Opinion ID: 1130741
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Trial Court's Construction

Text: What has already been said is sufficient to demonstrate that there is no reason, as far as this case is concerned, to declare any of § 12(j) unconstitutional. This brings us to a consideration of whether the trial court properly construed and applied such section in the instant case. The record on appeal discloses that in the course of his instructions to the jury the judge stated: This procedure was commenced by the signing of a Complaint, and the file, I believe, will go with you. An affidavit of one of the jurors affirms that the court file was in fact submitted to and examined by the jury. In particular, the juror stated that the file contained a medical report of Dr. Friedrichs, a medical doctor at the Veteran's Administration Hospital in Sheridan, Wyoming, which the jury examined and considered. Counsel for appellant claims Dr. Friedrichs appeared at the hearing pursuant to a subpoena and stated he was not competent to testify about Holm's mental condition as he was a medical doctor and not a psychiatrist. Neither counsel's claim about Dr. Friedrichs nor the juror's affidavit is countered by the state. In any event, the record on appeal does not indicate that Dr. Friedrichs testified at the hearing. One of the most basic elements of due process is the right of each party to be apprised of all the evidence upon which an issue is to be decided, with the right to examine, explain or rebut such evidence. New Jersey State Board of Optometrists v. Nemitz, 21 N.J. Super. 18, 90 A.2d 740, 745; State v. Gordon, 225 N.C. 241, 34 S.E.2d 414, 416. And, the right to hear and controvert all evidence upon which a factual adjudication is to be made includes the right to hear and cross-examine witnesses. Pennsylvania State Athletic Commission v. Bratton, 177 Pa.Super. 598, 112 A.2d 422, 425; In re Buchman's Estate, 123 Cal. App.2d 546, 267 P.2d 73, 84, 47 A.L.R.2d 291, Id. 132 Cal. App.2d 81, 281 P.2d 608, 53 A.L.R.2d 451, certiorari denied 350 U.S. 873, 76 S.Ct. 118, 100 L.Ed. 772. We think the court file in this case may have contained matters, such as the report of Dr. Friedrichs, which were not proper evidence, and which would be prejudicial to the proposed patient, who had no opportunity to cross-examine nor to controvert the effect of such evidence. The case should therefore be reversed and remanded for a new trial, in which trial the court shall consider it itself bound by the rules of evidence and shall not submit the file or other improper evidence to the jury. We consider Ch. 188 an unconstitutional encroachment upon the prerogatives of the judiciary only insofar as we have indicated with respect to the phrase declared to be void in § 12(h). We do not deem it necessary to discuss other errors suggested on behalf of appellant since a new trial is being granted, and since the only claim of denial of due process and equal protection has to do with the constitutionality of the two provisions we have discussed. Reversed and remanded for new trial.