Opinion ID: 1184518
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Crim.P. 16 II(b)

Text: The claims advanced in these proceedings that subsection (b) is unconstitutional do not rest on the contention that discovery of scientific and medical reports is per se violative of constitutional guarantees. Rather, they focus on the apparent breadth and scope of discovery afforded by the Colorado rule. The defendants maintain that the rule does not limit discovery to reports which the defendants intend to introduce at trial. As defense counsel interpret the rule, all examinations and experiments which have been performed at the defendants' suggestion are discoverable. Our interpretation of the rule recognizes the right of the prosecution to obtain discovery, but denies discovery where the defendant would be forced to relinquish his right against self-incrimination or to disclose information which will not be used at trial. The construction placed on Crim.P. 16 II(b) by the defendants ignores the introductory phrase to the rule: Subject to constitutional limitations. Indeed, the commentary to the rule recognizes that limitless prosecutorial discovery may well be unconstitutional. An earlier draft of the rule expressly confined discovery to those reports and examinations which the defendant intended to introduce at the time of trial. The limitative language in the rule was deleted from the Supplementary Draft because the committee felt it simply repeated the protection afforded by the introductory constitutional bar to discovery by the prosecution. ABA Standards Relating to Discovery and Procedure Before Trial 3 (Supp.). Read in this light, the rule meets the constitutional standard. In view of our holding that Crim.P. 16 II(b) is constitutional on its face, we make the rule absolute in both cases, since the court in Bellmann ordered discovery without considering the effect of its decision on the constitutional rights of the defendant, and the court in People v. District Court held the rule unconstitutional. Additional directions are set forth in the remand order.