Opinion ID: 1228243
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 6

Heading: The Court's Observations

Text: In conclusion the Court would observe that the reversal of this case is due largely to the failure of both prosecution and police officials to follow the most fundamental of common sense rules, namely to have no comment of any sort on any subject before trial, and also in part to the trial court's overly solicitous regard for the State's case. Prosecutors and police officers who are concerned with results, rather than the appearance of spectacular police work or unremitting prosecutorial zeal, should never discuss a pending case with the press at any stage of the proceedings before the final jury verdict. While the press has a first amendment right to cover criminal investigations and trials, Nebraska Press v. Stuart, 427 U.S. 539, 96 S.Ct. 2791, 49 L.Ed.2d 683 (1976) they do not have a right to statements from the State's agents. Prosecutors and police officers who discuss cases with the press merely invite changes of venues or appellate court reversals. The members of this Court have reviewed literally hundreds of criminal records and we are unanimously of the opinion that the proper way to try a criminal case is to be responsive to all reasonable defense requests. With the exception of motions for changes of venue or continuances in circumstances which do not disclose the pervasive hostility demonstrated in this case, and the granting of which would obviously grind the entire process to a halt, there is hardly a discovery motion, proffer of testimony, motion to suppress inflammatory testimony or exhibits, or any other motion which the defendant can make, except those for which there are no good faith legal arguments, which if granted will have any effect adverse to the State upon the outcome of a criminal case. Juries are basically intelligent and can usually separate the guilty from the innocent. There are some circuits in this State in which there are almost no reversals of criminal trials, and that is because the trial judge grants every reasonable request relating to discovery, rulings in limine, evidence, and other discretionary matters during the trial. We are now not speaking of pretrial constitutional challenges to the sufficiency of the process by which the defendant is brought to trial, nor constitutional challenges to the admissibility of the State's evidence. We are talking about discretionary motions during the course of trials, the granting of almost all of which would greatly enhance the ability of a conviction to withstand appellate review. For the reasons set forth above the judgment of the Circuit Court of Monongalia County is reversed and the case is remanded for a new trial. Reversed and remanded for a new trial.