Opinion
No. 73734.
May 3, 1989. As Amended on Denial of Rehearing November 2, 1989.
Rutledge R. Liles, President, The Florida Bar, Jacksonville, Stephen N. Zack, President-elect, The Florida Bar, Miami, Honorable Stan R. Morris, Chairman, Supreme Court Criminal Discovery Com'n, Gainesville, Anthony C. Musto, Acting Chairman, Florida Criminal Procedure Rules Committee, Miami, John F. Harkness, Jr., Executive Director, The Florida Bar, Tallahassee, Barry A. Cohen, President, Florida Ass'n of Criminal Defense Lawyers, Tampa, Michael E. Allen, Public Defender, Tallahassee, Designated Representative for the Florida Public Defender Ass'n, Inc.; and David B. Higginbottom, Frostproof, for petitioners.
Janet Reno, State Atty., Miami, Arthur Jacobs, General Counsel, Florida Pros. Attys. Ass'n, Fernandina Beach, Peter Antonacci, Office of Statewide Prosecution, Tallahassee, Donald M. Middlebrooks of Steel, Hector Davis, Miami, and Ed Austin, Com'r, Com'n on Criminal Discovery, State Atty., Jacksonville, for respondents.
Pursuant to a Concurrent Resolution from the Florida Legislature requesting this Court to appoint a commission for the purpose of reviewing Florida Rule of Criminal Procedure 3.220, regarding the discovery process in criminal cases, we now consider the findings and recommendations of the Florida Supreme Court Commission on Criminal Discovery. In addition, we also consider the proposals and recommendations submitted by other parties interested in the administration of our criminal justice system. We have jurisdiction. Art. V, § 2(a), Fla. Const.
HCR 1679, 1988 Fla.Laws 2442.
Initially, we would like to thank the many people who worked with the Commission on Criminal Discovery, who testified before the Commission, and all those who played some part in the production of the Commission's report and participated in the oral arguments before this Court on April 18, 1989. Only through their hard work and effort have we been able to complete this extensive review of a difficult, perplexing question.
In its concurrent resolution, the legislature requested this Court to consider a petition submitted by the State Attorneys of Florida addressing proposed changes in rule 3.220. The legislature requested this Court to appoint the Commission on Criminal Discovery (Commission) to hear testimony on criminal discovery procedures and review the proposals. The legislature requested the Commission to consider:
(1) Protection for victims and other witnesses.
(2) Limiting depositions to only essential witnesses.
(3) Prohibiting the defendant from attending the deposition unless good cause is shown.
(4) Use of technological advances to reduce costs and scheduling problems.
(5) Potential savings of public funds and the time of law enforcement, witnesses, prosecutors, defense counsel, and court personnel that may be derived by employing alternative discovery techniques.
(6) Any other appropriate issues.
Id. at 2443.
Id. at 2443.
Pursuant to this request, we appointed the Commission on Criminal Discovery. The Commission listened to testimony in three locations (Tallahassee, Tampa, and Fort Lauderdale) and submitted its findings, report, and proposals to this Court on February 1, 1989. Afterwards, we sent the report, along with the minority reports of commissioners in disagreement with the Commission report, to the Florida Bar Criminal Rules Committee (Committee) for consideration. The Committee returned the report to us with a number of recommendations, some of which we have adopted.
In re Criminal Discovery Commission, Fla. Admin. Order (July 7, 1988).
We scheduled oral argument to consider the Commission's proposals, the Committee's recommendations, and the minority reports, and we requested all interested parties to submit proposals or letters in support of or in opposition to the Commission's proposals. Following oral argument, we considered all proposals and, accordingly, we amend Florida Rule of Criminal Procedure 3.220 in the manner set forth in the appendix to this opinion.
From all the evidence and testimony taken during the proceedings one fact is clear: virtually all parties at oral argument recognized that depositions in criminal cases play a necessary role in our criminal justice system by insuring fairness and equal administration of justice. Moreover, although there are undeniably some abuses of the deposition process, such abuses are not nearly as widespread as originally feared. Indeed, the records and transcripts in these proceedings lead to a single inevitable conclusion. Discovery depositions are a necessary and valuable part of our criminal justice system, and they are clearly worth the risk of some minor abuse. Although we are amending the discovery rule in hopes of curtailing these abuses, we retain discovery depositions in all cases except misdemeanor cases, where depositions may only be taken upon a showing of good cause.
