Opinion ID: 1576090
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: continuance for recommitment to state hospital

Text: Parker argues that the trial court should have granted his motion for a continuance so that he could be reevaluated by the state hospital in support of his insanity defense. The trial court granted Parker's first request for a thirty-day commitment to the state hospital for a mental examination on November 15, 1984. The report from the state hospital, dated January 31, 1985, concluded that Parker was capable of assisting in his defense and that at the time of the commission of the offenses he was able to appreciate the criminality of his conduct and to conform his conduct to the requirements of the law. On July 19, 1985, Parker filed a motion to be recommitted to the state hospital for an additional evaluation. An amended motion was filed on August 1, 1985, with a letter from Dr. David Pritchard, the forensic psychologist for the Arkansas Department of Human Services who conducted Parker's first examination. Dr. Pritchard said in the letter that he felt it was professionally advisable to return the defendant to the Arkansas State Hospital for additional neurological and neuropsychological evaluations. The reason for the suggestion was that Dr. Pritchard had been made aware of a statement by Parker found in the Veterans' Administration Hospital records from 1982 in which he gave a history of severe head trauma. Dr. Pritchard stated in the letter that Parker should be returned to the hospital only after the hospital had received the army records which document the head trauma. Parker's counsel had been unable to obtain the records from the St. Louis Army Records Section. On September 20, 1985, Parker filed a motion for a continuance stating that the medical records pertaining to his head injury could not be obtained, that additional efforts to obtain the records were being made, and that the continuance was necessary to permit him to obtain the records. The trial court denied the motion and the trial began on October 28, 1985. Parker contends that he was unable to adequately and completely present defenses and mitigating factors based on his mental condition without the neuropsychological evaluation to determine the effect of the head injury. He argues that a defendant should not be forced to go to trial in such a serious case as this without the opportunity to present evaluations from medical personnel who have the benefit of his complete medical history, including prior injuries. Parker states that his statement concerning the prior injury is given credibility because it was found in hospital records from more than two years before the murder. It was corroborated by testimony of Pam Warren, who testified at trial that Parker had told her how he received an injury when he was hit on the head with a pipe while working as a disc jockey at an army base. Arkansas R.Crim.P. 27.3 states: The court shall grant a continuance only upon the showing of good cause and only for so long as is necessary, taking into account not only the request or consent of the prosecuting attorney or defense counsel, but also the public interest in prompt disposition of the case. Parker was tried just one week short of a year from the date of the crimes. Whether to grant a continuance is addressed to the sound discretion of the trial court and this court does not reverse unless that discretion has been abused. Pruett v. State, 282 Ark. 304, 669 S.W.2d 186 (1984). The burden is on the appellant to show that there has been an abuse of the court's discretion in denying the continuance. Cotton v. State, 265 Ark. 375, 578 S.W.2d 235 (1979). There is no error in the denial of a motion for a continuance to obtain evidence that is not material and not relevant. Worley v. State, 259 Ark. 433, 533 S.W.2d 502 (1976). In Worley , we said the trial court was justified in denying a continuance requested by the appellant in order to secure documentary evidence, where he only verbally assured the court the documents would be forthcoming and it appeared the records might not be material or relevant. The only evidence of Parker's head trauma was his own statements concerning the injury that were contained in the Veterans' Administration Hospital records and his statements to Pam Warren. Warren also testified that Parker never claimed to have any lasting effects from the injury. Parker's attorneys were never able to produce any documentation of his injury, even though they knew about it as early as July, 1985, when the additional evaluation was requested. The record does not establish whether any documentation could have ever been obtained, and Dr. Pritchard's letter stated that the reevaluation should occur only after the records were received. There is also no evidence of any mental problems suffered as a result of the head injury. For these reasons, the trial court did not abuse its discretion in denying the motion for a continuance. 