Rule 3:13-3 - Discovery and Inspection, N.j. Ct. R. 3:13-3 (2024)

Rule 3:13-3 - Discovery and Inspection

(a)Pre-Indictment Discovery. Unless the defendant agrees to more limited discovery, where the prosecutor has made a pre-indictment plea offer, the prosecutor shall, at the time the plea offer is made, provide defense counsel with all available relevant material that would be discoverable at the time of indictment pursuant to paragraph (b)(1) of this rule, except that:

(1) where the prosecutor determines that pre-indictment delivery of all discoverable material would hinder or jeopardize a prosecution or investigation, the prosecutor, consistent with the intent of this rule, shall provide to defense counsel at the time the plea offer is made such relevant material as would not hinder or jeopardize the prosecution or investigation and shall advise defense counsel that complete discovery has not been provided; or

(2) where the prosecutor determines that physical or electronic delivery of the discoverable material would impose an unreasonable administrative burden on the prosecutor's office given the nature, format, manner of collation or volume of discoverable material, the prosecutor may in his or her discretion make discovery available by permitting defense counsel to inspect and copy or photograph such material at the prosecutor's office.

Notwithstanding the exceptions contained in paragraphs (a)(1) and (a)(2) of this rule, the prosecutor shall provide defense counsel with any exculpatory information or material.

(b)Post-Indictment Discovery.

(1)Discovery by the Defendant. Except for good cause shown, the prosecutor's discovery for each defendant named in the indictment shall be provided by the prosecutor's office, upon the return or unsealing of the indictment. Good cause shall include, but is not limited to, circ*mstances in which the nature, format, manner of collation or volume of discoverable materials would involve an extraordinary expenditure of time and effort to copy. In such circ*mstances, the prosecutor may make discovery available by permitting defense counsel to inspect and copy or photograph discoverable materials at the prosecutor's office, rather than by copying and delivering such materials. The prosecutor shall also provide defense counsel with a listing of the materials that have been supplied in discovery. If any discoverable materials known to the prosecutor have not been supplied, the prosecutor shall also provide defense counsel with a listing of the materials that are missing and explain why they have not been supplied.

If the defendant is represented by the public defender, defendant's attorney shall obtain a copy of the discovery from the prosecutor's office prior to the arraignment. However, if the defendant has retained private counsel, upon written request of counsel submitted along with a copy of counsel's entry of appearance and received by the prosecutor's office prior to the date of the arraignment, the prosecutor shall, within three business days, send the discovery to defense counsel either by U.S. mail at the defendant's cost or by e-mail without charge, with the manner of transmittal at the prosecutor's discretion.

A defendant who does not seek discovery from the State shall so notify the prosecutor, and the defendant need not provide discovery to the State pursuant to sections (b)(2) or (f), except as required by R. 3:12-1 or otherwise required by law.

Discovery shall include exculpatory information or material. It shall also include, but is not limited to, the following relevant material:

(A) books, tangible objects, papers or documents obtained from or belonging to the defendant, including, but not limited to, writings, drawings, graphs, charts, photographs, video and sound recordings, images, electronically stored information, and any other data or data compilations stored in any medium from which information can be obtained and translated, if necessary, into reasonably usable form;

(B) records of statements or confessions, signed or unsigned, by the defendant or copies thereof, and a summary of any admissions or declarations against penal interest made by the defendant that are known to the prosecution but not recorded. The prosecutor also shall provide the defendant with transcripts of all electronically recorded statements or confessions by a date to be determined by the trial judge, except in no event later than 30 days before the trial date set at the pretrial conference.

(C) results or reports of physical or mental examinations and of scientific tests or experiments made in connection with the matter or copies thereof, which are within the possession, custody or control of the prosecutor;

(D) reports or records of prior convictions of the defendant;

(E) books, papers, documents, or copies thereof, or tangible objects, buildings or places which are within the possession, custody or control of the prosecutor, including, but not limited to, writings, drawings, graphs, charts, photographs, video and sound recordings, images, electronically stored information, and any other data or data compilations stored in any medium from which information can be obtained and translated, if necessary, into reasonably usable form;

(F) names, addresses, and birthdates of any persons whom the prosecutor knows to have relevant evidence or information including a designation by the prosecutor as to which of those persons may be called as witnesses;

(G) record of statements, signed or unsigned, by such persons or by co-defendants which are within the possession, custody or control of the prosecutor and any relevant record of prior conviction of such persons. The prosecutor also shall provide the defendant with transcripts of all electronically recorded co-defendant and witness statements by a date to be determined by the trial judge, except in no event later than 30 days before the trial date set at the pretrial conference, but only if the prosecutor intends to call that co-defendant or witness as a witness at trial.

