Case Title: State v. Delvecchio

Citation: 110 Ariz. 396, 519 P.2d 1137

Docket Number: 2746

State: arizona

Court: Arizona Supreme Court

Date: 1974-03-15T00:00:00Z

Document:
110 Ariz. 396 (1974) 519 P.2d 1137 The STATE of Arizona, Appellee, v. Freddie DELVECCHIO and Jesse G. Bojorquez, Appellants. No. 2746. Supreme Court of Arizona, In Banc. March 15, 1974. Rehearing Denied April 16, 1974. *397 Gary K. Nelson, Atty. Gen. by Cleon M. Duke, Asst. Atty. Gen., Phoenix, for appellee. Wood, Platt & Jenson, P.C., by Dennis D. Jenson, Coolidge, for appellants. CAMERON, Vice Chief Justice. This is an appeal by the defendants Freddi Delvecchio and Jesse G. Bojorquez from jury verdicts, judgments, and sentences as follows: As to both defendants, the three sentences are to be served concurrently, but to commence at the expiration of the sentences being served at the time of the commission of the offenses charged. We must consider five questions on appeal: The facts necessary for a determination of this matter on appeal are as follows. On 8 October 1972, at the Arizona State Prison in Florence, Arizona, the defendants Bojorquez and Delvecchio, as well as other inmates of the prison, were refusing to go to their individual cells within their cell block. Officers arrived on the scene and after considerable discussion the inmates dispersed and appeared to be obeying the order, but after additional officers arrived, the defendant Delvecchio told the officers they weren't ordering him anywhere and that should they try to take him or come any closer he would kill one or two of them. At this time, Delvecchio was holding a homemade knife in his right hand and waiving it towards the officers. The officers retreated and Officer Ramirez became cornered in the stairway in the cell block. The other officers were able to witness the events that occurred. Officer *398 Ramirez and defendant Delvecchio started fighting and Officer Ramirez was stabbed twice in his right side and three times in his left side. At about this time Bojorquez produced a knife with which he subsequently stabbed Ramirez five times. Officer Granville Montgomery testified that he was on the stairway near Officer Ramirez when Ramirez became cornered and he saw Ramirez reach to grab Delvecchio but failed to grab his hand. Officer Montgomery then grabbed Delvecchio's hand and was cut on the arm. Officer Prescott testified that both Delvecchio and Bojorquez struck Officer Montgomery. Prior to the start of the trial, the defendants insisted on representing themselves. After much discussion the court allowed the defendants to represent themselves, but appointed two attorneys to sit in the courtroom and assist and advise the defendants during trial. On the third day of the trial, Delvecchio was excluded from the courtroom because of his conduct although he was later allowed to return. During his absence his attorney acted for him. The court later found it necessary to exclude both Delvecchio and Bojorquez and they were not present in the courtroom when the jury verdict was rendered. Towards the end of the trial, the defendants requested permission to call additional witnesses which request was denied. REMOVAL OF THE DEFENDANT DELVECCHIO On the fourth day of the trial the following transpired when the defendant Delvecchio was cross-examining a State's witness: We feel that the actions of the defendant comply or raise to the level of those present in Illinois v. Allen, 397 U.S. 337, 90 S. Ct. 1057, 25 L. Ed. 2d 353 (1970), and the judge was justified in having the defendant Delvecchio removed from the courtroom. A trial judge has not only the right but the responsibility of seeing that trials are conducted properly and without disruption, and he is allowed to take those necessary measures to provide for the orderly disposition of criminal cases. When a defendant insists upon disobeying the rules of the court, the judge may, among other measures, remove the defendant from the courtroom. Illinois v. Allen, supra. A criminal trial is coercive in nature and a defendant will seldom voluntarily submit to such a trial. If a defendant, while exercising his right to represent himself, is able to disrupt a criminal trial to the point that a trial cannot be had, conceivably he could never be convicted of the crime of which he might be guilty. In the instant case the defendant, by his own actions, lost the right to continue the conduct of his own trial. A defendant may not assert his right to represent himself and then by his conduct make it impossible for that right to be exercised. We find no error. ABSENCE OF THE DEFENDANTS WHEN THE VERDICT WAS RENDERED Prior to the close of the trial, the following transpired: The Rules of Criminal Procedure in effect at the time of the trial provided: A defendant is not required to be present if he voluntarily absents himself, State v. Kelly, 5 Ariz. App. 280, 425 P.2d 850 (1967); Rule 231(B), Rules