Excluding witnesses.

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19-19-615. Excluding witnesses.

At a party's request, the court must order witnesses excluded so that they cannot hear other witnesses' testimony. Or the court may do so on its own. But this rule does not authorize excluding:

(a)A party who is a natural person;

(b)An officer or employee of a party that is not a natural person, after being designated as the party's representative by its attorney;

(c)A person whose presence a party shows to be essential to presenting the party's claim or defense;

(d)A person authorized by statute to be present; or

(e)A victim of a crime and his parent or guardian following the victim's testimony.

Source: SL 1979, ch 358 (Supreme Court Rule 78-2, Rule 615); SL 1986, ch 193, §4; SDCL §19-14-29; SL 2016, ch 239 (Supreme Court Rule 15-48), eff. Jan. 1, 2016.


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