4. DISCOVERY Parker's next two arguments for reversal are that the trial court erred by not compelling discovery of statements taken by the prosecutor pursuant to his subpoena power, and that the trial court erred in not granting his motion to compel the circuit clerk to issue discovery subpoenas so that he would have the same subpoena power as the prosecutor. We rejected these same arguments in Alford v. State, 291 Ark. 243, 724 S.W.2d 151 (1987). In regard to the first of these issues, Parker contends, as did Alford, that Ark.R.Crim.P. 17.1(b)(i), which requires the prosecutor to disclose to the defendant the substance of any relevant grand jury testimony, should be extended to compel the prosecutor to furnish statements acquired by subpoena. Parker bases this contention on Taylor v. State, 220 Ark. 953, 251 S.W.2d 588 (1952), which said that prosecuting attorneys have in a sense replaced grand juries and are subject to the same rules. In Alford , we said that the prosecuting attorney did not have to furnish the defendant with statements taken pursuant to a subpoena, but only must disclose to defense counsel any material information within the prosecutor's knowledge, possession or control, which tends to negate the guilt of the defendant as to the offense charged or would tend to reduce any resulting punishment. Ark.R.Crim.P. 17.1(d). The statement sought by Parker was made by Parker's expert witness, Dr. Phillip Barling. Dr.Barling was called to testify by Parker, rather than by the state, and Parker has not shown how any information acquired by the state prejudiced his defense. Thus, there was no error. We also held in Alford that the appellant was not denied due process when he was not allowed equal discovery rights to those given the state in Ark.Stat.Ann. § 43-801 (Repl.1977). That statute authorizes prosecutors to issue subpoenas and administer oaths in all criminal matters they are investigating. Like Alford, Parker contends the trial court's denial of his motion to subpoena witnesses is violative of the United States Supreme Court's statement on the issue of equal discovery rights in Wardius v. Oregon, 412 U.S. 470, 93 S.Ct. 2208, 37 L.Ed.2d 82 (1973). In Alford , we said: The Wardius decision does not suggest that the due process clause requires states to adopt discovery procedures in criminal case, but rather it held that, where a state imposes discovery against a defendant, equivalent rights must be given to a defendant. Hoggard v. State, 277 Ark. 117, 640 S.W.2d 102 (1982). The record before us fails to reflect that the State, by use of its statutory authority to subpoena witnesses, in any way abused that power in an effort to obtain witnesses against the appellant or to secrete their testimony from him before trial. Thus, we see no merit in appellant's argument. As in Alford , the only witness subpoenaed by the state was called by the defense to testify, rather than by the prosecution, and there is no indication of abuse by the prosecutor of the subpoena power or that any testimony was hidden from Parker. Accordingly, there was no prejudicial error. Parker next argues that the trial court should have either granted his motion for a continuance or suppressed certain testimony because the state failed to timely disclose certain witnesses' statements to the defense. Parker argues that in response to pretrial motions for discovery, the prosecutor had assured him and the court that he was disclosing all of Parker's previous statements the state had in compliance with Ark.R.Crim.P. 17.1(a)(ii). October 17, 1985, however, eleven days before trial, the state provided Parker with certain statements by witnesses relating what Parker had told them. Seven days before trial, the prosecutor gave the defense affidavits containing more statements Parker had allegedly made to third parties. Parker moved that all the statements be suppressed because they were provided too late for Parker to adequately defend against them or to have them analyzed by his expert witness. Only the testimony of Leta Lloyd, however, is urged as prejudicial by Parker. That testimony concerned statements by Parker about his marital difficulties that show how upset he was over his separation from Pam Warren. Parker argues he could have used these statements to support his contention that his divorce had affected his emotional state before the crimes were committed. The state argues that Parker's attorneys were able to interview Lloyd before the trial, the statements were provided before trial to the defense's expert witness who said it did not affect his opinion, and the same testimony Lloyd provided about Parker being distraught over the failure of his marriage was provided by other witnesses. The state's position is correct. Accordingly, the trial court did not abuse its discretion in denying the continuance and refusing to suppress the testimony, and Parker has shown no prejudice as a result of the ruling. Berna v. State, 282 Ark. 563, 670 S.W.2d 434 (1984).