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Rule 568 – Notice of Defense of Insanity or Mental Infirmity; Notice of Expert Evidence of a Mental Condition

May 14, 2021 | Criminal Procedure, Pennsylvania

(A) NOTICE BY DEFENDANT

(1) Notice of Defense of Insanity or Mental Infirmity

A defendant who intends to offer at trial the defense of insanity or mental infirmity shall file with the clerk of courts not later than the time required for filing an omnibus pretrial motion provided in Rule 579 a notice of the intention to offer the defense of insanity or mental infirmity, and shall serve a copy of the notice and a certificate of service on the attorney for the Commonwealth.

(a) The notice and certificate shall be signed by the attorney for the defendant, or the defendant if unrepresented.
(b) The notice shall contain specific available information as to the nature and extent of the alleged insanity or mental infirmity, the period of time that the defendant allegedly suffered from such insanity or mental infirmity, and the names and addresses of witnesses, expert or otherwise, whom the defendant intends to call to establish such defense.
(2) Notice of Expert Evidence of Mental Condition

Except as provided in Rule 841, a defendant who intends to introduce expert evidence relating to a mental disease or defect or any other mental condition of the defendant bearing (1) on the issue of guilt, or (2) in a capital case, on the issue of punishment, shall file with the clerk of courts not later than the time required for filing an omnibus pretrial motion provided in Rule 579 a notice of the intention to offer this expert evidence, and shall serve a copy of the notice and a certificate of service on the attorney for the Commonwealth.

(a) The notice and certificate shall be signed by the attorney for the defendant, or the defendant if unrepresented.
(b) The notice shall contain specific available information as to the nature and extent of the alleged mental disease or defect or any other mental condition, the period of time that the defendant allegedly suffered from such mental disease or defect or any other mental condition, and the names and addresses of the expert witness(es) whose evidence the defendant intends to introduce.
(B) FAILURE TO FILE NOTICE

(1) If the defendant fails to file and serve a notice of insanity or mental infirmity defense, or a notice of expert evidence of a mental condition as required by this rule, the court may exclude entirely any evidence offered by the defendant for the purpose of proving the defense, except testimony by the defendant, may grant a continuance to enable the Commonwealth to investigate such evidence, or may make any other order as the interests of justice require.
(2) If the defendant omits a witness from the notice of insanity or mental infirmity defense or a notice of expert evidence of a mental condition, the court at trial may exclude the testimony of the omitted witness, may grant a continuance to enable the Commonwealth to investigate such evidence, may grant a continuance to enable the Commonwealth to investigate the witness, or may make any other order as the interests of justice require.
(C) RECIPROCAL NOTICE OF WITNESSES

Within 10 days after receipt of the defendant’s notice of the insanity or mental infirmity defense, or notice of expert evidence of a mental condition, or within such other time as allowed by the court upon cause shown, the attorney for the Commonwealth shall file and serve upon defendant’s attorney, or the defendant if unrepresented, written notice of the names and addresses of all witnesses the attorney for the Commonwealth intends to call to disprove or discredit the defendant’s claim of insanity or mental infirmity, or mental disease, defect, or other mental condition.

(D) FAILURE TO SUPPLY RECIPROCAL NOTICE

(1) If the attorney for the Commonwealth fails to file and serve a list of its witnesses as required by this rule, the court may exclude any evidence offered by the Commonwealth for the purpose of disproving the insanity or mental infirmity defense, may grant a continuance to enable the defense to investigate such evidence, or may make such other order as the interests of justice require.
(2) If the attorney for the Commonwealth omits a witness from the list of its witnesses required by this rule, the court at trial may exclude the testimony of the omitted witness, may grant a continuance to enable the defense to investigate the witness, or may make such other order as the interests of justice require.
(E) CONTINUING DUTY TO DISCLOSE

If prior to or during trial a party learns of an additional witness whose identity, if known, should have been included in the notice furnished under paragraphs (A) or (C), the party shall promptly notify the other party’s attorney, or if unrepresented, the other party, of the existence and identity of such additional witness.

(F) FAILURE TO CALL WITNESSES

No adverse inference may be drawn against the defendant, nor may any comment be made concerning the defendant’s failure to call available witnesses with regard to the insanity or mental infirmity defense, when such witnesses have been prevented from testifying by reason of this rule, unless the defendant or the defendant’s attorney shall attempt to explain such failure to the jury.

234 Pa. Code ยง 568

Committee Explanatory Reports:

Final Report explaining the provisions of new Rule 568 governing notice of insanity or mental infirmity defense and notice of expert evidence of a mental condition published at 36 Pa.B. 700 (February 11, 2006) .

Final Report explaining the July 31, 2013 amendment to paragraph (A) (2) and Comment revisions regarding notice of mental retardation published with the Court’s Order at 43 Pa.B. 4722 (August 17, 2013) .