(H) police reports that are within the possession, custody, or control of the prosecutor;

(I) names and addresses of each person whom the prosecutor expects to call to trial as an expert witness, the expert's qualifications, the subject matter on which the expert is expected to testify, a copy of the report, if any, of such expert witness, or if no report is prepared, a statement of the facts and opinions to which the expert is expected to testify and a summary of the grounds for each opinion. Except as otherwise provided in R. 3:10-3, if this information is not furnished 30 days in advance of trial, the expert witness may, upon application by the defendant, be barred from testifying at trial;

(J) all records, including notes, reports and electronic recordings relating to an identification procedure, as well as identifications made or attempted to be made; and

(K) the name of any jailhouse informant whom the prosecutor expects to call as a witness at trial. A jailhouse informant for the purposes of this subsection is defined as a person who lacks firsthand knowledge of a defendant's alleged criminal conduct but offers to testify for the State at a trial or hearing that the informant heard the defendant make inculpatory statements while detained or incarcerated in the same facility as the informant. The prosecutor also shall provide the known criminal history of the jailhouse informant, including any pending charges; any records of statements allegedly made by the defendant and heard by the jailhouse informant and, to the extent known, the time, location and manner of their alleged disclosure(s) to the jailhouse informant; any information relevant to the jailhouse informant's credibility as required to be disclosed by law or rule, including but not limited to any consideration or promises made to, or sought by, the jailhouse informant, in exchange for truthful testimony; any prior recantation known to the prosecution in which the jailhouse informant recanted the defendant's statement, to include the time, location and manner of any such recantation; and the case name and jurisdiction of any criminal case known to the prosecutor in which the jailhouse informant testified, or in a case in which the prosecutor intended to have the informant testify, about statements made by another suspect or criminal defendant while detained or incarcerated, and whether the jailhouse informant was offered or received any benefit in exchange for, or subsequent to, such actual or intended testimony.

When the prosecutor intends to call a jailhouse informant as a witness at trial, the prosecutor shall conduct a search or cause an inquiry to be made of any and all record-keeping systems or centralized databases in which jailhouse informant information is maintained, including but not limited to those established by the Attorney General and each County Prosecutor.

(2)Discovery by the State. Defense counsel shall provide a copy of the discovery materials to the prosecuting attorney by a date to be determined by the trial judge, except in no event later than 14 days after the date of the arraignment. Defense counsel shall also provide the prosecuting attorney with a listing of the materials that have been supplied in discovery. If any discoverable materials known to defense counsel have not been supplied, defense counsel also shall provide the prosecuting attorney with a listing of the materials that are missing and explain why they have not been supplied. A defendant shall provide the State with all relevant material, including, but not limited to, the following:

(A) results or reports of physical or mental examinations and of scientific tests or experiments made in connection with the matter or copies thereof, which are within the possession, custody or control of defense counsel;

(B) any relevant books, papers, documents or tangible objects, buildings or places or copies thereof, which are within the possession, custody or control of defense counsel, including, but not limited to, writings, drawings, graphs, charts, photographs, video and sound recordings, images, electronically stored information, and any other data or data compilations stored in any medium from which information can be obtained and translated, if necessary, into reasonably usable form;

(C) the names, addresses, and birthdates of those persons known to defendant who may be called as witnesses at trial and their written statements, if any, including memoranda reporting or summarizing their oral statements;

(D) written statements, if any, including any memoranda reporting or summarizing the oral statements, made by any witnesses whom the State may call as a witness at trial. The defendant also shall provide the State with transcripts of all electronically recorded witness statements by a date to be determined by the trial judge, except in no event later than 30 days before the trial date set at the pretrial conference.

(E) names and address of each person whom the defense expects to call to trial as an expert witness, the expert's qualifications, the subject matter on which the expert is expected to testify, and a copy of the report, if any, of such expert witness, or if no report is prepared, a statement of the facts and opinions to which the expert is expected to testify and a summary of the grounds for each opinion. If this information is not furnished 30 days in advance of trial the expert may, upon application by the prosecutor, be barred from testifying at trial.

