Court Opinion

ID: 9533743
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-07 04:34:17.345718+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T13:29:09.313916
License: Public Domain

White, J., dissenting.
I can imagine nothing more devastating to the effectiveness of counsel in a criminal case than the discovery of a surprise impeaching witness after the announcement in an opening statement that the defendant would testify.
*224To eliminate the “game theory” of trials, both civil and criminal, the discovery process has taken root in our trial practice.
In a civil case a continuance might very well cure the use of the previously undisclosed evidence. In a criminal case, bearing as it does in this case on the sixth amendment right to effective counsel, the evidence should not have been admitted, or having admitted the evidence, the court should have granted a mistrial.
Caporale and Grant, JJ., join in this dissent.