Opinion ID: 2511832
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 13

Heading: Boyd is distinguishable on the facts

Text: ¶ 39 Boyd is unlike the present case in other key respects. Most significantly, the protective order in Boyd permitted the defense only two sessions of forensic examination of the mirror image hard drives in that case. See Pet'r's Mot. for Discretionary Review, App. A, State v. Boyd, 160 Wash.2d 424, 158 P.3d 54 (No. 79371-9). In contrast, the defense in the present case was not limited in its forensic examination of the mirrored hard drives. ¶ 40 Factually the cases are distinct. During the July 25, 2003 hearing on the defense motion to compel discovery in the present case, the State's attorney explained that it never turned over child pornography to anyone outside law enforcement as a matter of policy in consideration of the interests of the victims and to avoid possible further distribution of the materials. When the trial court granted the defendant's request to compel discovery, it issued a protective order that recognized the importance of this policy concern, while at the same time providing the defense with access to the evidence on which the State relied. Under the protective order, the data contained on the mirrored drives could not be removed from the secured facility without the permission of the court and could only be viewed by defense counsel, the expert, and the defendant (the defendant could do so only in the presence of counsel). ¶ 41 But unlike in Boyd, there was no limitation on the defense's access to the mirror image hard drives for forensic evaluation. Indeed, the trial judge granting the motion to compel discovery and issuing the protective order commented, The state is offering unlimited access as long as the material is not copied. RP at 24 (July 25, 2003). The only limitation on time for evaluation was to business hours, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, but this is hardly the same as the situation in Boyd. Moreover, the record shows that the State indicated its willingness to try to accommodate the defense if access was sought at night or on the weekends. [3] ¶ 42 In summary, there are numerous factual misstatements in the majority opinion, with the most egregious being the statement that the defense expert refused to examine the mirrored hard drives at the County-City Building, which simply is not supported by the record.