Title: State v. Steggell
Citation: 660 P.2d 252
Docket Number: 18280
State: Utah
Issuer: Utah Supreme Court
Date: March 11, 1983

660 P.2d 252 (1983) STATE of Utah, Plaintiff and Respondent, v. Reynold STEGGELL, Defendant and Appellant. No. 18280. Supreme Court of Utah. March 11, 1983. *253 C. DeMont Judd, Jr., Ogden, for defendant and appellant. David L. Wilkinson, Robert N. Parrish, Salt Lake City, for plaintiff and respondent. DURHAM, Justice: The defendant was convicted by a jury of aggravated robbery in violation of U.C.A., 1953, § 76-6-302, and of being a habitual criminal in violation of U.C.A., 1953, §§ 76-8-1001 &amp; -1002. On appeal, he seeks reversal and dismissal or, in the alternative, a new trial. The defendant advances four points on appeal, claiming that the trial court erred (1) in permitting the introduction of a tape recording of a conversation between a witness and the prosecutor without an adequate cautionary instruction to the jury; (2) in permitting the prosecution to impeach its own witness; (3) in its instruction to the jury regarding accomplices; and (4) in prejudicially "commenting" on the testimony of a witness. With respect to the first three points set forth above, the defendant's brief contains absolutely no references to the trial record or transcript to support his factual allegations. In State v. Tucker, Utah, 657 P.2d 755 (1982), this Court stated: Id., at 757 (citing Lepasiotes v. Dinsdale, 121 Utah 359, 242 P.2d 297 (1952)). See also, e.g., State v. Wulffenstein, Utah, 657 P.2d 289 (1982). In accordance with the rule set forth in State v. Tucker, we will assume the correctness of the trial court's judgment.[1] The only remaining issue is whether the trial judge improperly commented on a witness's testimony to the prejudice of the defendant. The comments in question occurred during the defense's cross-examination of the defendant's friend, Doug Helbach, who had previously been convicted of the aggravated robbery with which the defendant was also charged. The following exchange occurred: The witness had previously testified during the trial that he was not happy about testifying. He had also been evasive and had repeatedly claimed loss of memory regarding the events of the robbery. In that context, the trial judge's comments were clearly directed to the responsiveness, or lack thereof, of the witness and not to the merits of any particular aspect of his testimony. Furthermore, the defendant failed to make any objection to the court's comments at that time or during the trial. He has raised the issue for the first time on appeal. In the absence of exceptional circumstances, this Court has long refused to review matters raised for the first time on appeal where no timely and proper objection was made in the trial court. See, e.g., Franklin Financial v. New Empire Development Co., Utah, 659 P.2d 1040 (1983); Schaer v. State, Utah, 657 P.2d 1337 (1983); State v. Winger, 26 Utah 2d 118, 485 P.2d 1398 (1971). No exceptional circumstances exist in the present case. The defendant's convictions are affirmed. HALL, C.J., and STEWART and OAKS, JJ., concur. HOWE, J., concurs in the result. [1] Because of the seriousness of this criminal conviction, we note that, notwithstanding defendant's counsel's failure to direct our attention to the portions of the record relied on, we have in fact read the entire trial transcript. That review persuades us that none of the claimed errors would warrant reversal if treated on its merits: the tape recording was admitted without objection and the jury was adequately instructed regarding it; the prosecution was properly entitled to impeach its own witness pursuant to Rule 20 of the Utah Rules of Evidence; and, finally, the "accomplice instruction" complained of on appeal was not objected to, nor did the defense proffer any alternative instruction. Furthermore, there was other evidence which was more than adequate to support the defendant's conviction.