Rule 25.5 Disclosure of mental health evidence.

If a mental health expert has looked at the defendant or examined evidence in a criminal case, both sides have to share that expert's name and contact information with each other. They also have to give the other side copies of any test results, reports, or written statements the expert made about the case. This applies to both the prosecution and the defense, not just one side.

These reports stay private and are not added to the public court file unless a judge specifically orders otherwise. This protects sensitive mental health information from becoming public record.

There's also a deadline for sharing this information. Once someone asks for these reports, or once the reports are received (whichever happens later), the other side has 7 days to hand them over. A judge can change this deadline if needed, but 7 days is the standard rule.