Opinion ID: 2116540
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 10

Heading: 3. Judge as Advocate

Text: Lotter's next line of argument asserts that the trial court became an advocate against Lotter by securing Nissen's testimony. In U.S. v. Giraldo, 822 F.2d 205 (2d Cir.1987), cert. denied 484 U.S. 969, 108 S.Ct. 466, 98 L.Ed.2d 405, the trial court threatened to impose a lengthy sentence on a codefendant and to hold him in contempt if he did not testify at the defendant's trial. On appeal, the defendant argued that the trial court had unfairly assisted the prosecution in obtaining evidence and that it is improper for a trial court to use coercion to induce a recalcitrant witness to testify against a defendant in a criminal trial. Id. at 209. In response to this contention, the court stated that it borders on the frivolous. The court and the jury are entitled to know the relevant evidence possessed by any witness.... Id. Even though the appellate court agreed with the defendant that the coercive measures used by the trial court to obtain the codefendant's testimony exceeded the bounds of propriety, the appellate court concluded that such coercion did not render the defendant's trial unfair. [T]hough [the defendant] plainly was disadvantaged by having [the codefendant] testify against him, he obviously had no privilege to have [the codefendant's] testimony withheld, and ... suffered no prejudice in the eyes of the law. Id. at 211. In Carey v. State, 43 Md.App. 246, 405 A.2d 293 (1979), cert. denied 445 U.S. 967, 100 S.Ct. 1660, 64 L.Ed.2d 244 (1980), the defendant argued that the judge actively assisted the State in his prosecution by acceding to the State's suggestion to grant a defendant in another case a new trial and accept a plea of nolo contendere whereby that defendant received a suspended sentence for obstruction of justice (rather than perjury) so he would be available to testify for the State in the on-going investigation, which investigation included the defendant. 43 Md.App. at 249-50, 405 A.2d at 296. The court rejected that argument, stating that even when a judge thinks his actions will be helpful in ferreting out the truth, such action cannot be equated with judicial bias likely to prevent a fair trial. Agreeing to sentence concessions to secure a criminal defendant's testimony at a codefendant's trial is a legitimate prosecutorial function. United States v. Escobar Noble, 653 F.2d 34 (1st Cir.1981). Likewise, the trial court's agreement to a sentencing concession that is otherwise legitimate is a legitimate judicial function. See State v. Black Bear, 187 Neb. 670, 193 N.W.2d 563 (1972). The trial court's dispatch of a legitimate judicial function does not indicate that the trial court is unfairly assisting the prosecution in its role.