With some notable exceptions and some minor changes, we accept the Commission's proposed amendments to rule 3.220. The following is a summary of those amendments. Rule 3.220(a) is added to insure that if a defendant utilizes the discovery process, he or she will be required to reciprocate fully in discovery with the prosecution. Rules 3.220(b)(1)(i)(a)-(b) and 3.220(h)(1)(i)-(ii) are amended to provide prosecutors the discretion to designate certain witnesses who may not be deposed unless ordered by the trial court, upon good cause shown. This amendment also provides for sanctions against either side for abuses in designating witnesses or in taking depositions.
Rule 3.220(b)(1)(ii) is amended to include all police reports within the meaning of the term "statement." Rule 3.220(b)(2) is amended to emphasize that information favorable to the defense must be produced regardless of whether the defense files a notice of discovery. An introduction to rule 3.220(d) is added to reflect the change in nomenclature from "demand for discovery" to "notice of discovery." Rule 3.220(h)(1)(iii) abolishes discovery depositions in misdemeanor cases except upon good cause shown. This proposal was not advanced by the Commission, but rather was recommended by the Committee, which supported the abolition of depositions in misdemeanor cases by a vote of eighteen to four.
Rule 3.220(h)(3) is added to provide that depositions shall be taken in the building where the trial will be held, or in a place designated by the trial judge, administrative judge, or chief judge, or by agreement of the parties. Rule 3.220(h)(4) is added to provide for videotaping of witnesses under the age of sixteen, and to provide that depositions of witnesses of fragile emotional strength may be taken before the trial judge or a special master. This addition is intended to protect these witnesses from harassment or intimidation during the taking of a deposition.
Rule 3.220(h)(5) provides for the establishment of Witness Coordination Offices to help coordinate the taking of depositions of law enforcement officers, although the rule does not mandate the establishment of such offices. Rule 3.220(h)(6) states that a defendant shall not be present at a deposition except upon stipulation of the parties or court order upon good cause shown. The rule defines the court's considerations in reviewing a defendant's motion to be present at a deposition. Rule 3.220(h)(7) allows statements of law enforcement officers to be taken by telephone in lieu of depositions upon stipulation by the parties and consent of the witness.
Rule 3.220(n)(2) details sanctions to be imposed against counsel for willful violation of an applicable discovery rule or an order issued pursuant thereto. Rule 3.220(n)(3) is added to require that attorneys or parties filing any papers pursuant to these rules must provide certification that they are requesting or providing discovery in good faith. In addition to these changes, several minor amendments involving numerical adjustments and word rearrangement are also adopted by this Court.
Appended to this opinion is the amended and new Florida Rule of Criminal Procedure 3.220 relating to criminal discovery procedures. Deletions are indicated by use of struck-through type. New language is indicated by underscoring. All rules and statutes in conflict with the following rules are hereby superceded as of the effective date of these rules. The comments are the work of the Commission, the Committee, and this Court, and are not adopted by the Court as part of the rules. These amendments shall become effective July 1, 1989.
It is so ordered.
EHRLICH, C.J., and OVERTON, McDONALD and GRIMES, JJ., concur.
OVERTON, J., concurs specially with an opinion.
GRIMES, J., concurs with an opinion.
KOGAN, J., concurs in part and dissents in part with an opinion, in which SHAW and BARKETT, JJ., concur.