of Criminal Procedure, 1956, 17 A.R.S., and we find no error as to the defendant Bojorquez. A reading of Rule 231(A) and (B) indicates that while a defendant shall be present upon the rendition of the verdict, his presence may be waived if he is voluntarily absent. The only proceedings at which he may not waive his presence by voluntary absence is the arraignment or the guilty plea. It logically follows that a defendant may not only voluntarily absent himself from the rendition of the verdict as did Bojorquez, but by his conduct may forfeit the right to be present as did Delvecchio. While we believe that the better practice would be to bring the defendant back into the courtroom for the rendition of the verdict, when a defendant is removed for disruptive behavior he forfeits his right to be present at the rendition of the verdict and we find no error in the instant case. FORCING COUNSEL UPON THE DEFENDANTS We have held that a defendant in a criminal matter is not only entitled to representation of counsel, but he is entitled to represent himself when he so desires. State v. Van Bogart, 85 Ariz. 63, 331 P.2d 597 (1958), cert. den., 359 U.S. 973, 79 S.Ct. *402 886, 3 L. Ed. 2d 838 (1959); State v. Betts, 2 Ariz. App. 27, 406 P.2d 229 (1965). In the instant case, the defendants were allowed to represent themselves and advisory counsel were appointed to assist them. State v. Spencer, 101 Ariz. 529, 421 P.2d 886 (1966). Counsel, at the request of the court, undertook to represent the defendants whenever defendants were absent. Defendants complain that it was error to allow appointed counsel to take over their case when they were excluded or voluntarily absent from the courtroom. Although faced with a dilemma, we believe the trial court followed the wiser of the two courses in directing advisory counsel to protect the rights of the defendants during defendant's forced absence. To have prohibited the advisory counsel from participating in the trial during the defendants' absence would have placed an additional burden upon the court, an undesirable restraint upon the prosecution to the detriment of our adversary system of justice, and would have been potentially more damaging to defendants than the course followed. The action of the court was the best it could do under a situation made dufficult by the defendants' insistence that they represent themselves and their disruptive conduct. We find no error. REFUSAL TO ALLOW DEFENDANTS TO EXAMINE ADDITIONAL WITNESSES After the defendant Bojorquez rested, the following took place: The next day in the presence of the defendants, the following took place: Defendants contend that the right to call and examine witnesses is an essential element of the conduct of the trial which the trial court cannot deny to them. In the instant case, the defendants wished to recall some of the prison guards who had already testified and who were previously available for cross-examination and were in fact cross-examined by defendants or their attorneys. The trial court determined that such testimony would be cumulative and the defendant Delvecchio himself *404 made no indication as to what he would go into if the officers were recalled. In fact, the attorneys for the defendants admit in the reply brief that "at this point we are unable to determine who appellants desired to call or what might have been the testimony of the unknown `additional witnesses'." In addition, the defendant Delvecchio also requested that another correctional officer be called although he did not indicate what his testimony would be. It appeared that this officer was not available as he was no longer affiliated with the prison. Under these circumstances, the trial court did not abuse its discretionary power to limit the quantity and protect the quality of the evidence before the jury. We have stated: SUFFICIENCY OF THE EVIDENCE Defendants challenge the sufficiency of the evidence to support a conviction of assault with intent to commit murder upon Officer G.E. Montgomery. The testimony adduced from each officer, including Officer Montgomery himself, was to the effect that the defendants came to Officers Montgomery and Ramirez with threatening language and demeanor. The testimony indicates that both defendants had knives. The presence of the knives was legally sufficient for the inference of intent to be drawn in light of the manner in which they were displayed. State v. Mancini, 107 Ariz. 71, 481 P.2d 864 (1971). We believe the evidence was clearly sufficient to present the matter to the jury, State v. Bustamante, 103 Ariz. 551, 447 P.2d 243 (1968). The jury determined this fact question adversely to the defendants and we find no abuse of the discretion of the court in allowing them to do so. State v. Superior Court in and for the County of Maricopa, 103 Ariz. 319, 441 P.2d 548 (1968). Judgments affirmed. HAYS, C.J., and STRUCKMEYER, LOCKWOOD and HOLOHAN, JJ., concur.