Opinion ID: 2103674
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: the surprise witness

Text: In the course of the trial, plaintiff sought to introduce the testimony of a social worker from the DEA who had interviewed plaintiff fourteen months before trial. The defendant's counsel objected on the ground that plaintiff had not given defendant sufficient notice of the witness. The trial justice overruled the objection, reasoning that the social worker might be a very important witness    particularly in view of the fact [that plaintiff] is 83 years of age. In Casey v. Casey, 494 A.2d 80, 85 (R.I. 1985), this court held, inter alia, that the trial justice neither abused his discretion nor committed prejudicial error by allowing a surprise witness to testify because the party introducing the witness had limited time to communicate her decision to opposing counsel. In the instant case, the DEA had attempted to contact defendant regarding the alleged abuse; therefore, defendant was aware of the social worker's visit with her former husband. More importantly, the trial justice made no finding of fact on the issue of whether defendant had abused plaintiff and thus did not base his decision on the social worker's testimony. Therefore, we hold that the trial justice did not abuse his discretion in permitting the witness to testify. In addition, we note that defendant's contention that she was erroneously held in contempt is also without merit insofar as the court's actions conformed with Rule 62(c) of the Rules of Procedure for Domestic Relations and Rule 8(a) of the Supreme Court Rules of Appellate Procedure. Because we sustain defendant's appeal in respect to the validity of the premarital agreement, we need not address the remaining issues raised by defendant. We do not here decide, however, whether the defendant's filing of the Complaint for Protection from Abuse (complaint), which resulted in a temporary restraining order requiring the plaintiff to vacate the Woonsocket home, may have constituted the initiation of a separation that would preclude her from acquiring assets under the agreement. The temporary restraining order issued by the Family Court enjoined the plaintiff from interfering with the defendant and required the plaintiff to vacate the Woonsocket home, although the defendant did not ask in her complaint that the plaintiff be ordered to vacate her home. Therefore, we remand to the Family Court the question of whether the defendant's filing of the abuse complaint was the initiation of a legal separation between the parties. In summary, the terms of the premarital agreement, which we hold is valid, will govern the apportionment of assets between the parties. We remand the case to the Family Court for its determination of whether the defendant's filing of the abuse complaint initiated a separation of the parties. If the Family Court finds that the answer is affirmative, then the defendant acquires nothing from the plaintiff under the agreement. If the answer is negative, i.e., if the Family Court finds that the complaint did not initiate a separation, then the defendant shall retain half of the plaintiff's assets in accordance with the premarital agreement. In any event, the judgment granting a divorce between the parties remains undisturbed; counsel fees and alimony are denied. In the event the Family Court should require deeds heretofore executed by the defendant, said deeds are available in the Registry of the Supreme Court and will be subject to Family Court order. The papers in this case are remanded to the Family Court for further proceedings in accordance with this opinion.