Opinion ID: 2405680
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Failure to include Ms. McKuen on witness list

Text: Appellant's third assignment of error is that Ms. McKuen should not have been permitted to testify because the state failed to include her name on its witness list, in violation of its discovery obligation under Ark. R.Crim.P. 17.1 and 19.2. This argument is meritless. First, an appellant is required to make an objection at the first opportunity in order to preserve the argument for appeal. Edwards v. State, 321 Ark. 610, 906 S.W.2d 310 (1995). Appellant did not object to Ms. McKuen's testimony until she had taken the stand and answered twenty-four questions. At that point, Ms. McKuen was testifying as to her May 3, 1993 interview with the victim. Appellant objected that he had no statements taken by Ms. McKuen, and, after a brief exchange between the trial court and the parties' trial counsel regarding this objection, a bench conference ensued wherein appellant's counsel stated that the state has got to let me know [Ms. McKuen] is going to testify. On this record, we do not find that appellant objected at the earliest opportunity. Id. Second, Rule 17.1 provides that, upon timely request, the state shall disclose to defense counsel the names and addresses of persons whom the state intends to call as witnesses; Rule 19.2 provides that the state's obligation is a continuing one. The abstract, however, does not show appellant's discovery request to the state, as required by Rule 17.1, or any witness list appellant received from the state. It is the duty of the appellant in a criminal case to abstract such parts of the record that are material to the point he argues, and his failure to do so precludes the appellate court from considering issues concerning it. Manning v. State, 318 Ark. 1, 883 S.W.2d 455 (1994). Third, the record demonstrates that appellant was aware that Ms. McKuen was a prospective state's witness, as follows. An in-camera conference was conducted immediately prior to Ms. McKuen's testimony, wherein the trial court considered appellant's Rule 615 objection that we discussed above. During that conference, appellant's counsel argued that he anticipated Ms. McKuen was going to be a witness, and, therefore, she could not stay in the courtroom during the victim's testimony. Fourth, even assuming the state violated its discovery obligation by failing to disclose Ms. McKuen as a prospective witness prior to trial, appellant could have requested time to interview Ms. McKuen before she was called to testify. Mills v. State, 322 Ark. 647, 910 S.W.2d 682 (1995). We have held that such a course of action by the trial court so ameliorated the state's failure to comply with Rule 17.1 that the accused was not prejudiced. Id. Alternatively, appellant could have requested a continuance. Ark. R.Crim.P. 19.7. Appellant, however, failed to request either of these remedies.