Opinion ID: 1740168
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Issue of the Trial Judge's Questioning of Defendant Brewer

Text: The defendants argue that the trial judge erred in questioning Eric Brewer, a defendant and a witness. The record reflects that the trial judge gave the jury the following curative instruction before questioning Brewer: THE COURT: Ladies and gentlemen, let me tell you this. Under the rules of evidence a Judge is permitted to ask questions. However, it is important for you to remember that simply because a Judge asks questions it does not in any way, shape or form, suggest, indicate, or otherwise deliver any message to you about my opinion [as] to the facts because, like I told you yesterday, I am not permitted to have an opinion about the facts. The trial judge then asked Brewer a question. The next morning the trial judge gave the following additional curative instruction: THE COURT: Good morning. Okay. In all seriousness before we get started today, yesterday I asked a question of Mr. Brewer which related to an alleged conversation with Mr. Botsford concerning the Lester property. It is a rule of law that the question must be based on facts in evidence, and in going through my notes both last evening and this morning I have concluded that I made a mistake because there was no factual basis for me to ask that question. I think it would compound the mistake to get into the details of the question and the response, but as a bottom line proposition I made a mistake when I asked Mr. Brewer about a conversation with Mr. Botsford, which according to the present posture of the evidence never took place. So, I ask that, both the question, if you remember it, and the answer, if you remember it, be disregarded by each and every one of you. The judge then asked: Is there anyone who cannot disregard both the question and the answer? No juror responded. The defendants neither requested a further curative instruction nor moved for a mistrial. A judge has a right to propound questions to witnesses as may be necessary to elicit certain facts, if he or she deems it necessary to elicit proper evidence bearing on the issues. Rice v. Hill, 278 Ala. 342, 178 So.2d 168 (1965). Dean Gamble notes that the case of Affiliated FM Ins. Co. v. Stephens Enterprises, 641 So.2d 780 (Ala.1994), suggests that any inappropriateness in a trial judge's questioning may be lessened by a curative instruction informing the jury that the judge has no feelings about the case. Charles W. Gamble, McElroy's Alabama Evidence § 121.04(2), n. 7. (5th ed.1996). This trial judge gave the proper curative instruction and did not abuse his discretion in this case.