(a) Notice of Discovery. If a defendant should elect to avail himself of the discovery process provided by these rules, including the taking of discovery depositions, the defendant shall file with the court and serve upon the prosecuting attorney notice of the defendant's intent to participate in discovery. Such "Notice of Discovery" shall bind both the prosecution and defendant to all discovery procedures contained in these rules. The defendant may take discovery depositions upon the filing of such notice. The defendant's participating in the discovery process, including the defendant's taking of the deposition of any person, shall be an election to participate in discovery. If any defendant knowingly or purposely shares in discovery obtained by a codefendant, he shall be deemed to have elected to participate in discovery. (a) (b) Discovery written demand by the defendant service of the defendant's notice of election to participate in discovery, The defendant may take the deposition of any person not designated by the prosecutor as a person: a. who performed only a ministerial function with respect to the case or whom the prosecutor does not, in good faith, intend to call at trial, and b. whose involvement with the case and knowledge of the case is fully set out in a police report or other statement furnished to the defense. means includes or a stenographic, mechanical, electrical, or other recording, or a transcript thereof, or which is a substantially verbatim recital of an oral statement made by said person to an officer or agent of the State and recorded contemporaneously with the making of such oral statement, provided, however, if the court determines in camera proceedings as provided in subsection (i) hereof that any police report contains irrelevant, sensitive information or information interrelated with other crimes or criminal activities and the disclosure of the contents of such police report may seriously impair law enforcement or jeopardize the investigation of such other crimes or activities, the court may prohibit or partially restrict such disclosure. The court shall prohibit the State from introducing in evidence the material not disclosed, so as to secure and maintain fairness in the just determination of the cause. and also includes any statement of any kind or manner made by such person and written or recorded or summarized in any writing or recording. The term "statement" is specifically intended to include all police and investigative reports of any kind prepared for or in connection with the case but shall not include the notes from which such reports are compiled. (xii) If the court determines, in camera, that any police or investigative report contains irrelevant, sensitive information or information interrelated with other crimes or criminal activities and the disclosure of the contents of such police report may seriously impair law enforcement or jeopardize the investigation of such other crimes or activities, the court may prohibit or partially restrict such disclosure. (xiii) The court may prohibit the State from introducing into evidence any of the foregoing material not disclosed, so as to secure and maintain fairness in the just determination of the cause. regardless of whether the defendant has incurred reciprocal discovery obligations. (4) The court may deny or partially restrict disclosures authorized by this Rule if it finds there is a substantial risk to any person of physical harm, intimidation, bribery, economic reprisals, or unnecessary annoyance or embarrassment resulting from such disclosure, which outweighs any usefulness of the disclosure to defense counsel. (5) Upon a showing of materiality to the preparation of the defense, the court may require such other discovery to defense counsel as justice may require. (b) (c) (d) Defendant's Obligation. If a defendant elects to participate in discovery, either through filing the appropriate notice or by participating in any discovery process, including the taking of a discovery deposition: (3) (1) defense counsel the defendant (a) (b) defense counsel defendant the names and addresses of defense counsel defendant defense counsel the defendant, defense counsel the defendant the defendant, through The physical presence of the defendant shall be governed by Rule 3.220(h)(6) below. (1) (2) If the defendant demands discovery under Section (a)(1)(ii), (x), (xi) of this Rule, the The which corresponds to that which the defendant sought and whom the defendant expects to call as a trial witness listed in section (d)(1), above, defense counsel defendant Defense counsel The defendant Defense counsel The defendant demand notice of discovery (e) Restricting Disclosure. The court on its own initiative or on motion of counsel shall deny or partially restrict disclosures authorized by this Rule if it finds there is a substantial risk to any person of physical harm, intimidation, bribery, economic reprisals, or unnecessary annoyance or embarrassment resulting from such disclosure, which outweighs any usefulness of the disclosure to either party. (f) Additional Discovery. Upon a showing of materiality, the court may require such other discovery to the parties as justice may require. (c) (g) (d) (h) Generally. The deposition shall be taken in a building where the trial may be held, such other place agreed upon by the parties or where the trial court may designate by special or general order. The Subject to the provisions of this rule, a the a (i) No defendant may take the deposition of a person designated under section (b)(1)(i) above unless an order has been entered by the trial court permitting the taking of said deposition based upon good cause shown by the defendant. (ii) Abuses by either the prosecutor or the defendant in designating and seeking to take the depositions of those persons designated under 3.220(b)(1)(i) above are subject to the sanctions provision of this rule. (iii) No deposition shall be taken in a case where the defendant is only charged with a misdemeanor or a criminal traffic offense when all other discovery provided by this rule has been complied with unless good cause can be shown to the trial court. In determining whether to allow a deposition, the court should consider the consequences to the defendant, the complexity of the issues involved, the complexity of the witness' testimony (e.g., experts) and the other opportunities available to the defendant to discover the information sought by deposition. However, this prohibition against the taking of depositions shall not be applicable if following the furnishing of discovery by the defendant the State then takes the statement of a listed defense witness pursuant to Florida Statute 27.04. Transcripts. 