Opinion ID: 1772790
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: did the lower court err by frequently interrupting defense counsel?

Text: Under this assignment, Johnson does no more than make several statements describing how a judge should conduct himself and a trial, and follows those general statements with a string of case citations supporting the statements. With this catalogue of general judicial conduct, we wholeheartedly agree. However, no instances of such misconduct by the trial judge in this case was brought to our attention by Johnson's brief. Relying upon Harris, supra, we are entitled to disregard this assignment, as the state urges us to do. See also, Dozier v. State, 247 Miss. 850, 157 So.2d 798 (1963). Because, however, such assignments strike at the very foundation of our judicial system, a fair and impartial trial conducted by a fair and impartial magistrate, we are constrained and have searched the record ourselves for such abuses. We have found none. On one occasion, Johnson's lawyer misquoted a witness while questioning that same witness. The state objected to the inaccuracy, and the trial judge sustained the objection and directed the lawyer not to misquote the witness. The judge may explain his rulings when he sustains an objection, so long as he does not comment upon the evidence in a prejudicial manner. Haralson v. State, 314 So.2d 722 (Miss. 1975); Ratliff v. State, 313 So.2d 386 (Miss. 1975). There is no merit to this assignment.