Title: State v. Davis
Citation: 564 S.W.2d 876
Docket Number: 60189
State: Missouri
Issuer: Missouri Supreme Court
Date: April 14, 1978

564 S.W.2d 876 (1978)
STATE of Missouri, Respondent,
v.
Frederick Thurman DAVIS, Appellant.
No. 60189.

Supreme Court of Missouri, En Banc.
April 14, 1978.
*877 Meir Westreich, Mary-Louise Moran, Asst. Public Defenders, St. Louis, for appellant.
John D. Ashcroft, Atty. Gen., Robert L. Presson and Stanley H. Robinson, Asst. Attys. Gen., Jefferson City, for respondent.
DONNELLY, Judge.
Appellant, Frederick Thurman Davis, was convicted of murder in the second degree by a jury in the Circuit Court of the City of St. Louis and was sentenced to imprisonment for a term of fifteen years. Following rendition of judgment and imposition of sentence, an appeal was perfected to the Missouri Court of Appeals, St. Louis District, where the judgment was reversed and the cause remanded. Upon application of respondent, the cause was transferred here by order of this Court. We determine the cause "the same as on original appeal". Mo.Const. Art. V, § 10.
The question of general interest or importance is whether, after trial has commenced under one judge who becomes disabled after all the evidence is adduced but before instructions are given, argument is had and verdict returned, another judge may be substituted and preside in his place.
The facts of this case indicate that after both the State and the appellant rested their cases, but prior to the giving of instructions, closing argument and submission of the case to the jury for verdict, the trial judge became ill and was hospitalized. At this point in the trial there remained to be ruled upon: (1) a motion to suppress identification which was taken with the case; (2) a motion for judgment of acquittal at the close of all of the evidence; (3) the determination of the instructions to be read to the jury; and (4) final argument. The court was adjourned for the day and the following morning the judge presiding in the Criminal Assignment Division of the Court was advised that the judge presiding at the trial of the cause had become ill and had been taken to the hospital. Another judge was assigned to proceed with the trial. Prior to proceeding with the case, the substitute judge conferred with counsel in chambers. During the course of this conference the substitute judge advised counsel that he had reviewed "the judge's notes that he took during the trial". He also conferred with counsel for the parties "in a review of the testimony" and stated that he had also reviewed the file itself so that he would be in a position "to instruct and argue". He announced that he was ready to proceed with the case.
Defense counsel objected to proceeding in this fashion and advised the substitute judge that there was still pending and unruled on a motion to suppress identification, the motion for judgment of acquittal at the close of all of the evidence, the question of what instructions were appropriate to the evidence, and final argument which might raise points that only the judge who listened to the evidence might be able to rule upon. He then requested that a mistrial be declared. Further discussion disclosed that there was no post-arrest confrontation of the appellant with any of the witnesses while he was in custody and that witnesses for both the State and appellant were acquainted with him for some time preceding the incident for which he was on trial. The substitute judge then stated that his review of the testimony placed him in a position to rule upon the pending motions and he proceeded to overrule the motion to suppress identification and the motion for judgment of acquittal.
Defense counsel next objected because of the Habitual Criminal allegation in the indictment, contending that because the trial judge would assess the punishment were the appellant found guilty of the charge for *878 which he was on trial, the judge who actually heard the evidence in support of the Second Offender Act, § 556.280, RSMo 1969, should be the one to impose the sentence. This objection, too, was overruled and motion for mistrial denied on that ground because the substitute judge was of the opinion that he could assess punishment if the appellant were found guilty of the charge or, if the judge who had presided theretofore returned, he could assess the punishment. The substitute judge then proceeded to overrule all of the pending motions based upon his "review of the evidence" and the case was then concluded.
In the federal courts, the problem of a judge's becoming disabled during trial is dealt with by Fed.R.Crim.P. 25(a), which states:
In 2 C. Wright, Federal Practice and Procedure § 392 (1969), the status of the law applicable to federal courts is summarized as follows:
No Missouri case has decided the issue of whether, in a criminal cause, a new judge may be substituted for a judge who becomes disabled after evidence has been presented but before instructions have been given and final arguments had. Cases in other jurisdictions have held it is reversible error to substitute a judge at a similar *879 point in a trial without the consent of the defendant. Commonwealth v. Claney, 113 Pa.Super. 439, 173 A. 840 (1934); Mason v. Ohio, 28 C.D. 203, 26 Ohio C.C. 535 (1904); Durden v. People, 192 Ill. 493, 61 N.E. 317 (1901). We are unable to find any state court case approving of such a substitution. We decline at this time to adopt a rule of practice comparable to Fed.R.Crim.P. 25(a). We invite comments from the Bench and Bar as to whether a comparable rule should be made a part of our Rules of Criminal Procedure. Cf. Rule 79.01.
The judgment is reversed and the cause remanded.
MORGAN, C. J., and HENLEY, FINCH, RENDLEN and SEILER, JJ., concur.
BARDGETT, J., concurs in result.