Opinion ID: 1889328
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Trial Court Error at the Post-Verdict Evidentiary Hearing

Text: Appellant's next claim is that the trial court erred in refusing to interrupt the post-verdict evidentiary hearing and grant another defense continuance in order to allow appellant to be examined by his own mental health expert, Dr. Russell. Prior to the evidentiary hearing, appellant had refused to meet with Dr. Russell. During the evidentiary hearing, however, appellant apparently changed his mind about meeting with Dr. Russell and requested a continuance of the hearing so that he could do so. N.T. 12/17/99 at 26-27. The trial court denied the request. The denial of a request for a continuance is within the sound discretion of the trial court and will not be reversed absent a showing of an abuse of discretion. Commonwealth v. McAleer, 561 Pa. 129, 748 A.2d 670, 673 (Pa.2000). An abuse of discretion is not merely an error of judgment; rather, discretion is abused when the law is overridden or misapplied, or the judgment exercised is manifestly unreasonable, or the result of partiality, prejudice, bias, or ill-will, as shown by the evidence or the record. Id. (citations omitted). The docket reflects that appellant requested and was granted three extensions of time to file his post-verdict motions with the trial court. A fourth motion, filed jointly with the Commonwealth, requested a continuance of the post-verdict evidentiary hearing due to the unavailability of Dr. Russell. This request was also granted by the court. In total, appellant had over eight months before the evidentiary hearing to meet with Dr. Russell had he wished to do so. In its opinion, the trial court noted that: Defendant was given more than adequate time to consent to an exam and failed to do so. We do not believe that our Court system should be held hostage by a fickle Defendant who cannot cooperate with his own counsel. The reason this continuance was denied was because of Defendant's own actions, and for those actions Defendant must be held accountable. Opinion at 23. The trial court also noted that it denied the continuance because, inter alia, it was cognizant of its obligation to rule promptly upon post-trial motions in death penalty cases. Id. (citing Pa. R.Crim. P. 720 and 810). We are satisfied that the trial court did not abuse its discretion in denying appellant's request for a fifth continuance, raised in the middle of the evidentiary hearing, merely because appellant apparently experienced a change of heart concerning the advisability of cooperating with his own expert witness. Accordingly, this claim is denied.