Opinion ID: 1309189
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 6

Heading: trial recess

Text: The defendant also claims it was error for the trial court to recess the case for the Christmas holidays from Thursday evening, December 20, to Wednesday morning, December 26. The recess occurred during the presentation of the defense side of the case. The defendant claims that the recess interrupted the continuity of his case and could have caused some of the jurors to forget some details of the testimony. The reason for the recess as explained by the trial court was that a number of civil matters had been previously scheduled for hearing on Friday and the judge felt that he could not postpone those hearings in view of the length of time they had been on the docket. He also recognized that Monday was the day before Christmas and decided that the jury should not have to serve that day. In State v. Burton, W.Va., 254 S.E.2d 129, 138 (1979), we spoke of the general principle that a trial court is accorded a considerable discretion in the trial of the case in order to handle the manifold exigencies that may arise. State v. Hankish, 147 W.Va. 123, 126 S.E.2d 42 (1962); State v. Justice, 135 W.Va. 852, 65 S.E.2d 743 (1951); State v. Hamrick, 112 W.Va. 157, 163 S.E. 868 (1932). In accordance with this rule, courts have fashioned a more precise rule that a trial court has considerable discretion as to matters involving the length of a recess or temporary adjournment of a trial. E.g., Allied Van Lines v. Parsons, 80 Ariz. 88, 293 P.2d 430 (1956); Mooney v. Olson, 22 Kan. 69 (1879); State v. Greengos, 95 N.J.Super. 96, 230 A.2d 154 (1967); Chase v. Watson, 294 P.2d 801 (Okl. 1956); 88 C.J.S. Trial § 36 (1955). We do not believe that the trial court abused its discretion in declaring the recess.