939.06, (3) Place of Deposition. The deposition shall be taken in a building where the trial will be held, such other place agreed upon by the parties or such place as the trial judge, administrative judge, or the chief judge, may designate by special or general order. (4) Depositions of Sensitive Witnesses. Depositions of children under the age of 16 shall be videotaped unless otherwise ordered by the court. The court may order the videotaping of a deposition or the taking of a deposition of a witness with fragile emotional strength to be in the presence of the trial judge or a special master. (5) Witness Coordinating Office/Notice of Taking Deposition. If a witness coordinating office has been established in the jurisdiction pursuant to applicable Florida Statutes the deposition of any law enforcement officer should be coordinated through such office. The Witness Coordinating Office should attempt to schedule depositions of witnesses, especially law enforcement officers, at a time and place convenient for the witness and acceptable to counsel for both the defense and the prosecution. (6) Defendant's Physical Presence. A defendant shall not be physically present at a deposition except upon stipulation of the parties or upon court order for good cause shown. (i) The defendant may move the court for an order permitting physical presence of the defendant upon a showing of good cause. In ruling on such a motion, the court may consider the need for the physical presence of the defendant to obtain effective discovery, the intimidating effect of the defendant's presence on the witness, if any, and any cost or any inconvenience related to the defendant's presence. (ii) In considering the defendant's motion to be physically present at a discovery deposition, the court may consider alternative electronic or audio/visual means to protect the defendant's ability to participate in discovery without his physical presence. (7) Telephonic Statements. Upon stipulation of parties and the consent of the witness, the statement of a law enforcement officer may be taken by telephone in lieu of the deposition of the officer. In such case, the officer need not be under oath. The statement, however, shall be recorded and may be used for impeachment at trial as a prior inconsistent statement pursuant to the Florida Evidence Code. (e) (i) (f) (j) (g) (k) (h) ( l ) good may shall that certain matters not be inquired into, or that the scope of the deposition be limited to certain matters, that a deposition be sealed and after being sealed be opened only by order of the court, to protect a witness from harassment, unnecessary inconvenience or invasion of privacy, (i) (m) in camera. in camera, (j) (n) may shall Such sanctions may include, but are not limited to, contempt proceedings against the attorney, as well as the assessment of costs incurred by the opposing party, where appropriate. (3) Every request for discovery or response or objection, including a notice of deposition made by a party represented by an attorney shall be signed by at least one attorney of record in the attorney's individual name, whose address shall be stated. A party who is not represented by an attorney shall sign the request, response, or objection and list his address. The signature of the attorney or party constitutes a certification that the signer has read the request, response, or objection, and that to the best of the signer's knowledge, information, or belief formed after a reasonable inquiry it is: (i) consistent with these rules and warranted by existing law or a good faith argument for the extension, modification, or reversal of existing law; (ii) not interposed for any improper purpose, such as to harass or to cause unnecessary delay or needless increase in the cost of litigation; and (iii) not unreasonable or unduly burdensome or expensive, given the needs of the case, and the importance of the issues at stake in the litigation. If a request, response, or objection is not signed, it shall be stricken unless it is signed promptly after the omission is called to the attention of the party making the request, response, or objection, and a party shall not be obligated to take any action with respect to it until it is signed. If a certification is made in violation of this Rule, the court, upon motion or upon its own initiative, shall impose upon the person who made the certification, the firm or agency with which the person is affiliated, the party on whose behalf the request, response, or objection is made, or any or all of the above, an appropriate sanction, which may include an order to pay the amount of the reasonable expenses incurred because of the violation, including a reasonable attorney's fee. (k) ( o ) (l) (p) Richardson v. State, 246 So.2d 771 Brady l o l
I fully concur with the modifications in our discovery rule which address the problems and abuses that our commission objectively identified. We have made some major changes, which include restricting discovery in misdemeanors, limiting the defendant's presence at depositions, providing for protection of certain witnesses, and strengthening the sanctions for abuse of the discovery process. I find that three points should be mentioned.
