Opinion ID: 1823280
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 18

Heading: Unrecorded bench conferences/ defendant's assignment of error number 26

Text: In this assignment of error, defendant contends the absence from the record of transcripts from four bench conferences denied him effective appellate review. He urges this Court to remand the case to determine whether or not the Bench action can be reconstructed by stipulation of the Judge, the District Attorney, and the Defense. The first unrecorded conference occurred during the direct examination of Roma Eslick. The defense attorney requested permission to approach the bench while the State was questioning Ms. Eslick about the events that preceded the kidnaping. The attorneys then approached the bench. Afterwards, the State continued the same line of questioning, and there was no objection by the defense. The second unrecorded conference occurred in between the testimony of Ms. Eslick and the victim's father, who gave victim impact testimony. Defense counsel requested permission to approach the bench immediately before the testimony began. The attorneys then approached the bench, and the victim impact testimony began immediately afterwards, with no objection from the defense. The third unrecorded bench conference occurred during the testimony of the victim's father. The defense counsel requested permission to approach the bench immediately after the State asked the witness about the victim's relationship with his family. The attorneys approached the bench, and the State asked the same question again immediately after the conference, with no objection from the defense. The fourth and final unrecorded conference occurred during the testimony of Dr. Seiden. Immediately after Dr. Seiden testified about the arrests for assault that are the subject of the defendant's assignment of error number 14, which was argued and is discussed earlier in this opinion, the defense requested permission to approach the bench. The attorneys approached the bench, and the defense moved for a mistrial out of the hearing of the court reporter. The court then denied the request for a mistrial. A slight inaccuracy in a record or an inconsequential omission from it which is immaterial to a proper determination of the appeal would not cause us to reverse defendant's conviction. State v. Allen, 95-1754 (La.9/5/96), 682 So.2d 713, quoting State v. Ford, 338 So.2d 107, 110 (La.1976). Indeed, an incomplete record may nonetheless be adequate for appellate review. State v. Hawkins, 96-0766 (La.1/14/97), 688 So.2d 473. Finally, a defendant is not entitled to relief in this situation absent a showing of prejudice based on the missing portions of the transcripts. Id. Following the first three unrecorded bench conferences, the State's questioning of the witnesses continued in the same vein as it had been prior to the bench conference, and there is no indication that any of this evidence should have been ruled inadmissible. Moreover, defendant does not allege, and the record does not disclose, how he was prejudiced by the absence of these bench conferences from the transcript. With regards to the fourth unrecorded bench conference, the motion for mistrial that was apparently made during that conference is the subject of defendant's assignment of error number 14. The basis for this assignment of error is easily ascertainable from the record, and the unrecorded bench conference was unnecessary to the discussion of that assignment of error. The defendant suffered no prejudice from the failure of this bench conference to be transcribed. Accordingly, these assignments of error lack merit.