Opinion ID: 496850
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Exclusion of the Medical Record.

Text: 12 Aceves sought to introduce into evidence the one-page medical report prepared by the doctor in the emergency room. The district court excluded the evidence because it was not introduced in a timely manner and for lack of sufficient foundation. We need not decide the question of sufficient foundation because we hold that the court did not abuse its discretion in excluding the report under Fed.R.Crim.P. 16 because of its late disclosure. 13 Whether Rule 16 applies to a particular set of facts is a question of law that we review de novo. See United States v. Gatto, 763 F.2d 1040, 1047 (9th Cir.1985). We review the propriety of a sanction for violating Rule 16 for an abuse of discretion. United States v. Gee, 695 F.2d 1165, 1168 (9th Cir.1983) 14 The prosecutor and the defense attorney agreed to reciprocal discovery pursuant to Fed.R.Crim.P. 16 on September 8, 1986. During the evening of September 29, 1986, the defense attorney learned for the first time that Aceves had visited a doctor after his arrest. Trial began the next day. The defense attorney subpoenaed the medical record. However, he did not inform either the court or the prosecutor of the existence of the record. Nor did the defense attorney reveal that he might offer that record in his case. Rather, he sat through the entire first day of trial and allowed the government to rest its case without disclosing the record's existence. Not until the end of that day did the defense attorney reveal the record's existence and disclose that he would have physical possession and might offer it the next day. Thus, the trial judge knew that the defense attorney had knowledge of the record for the full first day of trial and had subpoenaed the record, but had not disclosed either fact. 15 This inaction violated Rule 16(c) which provides a continuing obligation on a party subject to reciprocal discovery merely to notify the other party or the court of the existence of the additional evidence. The duty on the defendant to disclose applies to material that is subject to Rule 16(b). In order to be subject to the provisions of Rule 16(b), the material must be within the possession, custody, or control of the defendant. 16 The defense attorney apparently did not delay in revealing the record once he gained actual possession 1 or custody. However, this medical record was within the control of the defense attorney. Once the record was subpoenaed, counsel had the power of the court behind him and had the ability to gain imminent possession. 2 This control gave rise to an obligation to notify the court or the Government of the existence of the record promptly, which in this case was before the close of the Government's case in chief. 17 When the defense attorney produced the record on the second day, the trial judge simply exercised his discretion by excluding it for failure to disclose its existence earlier. 3 The trial judge did not abuse his discretion. The evidence was not of decisive value. Its exclusion was not disproportionate to the conduct of counsel. The public defender made a strategic decision to withhold the document until after the close of the government's case. He and his client must accept the risk arising from this behavior.