(3)Discovery Provided through Electronic Means. Unless otherwise ordered by the court, the parties may provide discovery pursuant to paragraphs (a) and (b) of this rule through the use of CD, DVD, e-mail, internet or other electronic means. Documents provided through electronic means shall be in PDF format. All other discovery shall be provided in an open, publicly available (non-proprietary) format that is compatible with any standard operating computer. If discovery is not provided in a PDF or open, publicly available format, the transmitting party shall include a self-extracting computer program that will enable the recipient to access and view the files that have been provided. Upon motion of the recipient, and for good cause shown, the court shall order that discovery be provided in the format in which the transmitting party originally received it. In all cases in which an Alcotest device is used, any Alcotest data shall, upon request, be provided for any Alcotest 7110 relevant to a particular defendant's case in a readable digital database format generally available to consumers in the open market. In all cases in which discovery is provided through electronic means, the transmitting party shall also include a list of the materials that were provided and, in the case of multiple disks, the specific disk on which they can be located.

(c)Motions for Discovery. No motion for discovery shall be filed unless the moving party certifies that the prosecutor and defense counsel have satisfied the discovery meet and confer requirements of R. 3:9-1(c).

(d)Documents Not Subject to Discovery. This rule does not require discovery of a party's work product consisting of internal reports, memoranda or documents made by that party or the party's attorney or agents, in connection with the investigation, prosecution or defense of the matter nor does it require discovery by the State of records or statements, signed or unsigned, of defendant made to defendant's attorney or agents.

(e)Protective Orders.

(1)Grounds. Upon motion and for good cause shown the court may at any time order that the discovery sought pursuant to this rule be denied, restricted, or deferred or make such other order as is appropriate. In determining the motion, the court may consider the following: protection of witnesses and others from physical harm, threats of harm, bribes, economic reprisals and other intimidation; maintenance of such secrecy regarding informants as is required for effective investigation of criminal activity; confidential information recognized by law, including protection of confidential relationships and privileges; or any other relevant considerations.

(2)Procedure. The court may permit the showing of good cause to be made, in whole or in part, in the form of a written statement to be inspected by the court alone, and if the court thereafter enters a protective order, the entire text of the statement shall be sealed and preserved in the records of the court, to be made available only to the appellate court in the event of an appeal.

(f)Continuing Duty to Disclose; Failure to Comply. There shall be a continuing duty to provide discovery pursuant to this rule. If at any time during the course of the proceedings it is brought to the attention of the court that a party has failed to comply with this rule or with an order issued pursuant to this rule, it may order such party to permit the discovery of materials not previously disclosed, grant a continuance or delay during trial, or prohibit the party from introducing in evidence the material not disclosed, or it may enter such other order as it deems appropriate.

N.j. Ct. R. 3:13-3

Source--R.R. 3:5-11(a) (b) (c) (d) (e) (f) (g) (h). Paragraphs (b) (c) (f) and (h) deleted; paragraph (a) amended and paragraphs (d) (e) (g) and (i) amended and redesignated June 29, 1973 to be effective 9/10/1973. Paragraph (b) amended July 17, 1975 to be effective 9/8/1975; paragraph (a) amended July 15, 1982 to be effective 9/13/1982; paragraphs (a) and (b) amended July 22, 1983, to be effective 9/12/1983; new paragraphs (a) and (b) added, former paragraphs (a), (b), (c), (d) and (f) amended and redesignated paragraphs (c), (d), (e), (f) and (g) respectively and former paragraph (e) deleted July 13, 1994 to be effective 1/1/1995; rule redesignation of July 13, 1994 eliminated December 9, 1994, to be effective 1/1/1995; paragraphs (c)(6) and (d)(3) amended June 15, 2007 to be effective 9/1/2007; subparagraph (f)(1) amended July 21, 2011 to be effective 9/1/2011; new subparagraph (c)(10) adopted July 19, 2012 to be effective 9/4/2012; paragraph (a) amended, paragraph (b) text deleted, paragraph (c) amended and renumbered as paragraph (b)(1), paragraph (d) amended and renumbered as paragraph (b)(2), new paragraphs (b)(3) and (c) adopted, paragraphs (e) and (f) renumbered as paragraphs (d) and (e), paragraph (g) amended and renumbered as paragraph (f) December 4, 2012 to be effective 1/1/2013; paragraph (b)(1)(I) amended July 27, 2015 to be effective 9/1/2015; paragraph (b) amended April 12, 2016 to be effective 5/20/2016; paragraph (c) amended August 1, 2016 to be effective 9/1/2016; subparagraph (b)(1) amended July 30, 2021 to be effective 9/1/2021; new subparagraph (b)(1)(K) adopted August 5, 2022 to be effective 9/1/2022.

Rule 3:13-3 - Discovery and Inspection, N.j. Ct. R. 3:13-3 (2024)

References