Opinion ID: 891652
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: Exclusion of Witness from Courtroom

Text: {37} Defendant's father was included on the witness lists for both parties. During the first trial, the district court imposed the witness sequestration rule but permitted witnesses who were not going to be recalled to stay in the courtroom after they testified. The district court, in the first trial, ruled that Defendant's father, though not called by either party as part of a case-in-chief and Defendant's only relative able to be present at trial, was potentially a rebuttal witness for the State and therefore remained under sequestration. During a bench conference in the third trial, Defendant requested that his father, who had not been called as a witness, be allowed to sit in the courtroom, as the victims' mothers, witnesses who had already testified, were so permitted. The district court denied the request, invoking the prior ruling on witness sequestration. Defendant implicitly argues that his father was excluded from the courtroom because he is African-American.
{38} Although the parties describe the issue as whether the district court abused its discretion in excluding members of the general public from the courtroom, our review is whether the district court abused its discretion by imposing the witness sequestration rule. See State v. Shirley, 2007-NMCA-137, ¶ 33, 142 N.M. 765, 170 P.3d 1003. We will not disturb the decision of the trial court absent a clear abuse of this discretion and prejudice to the complaining party. State v. Hernandez, 115 N.M. 6, 18, 846 P.2d 312, 324 (1993).
{39} The witness sequestration rule permits the exclusion of witnesses from the courtroom to prevent the tailoring of testimony that may occur as a result of listening to the trial. Rule 11-615 NMRA (permitting the exclusion of witnesses from the courtroom so that they cannot hear the testimony of other witnesses); see also State v. Trevino, 113 N.M. 804, 809, 833 P.2d 1170, 1175 (Ct.App.1991). As evidenced by the concerns of witness intimidation, discussed supra Section III.A., the district court was validly concerned about the integrity of the testimony at trial. The district court did not abuse its discretion in upholding the witness sequestration rule during this trial with the effect that Defendant's father was excluded from the courtroom, and Defendant did not show that he was prejudiced by the imposition of the rule. There is no basis in the record for the allegation that Defendant's father was excluded because of his race.