The first concerns cost efficiency in discovery depositions. It would be inappropriate to address this matter in the rule because it is one which should be handled administratively. I strongly believe that all chief judges in this state should take the necessary steps to reduce deposition discovery costs by utilizing, to every extent possible, electronic reporting for criminal discovery depositions. The Eighth and Ninth Circuits have substantially reduced their costs by having such programs in place for years. Florida Rule of Judicial Administration 2.070(c) authorizes this practice.
Second, we have restricted discovery in misdemeanor cases because the process has been abused in these cases, especially in DUI matters. If law enforcement provides the defendant with a complete police report, including a full statement from the officer or officers who will testify as to the elements of the offense, then the fairness of these proceedings should not be adversely affected and the number of good cause hearings should be substantially reduced.
Third, it is important to understand that our discovery rule cannot be considered in a vacuum. Other rules are dependent upon full reciprocal discovery. For example, Florida Rule of Criminal Procedure 3.200, our notice of alibi rule, requires a defendant to furnish the state with specific information of where he claims to have been at the time of the offense and with the names and addresses of those persons who will support his alibi defense. The United States Supreme Court upheld this rule in Williams v. Florida, 399 U.S. 78, 90 S.Ct. 1893, 26 L.Ed.2d 446 (1970), because reciprocal discovery was available. On the other hand, the United States Supreme Court, in Wardius v. Oregon, 412 U.S. 470, 93 S.Ct. 2208, 37 L.Ed.2d 82 (1973), found the same type of alibi rule unconstitutional on due process grounds because that state did not provide reciprocal discovery in its rules. Further, as we explained in Sparks v. State, 273 So.2d 74 (Fla. 1973), and State v. Waters, 436 So.2d 66 (Fla. 1983), our discovery rules have eliminated the necessity for a number of prior common law rules developed to assure a fair trial when no discovery existed. If the discovery rule is substantially changed, then how defendants are charged in indictments and informations would have to be modified since our "broad discovery" rule, as explained in Waters, eliminated the need for detailed specificity in informations and indictments.
All should agree that fairness is an essential ingredient in any justice system. While a great deal has been said about Florida being one of only a few states allowing discovery, nothing has been said concerning the fact that we are also one of the few states which permits prosecuting attorneys to subpoena witnesses to testify ex parte before them. As conceded by the statewide prosecutor during oral argument, only a few jurisdictions give prosecuting attorneys that authority. In most jurisdictions, the prosecuting attorneys are limited in their subpoena power. Our discovery process was developed to bring fairness and efficiency to the criminal justice process in a manner that allows both sides to know what witnesses will say. The process is not only fair but, as most authorities agree, it is also more efficient because the number of guilty pleas is increased and the number of trials is significantly reduced.
It appears that only three other states authorize prosecuting attorneys to act in this fashion. See Ark.Stat.Ann. § 43-801 (1977); Kan. Stat. Ann. § 23.3101 (1981); La. Code Crim. Proc.Ann. art. 66 (West Supp. 1987).
I conclude that the court has properly modified the discovery rule.
I write this opinion to explain my vote to eliminate depositions as a matter of course in misdemeanor and criminal traffic offense cases.
