People v. Kingsley, 26632

Decision Date06 January 1975
Docket NumberNo. 26632,26632
Citation187 Colo. 258,530 P.2d 501
PartiesThe PEOPLE of the State of Colorado, Petitioner, v. Robert T. KINGSLEY, District Judge, and the District Court In and For theSecond Judicial District of the State of Colorado, Respondents.
CourtColorado Supreme Court

Dale Tooley, Dist. Atty., O. Otto Moore, Asst. Dist. Atty., Brooke Wunnicke, Chief Appellate Deputy Dist. Atty., Denver, for petitioner.

Rollie R. Rogers, Colo. State Public Defender, James F. Dumas, Jr., Chief Deputy State Public Defender, Alvin D. Lichtenstein, Deputy State Public Defender, Denver, for respondents.

ERICKSON, Justice.

The district attorney, in this original proceeding, has petitioned this court for a writ of prohibition to prevent the trial court from enforcing an order which directed him to provide defense counsel with the names of the witnesses he expected to call at a preliminary hearing, together with copies of any relevant written or recorded statements. We issued a rule to show cause and now discharge the rule.

Tyrone P. Walton and a co-defendant were charged with aggravated robbery (1971 Perm.Supp., C.R.S.1963, 40--4--302), and conspiracy to commit aggravated robbery (1971 Perm.Supp., C.R.S.1963, 40--2--201). Prior to the preliminary hearing, defense counsel filed a motion for discovery which was limited to the items set forth in Crim.P. 16 I(a)(1)(I). The applicable portions of Rule 16 I provide:

'(a) Prosecutor's Obligations.

'(1) (T)he prosecuting attorney upon request of the defense counsel shall disclose to defense counsel the following material and information which is within the possession or control of the prosecuting attorney:

'(I) The names and addresses of persons whom the prosecuting attorney intends to call as witnesses at the hearing or trial, together with their relevant written or recorded statements;'

The county court denied discovery on the basis of our decision in People v. Quinn, Colo., 516 P.2d 420 (1973).

Thereafter, the district court, at the instance of defense counsel, issued a rule to show cause, conducted a hearing, made the rule absolute and ordered the limited discovery which was requested. The district court concluded that Quinn was not dispositive of the issue because our discovery rule was subsequently amended and that Crim.P. 16, as amended, clearly grants defense counsel the right to obtain the names of witnesses and any statements which they might have given prior to the preliminary hearing. We agree.

Subsequent to our decision in Quinn, Crim.P. 16 was amended and now contains unequivocal language which grants the discovery rights sought by defense counsel. Crim.P. 16, as amended, contemplates limited discovery prior to the preliminary hearing, but is not designed to convert the preliminary hearing into a mini trial. The scope of discovery prior to the preliminary hearing is specifically limited by Crim.P. 16, as amended, which we in Crim.P. 16, as amended, which we are asked to construe, limit the scope of discovery to those witnesses who will be called at the preliminary hearing and the relevant statements which those witnesses may have provided to the district attorney.

It was not the intention...

To continue reading

Request your trial
6 cases
  • People v. Mucklow
    • United States
    • Colorado Supreme Court
    • December 26, 2000
    ...516 P.2d 420, 422 (Colo.1973), which barred any discovery prior to the preliminary hearing. Quinn was modified by People v. Kingsley, 187 Colo. 258, 530 P.2d 501 (1975) and Colo. R.Crim. P. 16 was amended to allow limited discovery prior to the preliminary hearing. Under the Kingsley versio......
  • Maestas v. District Court In and For City and County of Denver
    • United States
    • Colorado Supreme Court
    • October 27, 1975
    ...whether probable cause exists to support the prosecution's charge that the accused committed a particular crime. People v. Kingsley, Colo., 530 P.2d 501 (1972); People ex rel. Russel v. District Court, Colo., 526 P.2d 289 (1974); People v. Quinn, 183 Colo. 245, 516 P.2d 420 (1973). The prel......
  • State v. Helmick
    • United States
    • West Virginia Supreme Court
    • January 19, 1982
    ...when such disclosure was not afforded defense counsel. See also Com. v. Contakos, 492 Pa. 465, 424 A.2d 1284 (1981); People v. Kingsley, 187 Colo. 258, 530 P.2d 501 (1975); State v. Green, 103 Ariz. 211, 439 P.2d 483 (1972). III Appellant's next argument is that he was prejudiced by the fai......
  • People v. Adams County Court, 87CA1795
    • United States
    • Colorado Court of Appeals
    • December 8, 1988
    ...Crim.P 16 was later amended to allow limited discovery prior to the preliminary hearing and Quinn was modified by People v. Kingsley, 187 Colo. 258, 530 P.2d 501 (1975). The rule in effect at the time of the Kingsley opinion, required limited disclosure by the prosecution, at the request of......
  • Request a trial to view additional results
3 books & journal articles
  • Attacking the Seizure-over-coming Good Faith
    • United States
    • Colorado Bar Association Colorado Lawyer No. 11-9, September 1982
    • Invalid date
    ...421 (1978); People v. Spies, 615 P.2d 710 (1980). 5. People v. Wolf, 635 P.2d 213 (1981). 6. C.R.Crim.P. Rule 16; People v. Kingsley, 187 Colo. 258, 530 P.2d 501 (1975). 7. C.R.Crim.P. Rule 41(f). 8. People v. Quinn, 183 Colo. 245, 516 P.2d 420 (1973). See also, Rex v. Sullivan, 194 Colo. 5......
  • Felony Preliminary Hearings in Colorado
    • United States
    • Colorado Bar Association Colorado Lawyer No. 17-6, June 1988
    • Invalid date
    ...575 P.2d 408 (Colo. 1978). 15. Crim.P. 16(I)(b)(1). However, this was not always the case. See, Quinn, supra, note 13; People v. Kingsley, 530 P.2d 501 (Colo. 1975). 16. C.R.E. 1101(d)(3); Crim.P. 5(a)(4)(II), 7(h)(3). 17. Maestas, supra, note 6 at 892, quoting, U.S. v. Umans, 368 F.2d 725 ......
  • Opinions
    • United States
    • Colorado Bar Association Colorado Lawyer No. 30-1, January 2001
    • Invalid date
    ...516 P.2d 420, 422 (Colo. 1973), which barred any discovery prior to the preliminary hearing. Quinn was modified by People v. Kingsley, 187 Colo. 258, 530 P.2d 501 (1975) and Colo. Crim. P. 16 was amended to allow limited discovery prior to the preliminary hearing. Under the Kingsley version......

VLEX uses login cookies to provide you with a better browsing experience. If you click on 'Accept' or continue browsing this site we consider that you accept our cookie policy. ACCEPT