The sequestration of expert witnesses falls under Alabama’s Rules of Evidence, Rule 615. ALA. CODE § 6-615 (2017). This rules allows the court to exclude a witness from the courtroom as to not hear the testimony of other witnesses when a party requests or the court can order it on its own. Id. The rule has four exceptions and the third exception applies to expert witnesses. Id. The third exception is for “a person whose presence is shown by a party to be essential to the presentation of the party’s cause.” Id. The trial court is given discretion as to whether to sequester a witness. Camp v. General Motors Corp., 454 So. 2d 958 (Ala. 1984). However, a request for sequestration should generally be granted by the court. Otinger v. State, 299 So. 2d 333 (Ala. Crim. App. 1974). If one party requests that its expert witness not be sequestered due to its essentiality to the litigation, then the opposing party’s witness will not be sequestered either. Camp, 454 So. 2d 960.
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