Opinion ID: 2599060
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: The Egregious Mismanagement of McClellan's Case Compels a Presumption of Prejudice

Text: ¶ 27 To support reversal on a finding of error, we require a showing of prejudice-a showing by the defendant in this case that absent the failure of the court to disqualify the prosecutor there is a reasonable likelihood that the outcome of his trial would have been more favorable. See State v. Lee, 2006 UT 5, ¶ 26, 128 P.3d 1179. On the specific facts of McClellan's case, however, we will presume prejudice. It has taken more than twenty years for McClellan's first appeal, his constitutionally guaranteed right to review of his conviction, to reach us. Much of the record has been lost or destroyed. The exhibits have been destroyed. Prompt attention to motions, notices, and orders has been dramatically lacking. None of these difficulties appear to be McClellan's doing. We cannot in good conscience assume regularity in a circumstance when so much time has past, so many defense lawyers have come and gone, and so many mistakes have been allowed. In such a circumstance, it would be unjust to hold an incarcerated defendant responsible for the loss of the court records by requiring him to demonstrate the likelihood of a more favorable outcome. ¶ 28 We are also compelled to note that we are not pleased with the result we are forced to reach in this case. We have no reason to assume that the verdict that would have been reached on a timely retrial would have differed from that reached originally. However, McClellan's rights have been so severely trodden upon in this instance that it is impossible for us to do otherwise. After twenty years, this is McClellan's first appeal of right. It is an appeal that should have been heard in 1989 when the first notice of appeal was filed, but was not because of missteps outside of McClellan's control: the district court delayed for almost three years before transferring his file to the appellate court and his defense counsel never filed a brief on his behalf. Although the court eventually sought to remedy this error by ordering resentencing, McClellan was not informed of this result, the order was never filed, and resentencing did not take place until 2005. Meanwhile, the court record was destroyed. In the years since McClellan's conviction, his case has been passed from attorney to attorney. He has been ignored and forgotten. After twenty years in prison, McClellan is still entitled to a fair trial. We therefore remand for a new trial. ¶ 29 We recognize that this result is also unfair to McClellan's victim. She has absolutely no responsibility for the errors in this case. However, our constitutional system is primarily designed to protect the innocent, not punish the guilty. When, as here, the two are in conflict, the greater good lies in protecting the rights of the innocently accused rather than ensuring the conviction of all who are guilty. When the constitutionally protected rights of a defendant are blatantly violated, that violation must be corrected in order to prevent the same occurring to an innocent defendant in the future. Our constitutional compact has already made that choice.