trial court relied on Neb. Ct. R. of Discovery 32(a)(3)(E) (rev. 1996), which provides: (3) The deposition of a witness, whether or not a party, may be used by any party for any purpose if the court finds: .... (E) That such exceptional circumstances exist as to make it desirable, in the interest of justice and with due regard to the importance of presenting the testimony of witnesses orally in open court, to allow the deposition to be used[.] We have previously held that the Nebraska discovery rules do not provide an additional exception to the hearsay rule. Maresh, supra . We have also determined that the unavailability requirement of § 27-804 must be read into rule 32 so that the Nebraska discovery rules do not create an additional exception to the hearsay rule. Maresh, supra (stating that to be admissible, deposition must satisfy unavailability requirements of § 27-804(2)(a)). See Sikyta v. Arrow Stage Lines, 238 Neb. 289, 470 N.W.2d 724 (1991) (determining witness is unavailable authorizes use of witness' deposition pursuant to rule 32(a)(3)(E)). Consequently, the question before this court is whether Dr. Krause was unavailable, thus satisfying the hearsay exception and thereby allowing his deposition to be used in lieu of his live testimony. This court has previously addressed the question of a doctor's unavailability as a witness. In Sikyta, supra, we reviewed a decision involving the unavailability of a doctor due to his surgery schedule. The attorneys in Sikyta met with the trial judge the morning of trial and discussed the use of a videotape deposition of the doctor. The deposition was taken that same evening at the doctor's office. When the deposition was introduced at trial, opposing counsel objected, stating it had not been shown that the doctor was unavailable. The trial court determined that because the doctor was in surgery, he was unavailable to testify and his unavailability constituted an exceptional circumstance under rule 32(a)(3)(E). On appeal, opposing counsel argued there was an insufficient showing that the doctor was unavailable. This court noted that determination that a witness is unavailable authorizes the use of the witness' deposition pursuant to rule 32(a)(3)(E). Sikyta, supra . However, the specific question of whether the doctor was unavailable under those circumstances was not addressed. There are few decisions from other jurisdictions dealing with the unavailability of doctors to personally give testimony at trial. The trial court in Rubel v. Eli Lilly and Co., 160 F.R.D. 28 (S.D.N.Y.1995), determined a doctor was unavailable to testify because he was in a practice with three other doctors who were all gone, leaving him to manage the entire practice alone. Within the 2 weeks before the trial, one colleague retired for physical reasons, one left for maternity leave, and one was hospitalized for an undiagnosed illness. The court found these facts created specific and unusual circumstances that rendered the doctor unavailable. However, the court did not find the doctor too busy to make any time available for the case and granted the parties leave to take his depositions after business hours at his office. In Reber v. General Motors Corp., 669 F.Supp. 717 (E.D.Pa.1987), the trial court allowed a doctor's deposition to be admitted in evidence, after the doctor claimed his heavy surgical schedule prohibited him from attending the trial. However, the deposition was permitted principally because it had been taken with both sides expecting its use at trial. In Angelo v. Armstrong World Industries, Inc., 11 F.3d 957 (10th Cir.1993), the court did not permit a physician's deposition to be admitted in evidence. The physician stated he was unable to appear in court because he was `extremely busy' during the time scheduled for his testimony. Id. at 963. His office was close to the courthouse, and the court offered to accommodate his schedule. Counsel could not persuade the doctor to testify and did not subpoena him. The court found that counsel's inability to get the doctor to testify did not justify the deposition being received into evidence. In this case, Dr. Krause was not in surgery when his testimony was required. The record reflects no specific and unusual circumstances that show Dr. Krause was unavailable. The parties here did not agree to use the deposition at trial, and Dr. Krause was within the subpoena power of the court. Trial courts may be guided in their determination of whether a witness is unavailable by examples set forth in Maresh v. State, 241 Neb. 496, 489 N.W.2d 298 (1992). A witness may be unavailable when the facts show the witness' attendance is obtainable only through financial hardship on the proponent, that the expense to produce the witness may be prohibitive, that hostility or animosity on the part of the witness may prevent attendance at trial, or that other circumstances may demonstrate that the proponent lacks reasonable means to produce or compel the witness' attendance at trial. Id. at 507, 489 N.W.2d at 308. Upon examination of all the aforementioned factors, we conclude from the record that Dr. Krause was not unavailable to testify. The Finleys made no showing that they lacked reasonable means to produce Dr. Krause's attendance at trial. The fact that it was really difficult for Dr. Krause to testify because he was required to be at the hospital for emergencies is not persuasive. In a letter to the Finleys' attorney, Dr. Krause stated that while his partner was gone, he was committed to providing continuous 7:30 AM5:30 PM Monday through Friday coverage at the radiology department at Memorial Hospital and that except for occasionally over a noon hour, we have a commitment to the Hospital and its medical staff to always have a radiologist available during working hours and on-call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. (Emphasis supplied.) Dr. Krause could have testified prior to his shift, during the noon hour, or after the completion of his shift. While testifying early in the morning, over the noon hour, or at 5:30 p.m. may be an inconvenience, it does not render a witness unavailable. Dr. Krause was not unique in that he had a job which he could not leave during the workday. An inconvenience does not justify the use of a deposition over live testimony. The importance of live testimony has long been recognized by the courts and commentators. See, Sikyta v. Arrow Stage Lines, 238 Neb. 289, 470 N.W.2d 724 (1991); 4 Jack B. Weinstein & Margaret A. Berger, Weinstein's Evidence ¶ 800[01] (1992). The unavailability requirement itself is a result of a strong policy favoring live testimony. Maresh v. State, supra; 2 McCormick on Evidence § 31 at 301 (John W. Strong 4th ed. 1992). Dr. Krause's being on call at the hospital does not establish unavailability. That he might have had to leave the proceedings if an emergency arose also does not constitute unavailability. Had Dr. Krause testified at the trial and an emergency arose, he certainly could have been excused and could have returned to the hospital. The mere threat of an emergency or something unexpected or unforeseeable, such as a sudden summons to the hospital, does not automatically render a doctor unavailable to testify in court. Use of rule 32(a)(3)(E) requires a showing that the witness is unavailable in order to use the witness' deposition in court. We conclude from the record that the trial court abused its discretion in finding Dr. Krause was unavailable and in admitting his deposition.