Opinion ID: 1247341
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Disqualification of the District Attorney

Text: The district attorney is part of the executive branch of government, and has broad discretion in selecting the deputies that will appear on his behalf. People v. Wright, 742 P.2d 316 (Colo.1987); see §§ 20-1-102, -201, 8B C.R.S. (1983). The charges to be filed and the selection and presentation of evidence lie within the discretion of the prosecution and the prosecutor is entitled to wide latitude in presenting his case. See Wright, 742 P.2d at 319; see also Imbler v. Pachtman, 424 U.S. 409, 426, 96 S.Ct. 984, 993, 47 L.Ed.2d 128 (1976) (Attaining the system's goal of accurately determining guilt or innocence requires that both the prosecution and the defense have wide discretion in the conduct of the trial and the presentation of evidence.) I ABA Standards For Criminal Justice, The Prosecution Function, 3-1.1 (2d ed. 1982). The trial court, however, also has broad discretion over the mode and presentation of evidence and is the final arbiter of the admissibility of evidence. See People v. Tippett, 733 P.2d 1183 (Colo.1987); People v. Cole, 654 P.2d 830 (Colo.1982); People v. Henry, 195 Colo. 309, 578 P.2d 1041 (1978). When a prosecuting attorney purposefully exposes the jury to inadmissible and highly prejudicial evidence, his conduct will not be condoned, and a new trial will be granted. People v. Goldsberry, 181 Colo. 406, 509 P.2d 801 (1973). [3] The trial judge may impose a broad array of sanctions to prevent overzealous prosecution, but disqualification of the prosecuting attorney assigned to a particular case does not lie within the scope of the trial judge's discretion. See People v. Lee, 630 P.2d 583 (Colo.1981); Goldsberry, 181 Colo. 406, 509 P.2d 801; I ABA Standards For Criminal Justice, The Prosecution Function, Standard 3-5.6 (2d ed. 1980). [4] Here, the trial judge abused his discretion by usurping the district attorney's discretion to select and assign a deputy of his own choice to try the case. If the trial court intended to impose sanctions against the deputy district attorney beyond ordering a new trial, other penalties short of ordering the deputy's substitution were available. For example, the trial court could have reported the deputy district attorney's misconduct to his superior, the district attorney. Other remedies, such as the court's contempt power and the initiation of disciplinary proceedings for unprofessional conduct of a district attorney were available. C.J.C. Canon 3(B)(3) (Code of Judicial Conduct) (a judge should initiate appropriate disciplinary measures against a lawyer for unprofessional conduct of which the judge may become aware); I ABA Standards For Criminal Justice, The Prosecution Function, Standard 6-3.5 and Commentary (2d ed. 1982); see Nye v. United States, 313 U.S. 33, 61 S.Ct. 810, 85 L.Ed. 1172 (1941); Losavio v. District Court, 182 Colo. 180, 512 P.2d 266 (1973); see also People v. Rozatos, 699 P.2d 970 (Colo. 1985). However, the mistrial which resulted from the deputy district attorney's violation of the trial judge's in limine order did not provide the trial judge with grounds or authority to disqualify the deputy district attorney from retrying the case that ended in a mistrial. Rule made absolute.