Opinion ID: 1105577
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 17

Heading: Defendant's Presence

Text: The defendant argues he was not present at critical stages of his trial, in violation of his constitutional and statutory rights. He points specifically to a conference in chambers during which he claims counsel came to some form of agreement concerning several items of state evidence presented to the jury. The defendant claims his absence violated his constitutional due process rights and La. C.Cr.P. art. 831(4), which requires the defendant's presence at all times during the trial when the court is determining and ruling on admissibility of evidence. The record does not show whether the defendant was present at this chambers conference. Assuming the record's silence indicates the defendant's absence, State v. Walker, 374 So.2d 1223, 1226 (La.1979), his counsel was present. Although La.C.Cr.P. art. 832 provides that a capital defendant may object to his temporary voluntary absence at a proceeding even if his counsel were present, the defense waived any claim based on the error by failing to object. La. C.Cr.P. art. 841; Taylor, 93-2201, p. 4-7, 669 So.2d at 367-369. However, the record shows no violation of La.C.Cr.P. art. 831(4) ever occurred. The admitted evidence of which the defendant complains were the letters written by Strickland to Atkins. The admissibility of these documents was determined pretrial at a suppression hearing attended by the defendant. The record comments of the trial judge and counsel reveal the purpose of the chambers conference was to delete portions of the letters which described other crimes evidence and which were deemed irrelevant or highly prejudicial to the defense. Thus, no determination of admissibility was undertaken at this chambers conference in violation of Strickland's constitutional or statutory rights. The defendant's absence from this chambers conference, wherein the trial judge and counsel excised material prejudicial to the defense from evidence already-determined admissible, resulted in no prejudice to the defendant. Although the defendant claims he was absent at other critical portions of his trial, he is unable to specify when this occurred.