Opinion ID: 2025212
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Questioning of Witness by Judge

Text: Defendant asserts that the trial judge's questioning of a defense witness compromised the court's impartiality and neutrality and prejudiced the defendant. At the end of a re-direct examination of a defense witness, the judge asked the witness the following question: Q. Mr. [witness], I have just one (1) question for you. At the time you saw this first shot fired by Mr. Taylor, what was in Mr. Drinkard's hands at that time? A. Some money. (R. 276). In a bench trial, the trial judge in his discretion may ask questions of a witness to aid in the fact-finding process as long as it is done in an impartial manner and the defendant is not prejudiced. Swift v. State (1970), 255 Ind. 337, 341, 264 N.E.2d 317, 320, cited with approval in Fox v. State (1986), Ind., 497 N.E.2d 221, 227. The judge's question covered a fact to which other witnesses had testified. The defense witness's response confirmed the earlier testimony that the victim's raised hands held money. That the judge attached some importance to the response does not of itself prejudice defendant; the judge was not challenging the witness. See McManus v. State (1982), Ind., 433 N.E.2d 775, 779. The trial judge did not err in questioning the witness. The judgment of the trial court is affirmed. SHEPARD, C.J., and DeBRULER, GIVAN and PIVARNIK, JJ., concur.