Opinion ID: 1948614
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 11

Heading: did the trial court err in overruling gray's motion to exclude the testimony of donald lungrin?

Text: This assignment takes us into the troublesome waters of Mississippi Uniform Circuit Court Rules of Criminal Practice and Procedure 4.06. On October 14, 1983, Gray filed a motion to compel the disclosure of all evidence favorable to him and specifically requested the names of witnesses the state intended to call to testify. This was done pursuant to Uniform Criminal Rules of Circuit Court Rule 4.06 on discovery. Nations issued a subpoena for Lungrin, and Lungrin appears on co-defendant Nations' subpoena list. He does not appear on the subpoena list of the state. Gray's attorney went to Parchman and interviewed Lungrin. At the time of this interview, Lungrin was solely a witness for the co-defendant Nations. On Friday, November 11, 1983, Lungrin was brought to the Yazoo County jail to await the trial scheduled to begin on Tuesday, November 15, 1983. On Sunday, November 13, 1983, Gray's attorney again interviewed Lungrin in the Yazoo County jail. At the time of the interview, Lungrin was still only a witness for the co-defendant Nations. He did not tell Gray's attorney at that time that he had made a deal with the state and intended to testify for the state against Gray. Some time Monday afternoon, the state prosecutor determined that Gray would testify for the state and some time that afternoon called the office of Gray's attorney and told the secretary there that Lungrin would be called as a state witness. This information never reached Gray's attorney, who was in Yazoo City on Monday afternoon and not at his office or in contact with it. On Tuesday morning, the first day of the trial, the prosecutor and his assistant informed Gray's counsel that Lungrin would testify for the state. On Wednesday, the second day of the trial, Donald Lungrin was called to testify for the state of Mississippi. Gray objected, and moved for the court not to allow Lungrin to testify because, in response to his motion for discovery requesting the state to furnish names of witnesses, Lungrin's name did not appear on that list. After hearing both counsel, the trial court ruled that Lungrin had been available since Friday, November 11th, and, therefore, the trial court could see no prejudice in allowing Lungrin to testify since counsel had had an opportunity to talk with him. No present opportunity was made available by the trial judge to the attorney for Gray to interview the witness again. The court then overruled Gray's motion for a mistrial, and Lungrin proceeded to testify. We return to Rule 4.06, Discovery, momentarily. We point out that one element of the rule is as follows: If, subsequent to compliance with these rules or orders pursuant thereto, a party discovers additional material or information which is subject to disclosure, he shall promptly notify the other party or his counsel of the existence of such additional material, and if the additional material or information is discovered during trial, the court shall also be notified. The Rule further provides, in its last two paragraphs that, If at any time during the course of the proceedings it is brought to the attention of the court that a party has failed to comply with an applicable discovery rule or an order issued pursuant thereto, the court may order such party to permit the discovery of material and information not previously disclosed, grant a continuance, or enter such other order as it deems just under the circumstances. Willful violation by counsel of an applicable discovery rule or an order issued pursuant thereto may subject counsel to appropriate sanctions by the court. Rule 4.06, as amended October 26, 1982. A seminal case dealing with guidelines for the application of Rule 4.06 is Justice Robertson's concurring opinion in Box v. State, 437 So.2d 19 (Miss. 1983). Box had requested a list of the state's witnesses along with their addresses and production of physical or tangible evidence. At his trial, the state called a witness whose name had not been disclosed to the defense until late on the evening before the trial began. The state also introduced photographs that were within the scope of the discovery order but had not been disclosed until a few moments before they were produced at trial. Over the objection of the defendant, the witness was allowed to testify and the evidence was presented to the jury. Box neither sought a continuance nor did he ask for a mistrial. When asked why the disclosure had not been made, the prosecuting attorneys explained that until the evening before the trial they simply were not aware that they had a statement which indicated to them that the witness could identify Box and, therefore, they did not disclose the information. We reversed. In his specially concurring opinion, Justice Robertson set forth guidelines for use where discoverable but undisclosed evidence is offered by the state. These guidelines are: First In cases where the state seeks to offer into evidence that which it ought to have disclosed pursuant to a discovery request but didn't, it is first incumbent upon the defendant to make timely objection. If this be done, the court's initial response should be a directive that the defense be given a reasonable opportunity to interview the newly discovered witness, to examine the newly produced documents, photographs, etc. The court should not be grudging in this allowance. Second If, after examining the evidence involved or interviewing the would-be witness, the defendant is of the opinion that he has been subjected to unfair surprise and that his defense will be prejudiced if the evidence is offered without his having had the opportunity to investigate independently the credibility of the evidence and possible responses thereto, it should then be incumbent upon him to request expressly that the court grant a continuance. In most instances this will necessitate a declaration of a mistrial. [footnote omitted] In any event, and in such a situation and absent unusual circumstances to the contrary, the trial court ought conditionally grant the requested continuance, at which time the matter is checked back to the state. Third If the state is of the opinion that for whatever reason it wants to use the witness or the evidence in its case against the defendant, the order for a continuance must stand. At this point, however, the state should have the election. If the state withdraws its offer of the evidence in dispute and agrees to proceed wholly without use of this evidence, the order for continuance should be withdrawn and the trial should proceed as in the ordinary course. I would hold that these guidelines ought generally be applied in all cases in which the new evidence has not been disclosed to the defendant more than 48 hours prior to the beginning of the trial. There may be cases where it would be appropriate to apply these guidelines where discoverable but unproduced evidence has been disclosed to defendant more than 48 hours before trial. 437 So.2d at 23-24. In Cabello v. State, 471 So.2d 332 (Miss. 1985), defense counsel moved, after the jury was impaneled, the court to issue an order prohibiting the state from calling a witness on the ground that that witness was not submitted to the defendant according to the rules of discovery until the morning of the trial. The trial court responded as follows: Well, it does muddy up the water ... however, in view of the history of this case and these charges, this witness having testified ... against his brother about two weeks ago, now we are talking about him testifying against his father; evidently it would not be a complete shock to anyone and Mr. Odom the court will require this witness be brought to you wherever you want him brought to today and give you an opportunity to talk to him if you wish to do so. We will order the sheriff to transport him to any room in the building you request for that purpose. Id. at 343.