Opinion ID: 2136626
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: List of witnesses.

Text: Irby moved to discover the names and addresses of the persons the state intended to call as witnesses, relying on sec. 971.23 (3) (a), Stats. [2] The court required the district attorney to provide such a list and in response thereto Irby was provided with a list containing some 97 names, which included members of the Madison police department, state crime laboratory, fire department, hospital employees, doctors, and others. The list included LaMar Walker. Irby protested the length of the list, but the trial judge did not limit the list, stating he could not decide whom the prosecution intended to call as witnesses. A few days later the prosecutor informed Irby that his office had just become aware of a statement made by Irby in the Dane county jail and that Walker had been interviewed the previous day. The statute, sec. 971.23 (7), places a continuing duty upon a party to disclose additional witnesses when once requested. [3] Upon receiving this information, Irby moved for a two weeks' continuance or the suppression of the Irby statement. The request was denied but the defense was allowed to interview Walker prior to his testifying at the trial which was commenced a few days later. Trial counsel did examine Walker and counsel indicated no dissatisfaction with the amount of time granted by the court to interview the witness nor did he renew his request for a continuance after the examination. We conclude the court was in error in not requiring the prosecutor to be more specific with the witnesses whom he intended to call. Sec. 971.23 (3) (a), Stats., allows a pretrial discovery by the defendant, but it is limited to not less than fifteen days nor more than thirty days before trial. Underlying this time period is the concept that at that time the attorneys for the parties are in trial preparation and should know whom they intend to use as witnesses. This time period is a realistic appraisal that in the mass of routine criminal cases serious preparation for trial is not commenced until shortly before trial. Our statute, unlike the Florida statute (Fla. Cr. P. R. 1.220 (e)) which requires the prosecution to furnish a list of all witnesses known to him to have information which may be relevant to the charge or to the defense, requires only a list of the witnesses that the district attorney intends to call at trial. As a condition precedent of the request by the defendant, he must furnish a list of the witnesses he intends to call at the trial. If this prediscovery technique is going to work to the advantage of the prosecutor and the defense, a blown-up list of witnesses or one which includes witnesses whom the attorney has no serious intention to call should not be permitted. This requirement of intention to call the witnesses listed is one of the chief aims of the discovery procedureto inform the opposing party of evidence to be produced at trial so he can most effectively test its validity. If we read the record correctly, some of the witnesses given by the prosecution had not been interrogated and it is difficult to see how the prosecutor intended to call them as a witness if he did not know what they were going to say. The pretrial discovery is a device to speed up trials, to make them more fair and to eliminate some of the sporting features of the old-fashioned criminal trial in the search for justice. [4] This being so, counsel cannot use this discovery to harass or to place the opposite party under an unreasonable burden of preparation. We think the trial court should have conducted a hearing to discover which of the 97 witnesses the district attorney in fact and in good faith intended to call. But this error does not necessarily require a reversal unless there is a showing of surprise and prejudice by the defendant. People v. Brown (1970), 125 Ill. App. 2d 336, 261 N. E. 2d 11; People v. Raby (1968), 40 Ill. 2d 392, 240 N. E. 2d 595. In this case, trial counsel accepted the time given by the court to interview Walker during the trial the day before he was to be called as a witness. Since the defense was afforded an opportunity to talk to Walker and did not ask for a continuance thereafter or make any showing of prejudice or surprise and proceeded with the trial without complaint, the error on the record is harmless. It is argued by appellate counsel there was prejudice, but the record does not sustain this argument nor did the trial counsel claim he was prejudiced. We point out when an error is claimed amounting to noncompliance with or abuse of the witness-list requirement, the error or abuse may in some cases be cured by the court granting the other party a continuance so he can adequately prepare for trial, People v. White (1970), 123 Ill. App. 2d 102, 259 N. E. 2d 357; Gallegos v. State (1968), 84 Nev. 608, 446 Pac. 2d 656, or by recessing for a period sufficient to allow counsel to interview the witness (which was done here). People v. Armour (1970), 133 Ill. App. 2d 126, 263 N. E. 2d 885; People v. Knox (1968), 94 Ill. App. 2d 36, 236 N. E. 2d 384. The granting of a continuance or recess is to be favored over striking the witness: Williams v. State (Fla. District Court of Appeal 1972), 264 So. 2d 106. In order to qualify for a continuance or recess, most courts require the continuance be requested in a timely fashion and that the defendant be surprised and prejudiced by the testimony. People v. White, supra ; State v. Gaines (1967), 6 Ariz. App. 561, 435 Pac. 2d 68.