Disclosing cost of expert witnesses for Renfro trial debated

Both the attorneys for Jonathan D. Renfro, and prosecutors, must disclose how much taxpayers are dishing out for expert witnesses in next month’s murder trial, a Coeur d’Alene judge ruled Friday in First District Court.

The ruling was among several from Judge Lansing L. Haynes in response to motions by Kootenai County Prosecutor Barry McHugh, who complained public defenders are not turning over evidence quickly enough for his office to prepare for the Sept. 11 murder trial.

“In this case we’re in a jam,” McHugh told the court. “The defense is either unable or unwilling to provide the appropriate information in order that we can be prepared for trial.”

Friday’s afternoon hearing at the Kootenai County jail was a sparring session between prosecutors and defense attorneys mediated by Haynes, who decided which evidence must be turned over to which party. Wearing red jailhouse pajamas, Renfro, 29, looked on, seemingly absentminded.

The defendant is charged with first-degree murder in the 2015 shooting death of Coeur d’Alene Police Sgt. Greg Moore. He faces the death penalty if he’s found guilty.

Responding to McHugh’s requests, Renfo’s attorney, Linda Payne, said her office was willing to discloses the cost of experts if prosecutors would do the same thing.

“I’ll make a similar motion, that the state disclose how much it is spending on experts,” Payne said. “What’s good for the goose, is good for the gander.”

She argued that prosecutors want to use the financial information to sway jurors that defense experts are simply hired guns who are being paid to testify.

“It’s irrelevant, it’s a technique,” to discredit witnesses, she said.

Payne said her office has turned over to the state everything it has asked for, except for those items defense attorneys do not have in their possession. She added some of the evidence wasn’t turned over until earlier this week because the state dragged its feet.

“We don’t have to turn it over unless it’s asked for,” she said.

McHugh also asked that emails between expert defense witnesses be disclosed, but Haynes only allowed communication regarding the experts’ findings to be disclosed, not information about how experts reached their conclusions.

Haynes also granted a motion from the state that defense counsel disclose in which phase of the trial their witnesses are expected to testify.

Haynes ordered information be exchanged by Aug. 9. Some of the information will not be made public until trial, he said. Haynes set an Aug. 14 hearing for remaining motions.