Opinion ID: 1550932
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 6

Heading: the motion to sequester

Text: At the commencement of trial, defendant moved to sequester all witnesses. The court granted the request with the exception of two detectives, Steven Cross and John McGehearty, who were allowed to remain present at counsel table in order to assist the prosecutor in presentation of the case. The defendant moved as an alternative that these two detectives be required to testify first. The court declined to exclude the detectives from the courtroom and further declined to require that they testify as the state's first witnesses. The defendant asserts this denial of his requests as error. In State v. Mathias, 423 A.2d 484 (R.I. 1980), we considered this precise question and determined that the exclusion of witnesses from the courtroom during the taking of testimony at a trial is a matter vested in the sound discretion of the trial justice and that a decision in the exercise of that discretion will not be disturbed by this court unless an abuse of that discretion clearly appears. Id. at 486; State v. Raposa, 100 R.I. 516, 517, 217 A.2d 469, 470 (1966); State v. Cyrulik, 100 R.I. 282, 284, 214 A.2d 382, 383-84 (1965). In Mathias we applied the same standard in reviewing a trial justice's refusal to require that the police officer who was permitted to remain in the courtroom should testify first. We stated that the determination of the order of proof is within the discretion of the trial justice and that such discretion would not be lightly reviewed. 423 A.2d at 487. We also stated that it was unnecessary that the trial justice make a determination of the necessity of the assistance of the officer or officers who would be allowed to remain for the purpose of assisting the prosecution. Id. We saw no need to presume that the investigating officer or officers who assisted the prosecution are likely to modify their testimony in order to bring it into conformity with the testimony given by other witnesses. Id. at 488. We believe that the principles enunciated in Mathias are dispositive of this issue. The trial justice committed no abuse of discretion in declining to exclude from the courtroom the two detectives assigned to assist state's counsel. We further find no abuse of discretion in not requiring the state to present these witnesses first.