The sequestration of expert witnesses falls under North Carolina’s Rules of Evidence, Rule 615. N.C. GEN. STAT. ANN. § 8C-615 (West 2017). This rule allows the court to exclude a witness from the courtroom as to not hear another witness’s testimony when a party requests or the court orders on its own. Id. There are four exceptions of individuals that cannot be excluded and experts fall under the third exception. Id. The third exception is for “a person whose presence is shown by a party to be essential to the presentation of his cause.” Id. The notes to the rule explain that even though the rule is permissive in allowing the court to determine whether to honor a request to exclude, unless reason is shown not to, the court should honor a request to exclude an expert witness. Id.