A defendant does not have a constitutional right to take depositions. A large majority of the other states do not permit him to do so. Nevertheless, I fully concur with the decision to continue to permit depositions in felony cases because of their role in ensuring fairness and the equal administration of justice. I also acknowledge that there are some misdemeanor and criminal traffic offense cases in which the taking of depositions may further the same objectives. However, the evidence presented to the Commission convinces me that the benefits to be derived from permitting unlimited depositions in those cases does not justify the expenditure of resources. According to the Commission's report:
Although compiled data for the state do not exist, testimony from law enforcement officials has shown that the cost of the deposition process to law enforcement is substantial. In its survey of all sheriff's offices and police departments in the state, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement set out the dollar costs of depositions to these various departments. Although the report is less than clear as to the time frame involved in its survey, (the report merely states that this is an "annual" expenditure), and is also unclear as to the method used to compute the dollar amounts, the numbers are imposing.[64]
Testimony to the commission from sheriffs and police chiefs demonstrated that the cost is substantial. Chief Melvin Tucker, Chief of Police in Tallahassee, testified that depositions drive up the cost of litigation for law enforcement agencies. Mr. John Fuller, attorney for the Florida Sheriff's Association, testified in Tallahassee that contract negotiations and the inflexibility of the Fair Labor Standards Act contribute to the expense by forbidding offices to use "comp time". Mr. Dan Condon, Legal Advisor to the Escambia County Sheriff's Department for the past three and one-half years, testified that the average officer spends 4 hours per month in deposition, that investigators spend 6 to 8 hours per month, and Personal Crimes Unit officers and Narcotics Unit officers spend 8 1/2 to 9 hours per month in depositions. At its hearing in Tampa, the commission received valuable statistical data from Sgt. Will Brommelsick, with the Research and Planning Division of the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office and from Sgt. Lonnie Hill. Sgt. Brommelsick testified that his office spent over $50,000 on depositions alone, utilizing 3,300 man hours in processing 4,200 formal charges. Sgt. Hill described the impact of the process on the officers themselves, and pointed out that because of their assignments some officers are called to depositions far more frequently than are others, some officers on the DUI squad averaging two to three depositions per week. Chief Austin McLane of the Tampa Police Department summed it up when he stated that ". . . we just don't have the manpower and the budget to sometimes do what the criminal justice system needs to do." Chief Sid Klein, of the Clearwater Police Department, after pointing out that we are dealing with "big, big bucks," illuminated another facet of the problem when he pointed out that the data do not include the hours spent by police reviewing documents to prepare for depositions. Chief Joe Gerwens of the Fort Lauderdale Police Department testified that depositions for the past fiscal year cost his department $125,000 and that the cost projected for the current year was $150,000. He further pointed out that the labor contract with the police union required that a minimum of 2 hours pay be allotted whenever the officer is called for an off-duty deposition.
[64] The report indicates that $12,178,200 was spent on depositions, along with 748,230 manhours devoted to depositions. The report does not indicate whether the manhours were on-duty hours or off-duty hours.
Report of the Florida Supreme Court's Commission on Criminal Discovery, at 35-38 (Feb. 1, 1989) [hereinafter Commission Report] (footnotes 63, 65-73 omitted.)
Drawing the line between felonies and misdemeanors may be viewed as arbitrary, but it is a line that the legislature has drawn in prescribing lower penalties for less serious crimes. Moreover, the Commission's report indicates that much of the law enforcement officers' deposition time is spent in DUI cases, many of which do not involve the likelihood of incarceration. In addition, we have amended these rules to require the state to provide the defendant with the police reports in all cases. Finally, upon a showing of good cause, the defendant can still take depositions even in misdemeanor and criminal traffic cases. It is also significant that while the Commission did not recommend the change, the Criminal Rules Committee approved it by an overwhelming vote.
The following portion of the separate statement of Commission member Donald M. Middlebrooks is well taken:
An approach short of total abolition of discovery depositions is scrutiny of types of crimes or levels of punishment to determine whether depositions are appropriate. Depositions in certain types of cases may involve a particularly heavy cost in terms of resources compared to any increase in accuracy of the truth finding process. In other words, even if we accept that depositions are a good thing for the criminal justice system, it is reasonable to ask whether at some point the costs outweigh the benefits.
As noted above, the burden of discovery depositions weighs particularly heavy upon police agencies and particular persons within those agencies. Witness after witness before the Commission, for example, spoke of the impact of discovery upon DUI enforcement. . . . When a DUI officer spends more time in deposition and in court than on the streets you have to question our allocation of resources.
