Opinion ID: 1935220
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: The Testimony of Dr. Thomas Guilmette

Text: Doctor Thomas Guilmette was presented by the state as an expert in relation to the administering and evaluation of psychological tests. This testimony was given in rebuttal to expert testimony given on behalf of defendant by Dr. Spencer DeVault, also an expert in the administration and evaluation of psychological tests. The defendant did not furnish to the state the reports of her experts, including Dr. DeVault, until Friday, October 9, 1992, on the eve of trial. It was not until receiving this report that the state retained Dr. Guilmette. On the first day of trial (October 13, 1992), Dr. Guilmette had still not obtained the raw data upon which Dr. DeVault's opinion was based. This raw data was not furnished until October 14, 1992, when it was delivered pursuant to a court order. On October 19, 1992, the prosecution furnished to counsel for the defense a summary of Dr. Guilmette's testimony. This summary was delivered prior to the testimony of defendant's expert witnesses. Just prior to the prosecution's placing Dr. Guilmette on the stand, counsel for defendant asserted that the state's summary was inadequate and that Dr. Guilmette should be precluded from testifying pursuant to the state's violation of Rule 16(a)(7) of the Superior Court Rules of Criminal Procedure. Rule 16(a)(7) does not require the state to do the impossible. In State v. Sanders, 609 A.2d 963, 965-66 (R.I. 1992), we pointed out that the state has no opportunity to determine with accuracy what a rebuttal witness will say until the defendant's witness has testified. In the case at bar the state was certainly not responsible for the late delivery of the data underlying Dr. DeVault's testimony. Doctor Guilmette was a classic rebuttal witness whose testimony could not have been predicted in advance with any degree of accuracy. Thus the trial justice did not abuse his discretion in refusing to impose the sanction of precluding the introduction of this testimony into evidence. See State v. Engram, 479 A.2d 716, 718-19 (R.I. 1984). The defendant's reliance upon this issue is misplaced.