Opinion ID: 1190451
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: bill of particulars and election of theories

Text: Defendant was denied a bill of particulars, and his motion to compel the prosecution to elect which theory it was proceeding upon was also denied. He now claims prejudicial error in the trial court's failure to narrow the factual issues. Utah Rule of Criminal Procedure 4(e) provides for a bill of particulars when the facts necessary to inform a defendant of the nature and cause of the offense charged are not otherwise made known or set forth in an information or indictment. However, a bill of particulars is not available to compel the prosecution to disclose all the evidence which may be introduced at trial. [6] Furthermore, the prosecution need not disclose the exact theory upon which it intends to proceed. [7] What is required is that the defendant be apprised of the particulars of the alleged conduct so as to permit adequate preparation of a defense. [8] Entitlement to a bill of particulars as a matter of right occurs only when the information or indictment is constitutionally deficient by reason of its failure to inform of the nature and cause of the offense charged. [9] In this instance, an extensive probable cause statement accompanied the information filed. The statement contained the facts bearing upon defendant's prior abuse of Michael, the battered-child syndrome, the events of the day on which the death occurred, defendant's destruction of portions of the diary, the autopsy report, and the medical opinion of cause of death by suffocation. In response to defendant's motion for a bill of particulars, the prosecution furnished a memorandum stating the facts relied upon for the cause of death, specifically referring to defendant's reaction to Hines's assertion that defendant had suffocated Michael. It thus appears that the trial court did not abuse its discretion [10] in concluding that defendant was sufficiently apprised of the cause of death and defendant's specific acts relied upon in support of the offense charged to enable him to adequately prepare a defense. [11]