Examination of Supreme Court records pertaining to criminal cases in recent years provides some data concerning the proportionate impact of types of cases upon the system:1986 1987 1988[7] Def. Accused/ 135,539 148,061 128,333 Felonies (170,683) Def. Accused/ 408,564 445,785 347,747 Misdemeanors (462,504) Criminal 672,626 454,741 357,339 Traffic Cases[8] (475,260) DUI Cases 75,121 71,507 47,395 (63,036)
These figures show to some degree the relative impact of misdemeanors, and criminal traffic cases, particularly DUI cases upon the system. Curtailment of depositions in these cases should produce a significant lessening of the burden on police agencies.
. . . . .
[7] 1988 figures are for the nine month period, 1/88-9/88. Annualized figures based upon the first nine months are enclosed in parentheses.
[8] Figures for criminal traffic cases are kept by number of violations rather than defendants.
Commission Report, Middlebrooks, Criminal Discovery in Florida — A System Tilting Towards the Defense at 14-15.
Generally, if something is not broken, repairs are not necessary. I do not believe, as the State Attorneys of Florida argue, that the criminal discovery deposition system is broken. Accordingly, I would not attempt to fix it. While I agree that our system of taking discovery depositions needs some fine tuning as has been recommended by our Commission on Criminal Discovery and by The Florida Bar Criminal Rules Committee, I dissent from the provisions allowing prosecutors to limit the scope of available deponents and eliminating discovery depositions in misdemeanor and criminal traffic cases.
The state attorneys complain of widespread abuse of the discovery process by defense attorneys throughout the state. The testimony at proceedings conducted by the Supreme Court Discovery Rules Commission suggests that this is not the case. The Court's concern here is the efficient, fair, fiscally-sound administration of justice. While most of those who testified at the proceedings were primarily interested in gaining a tactical advantage for one side or the other, the one notable exception to this was the circuit judges, who clearly shared our interest in the fair and efficient administration of justice. Each judge who provided input stated, without reservation, that discovery depositions were vital to the administration of justice and that claims of abuse were significantly overstated.
It is eminently unfair that we allow all parties in civil proceedings full discovery before the adjudication of a property or financial dispute, while we limit a defendant's ability to conduct discovery in criminal proceedings where his or her life or liberty is at stake. It makes no logical sense to allow full discovery in civil cases but restrict discovery in criminal cases.
It is equally illogical to give prosecutors the discretion to determine which witnesses are relevant to a defendant's case and those witnesses who are not. Even assuming that a prosecutor will always exercise this discretion in good faith, the prosecutor is not in a position to determine what is relevant to the defendant's case. Relevance is in the eye of the beholder, particularly when the beholder is an adversary. I firmly believe that a defendant should be allowed to determine which witnesses may be important to his or her case. Prosecutors cannot accurately predict or determine what a defendant's case will be. It is the function of a defendant's trial counsel to determine those matters that are important to the defendant's case. This is made more difficult under the new rule adopted by the majority.
Lastly, the elimination of discovery depositions in misdemeanor and criminal traffic cases is unfair to the defendant. The Commission listened to many hours of testimony and reached the conclusion that discovery depositions are an essential part of our criminal justice system in all cases, not merely felony cases. On the other hand, the Criminal Rules Committee considered the issue at one meeting, and without any testimonial or evidentiary support, concluded that depositions in misdemeanor and criminal traffic cases should be eliminated. I can see no basis for this conclusion, as none was ever presented, but I do see the great harm it will cause.
Depositions in misdemeanor and criminal traffic cases, as in all criminal cases, ferret out the frivolous cases, clarify the factual issues, and improve the efficiency of the system at the county court level. Their elimination will radically disrupt the fair and equitable administration of justice in misdemeanor and criminal traffic cases.
It is no coincidence that each county court judge who submitted evidence, correspondence, or testimony to the Commission fully supported the retention of discovery depositions, especially in misdemeanor and criminal traffic cases. It has been well documented that abolishing these depositions will result in further case overload that will place an insurmountable burden on the county courts, making their jobs substantially more difficult. If the administration of justice is truly our ambition, these rules changes ignore that ambition.
Accordingly, I concur in part and dissent in part from the Court's adoption of the Commission's proposals. I would leave rule 3.220, as it pertains to discovery depositions in criminal cases, substantially unchanged.
SHAW and BARKETT, JJ., concur.