Opinion ID: 878269
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Sequestered Witness

Text: Defendant's second argument is that he was prejudiced by the State's failure to exclude one witness from the hearing room while the trial was in progress. All witnesses had been put under the rule of exclusion. One witness, a physician, was not aware of the court's order. He inadvertently came into the courtroom and sat down a few minutes before he was to testify. Defendant immediately brought it to the District Court's attention that the doctor had apparently been in the courtroom in disregard of the exclusion order. It does not appear from the record that the doctor was aware of the restriction. Nor were the prosecutors aware of his presence. Finally, the testimony of the previous witness related to the procedure used in taking and storing blood samples. The physician's testimony went to the victim's injuries. This Court has held that where no prejudice is shown, it is not error to admit the testimony of an unsequestered witness. State v. Radi (1978), 176 Mont. 451, 460-461, 578 P.2d 1169, 1176. State v. Love (1968), 151 Mont. 190, 195, 440 P.2d 275, 278. A party should not be denied his witness because of misconduct which the party has not caused. State v. Johnson (1922), 62 Mont. 503, 510, 205 P. 661, 663. Refusal to permit a witness to testify in a criminal case on the ground that he had violated the order excluding witnesses is reversible error where neither the state nor the defendant was responsible for the violation of the order and did not know he was present. (Citation omitted.) State v. Johnson, 62 Mont. at 511, 205 P. at 663. Excluding testimony is not an appropriate remedy. Rather, the jury should be instructed on the credibility of the witness. If the order is willfully violated, the court may properly hold the witness in contempt of court. Johnson, 62 Mont. at 512, 205 P.2d at 663. In the case before this Court, the witness was unaware of the order. Neither the State nor the defendant noted his presence until he had been in the courtroom for several minutes. The testimony he heard was totally unrelated to that which he was giving. Defendant has failed to demonstrate prejudice.