Opinion ID: 1187431
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: comments of trial court

Text: At the trial of this case, the prosecution presented an interwoven network of circumstantial evidence, which linked defendant to the crime. As part of his defense, defendant took the witness stand and generally denied stealing the truck in question. He testified in detail about his business and the circumstances of his presence during the time of and the two months immediately preceding the commission of the crime. His testimony conflicted with evidence presented by the state in some critical areas. On cross-examination, the county attorney began to inquire into defendant's ownership of a Jeep station wagon and a certain license plate number  matters that had not previously been discussed or disclosed during the trial. After defense counsel objected to the relevancy of the inquiry, the trial court stated in the presence of the jury: Counsel, I haven't heard anything relevant presented in this case for the last two hours so I'm going to let everything go in. You started it and I'm going to let it go in. Objection overruled. Both parties agree that defendant had been on the witness stand for about two hours prior to this comment. In addition, the record discloses three previous remarks of the trial court indicating displeasure with the relevancy and pertinency of the testimony elicited from defendant by defense counsel. In the particular circumstances presented here, the quoted comment was reversible error. The presiding judge, as the governor of the trial, shoulders the heavy burden of assuring its proper conduct in accomplishing the fair and impartial administration of justice. We recognize that remarks or comments of the trial judge may not be as improper as is indicated by the words of the record which cannot reflect all of the accompanying subtle factors, such as gestures, facial expressions, actions of counsel, manner in which the comments were delivered, etc. At the same time, this court has previously cautioned trial judges to be careful and cautious and not comment on the evidence. In re Nelson's Estate, 72 Wyo. 444, 266 P.2d 238, 261 (1954); and State v. Riggle, 76 Wyo. 1, 298 P.2d 349 (1956), reh. den., 76 Wyo. 63, 300 P.2d 567 (1956), cert. den., 352 U.S. 981, 77 S.Ct. 384, 1 L.Ed.2d 366 (1957). This is particularly true in criminal cases. We have repeatedly said that a judge, in the trial of a case before a jury, should abstain from expressing or indicating by word, deed or otherwise his personal views upon the weight or quality of the evidence. Expressions of opinion, or remarks, or comments upon the evidence which have a tendency to indicate bias on the part of the trial judge, especially in criminal cases, are regarded as an invasion of the province of the jury and prejudicial to an accused. [Citations omitted.] Spear v. Commonwealth, 213 Va. 599, 194 S.E.2d 751, 753 (1973). The only testimony presented by defendant to support his contention of lack of guilt was that of himself and of his sister. His sister testified primarily concerning defendant's character. He relied on his own testimony to refute the prosecution's case. Defendant's version of events on the day of and on the two days following the larceny conflicted directly with the evidence produced by the state. His credibility was vital to his defense. The comment of the judge that I haven't heard anything relevant presented in this case for the last two hours  the two hours of defendant's testimony  conveyed to the jury his opinion that the testimony was not entitled to consideration, and it could infer a lack of credibility on the part of defendant. It was an improper invasion of the province of the jury. In Anderson v. State, 27 Wyo. 345, 196 P. 1047 (1921), the trial court admonished the jury during defendant's testimony that any attempt to return money or notes obtained by defendant through false pretenses was not a defense. This court held that although the remark may have been correct as a legal proposition, it was improper at the time it was made.    [T]hough we do not suppose it was so intended, they might be taken [by the jury] as an intimation that in the mind of the court the crime had been proven against the defendant, and that his statement of the facts of the transaction was not entitled to credit, or was not sufficient to disprove the evidence for the prosecution. Aside from the embarrassment the remarks may naturally have caused the defendant in completing his statement, they tended to discredit what he had said, as well as what he might say thereafter.    196 P. at 1057-1058. In State v. Lampshire, 74 Wash.2d 888, 447 P.2d 727, 730 (1968), the comment of the trial judge was similar to that made in this case. In sustaining an objection of the prosecution during direct examination of the defendant, the judge said `[c]ounsel's objection is well taken. We have been from bowel obstruction to sister Betsy, and I don't see the materiality, counsel.' The comment was held to be a prejudicial error since it implicitly conveyed to the jury the judge's personal opinion concerning the value of the defendant's testimony and thereby undermined its credibility. The state argues that even if the comment was error, it was attenuated by the court's instruction to the jury before the taking of evidence that it was not to be concerned with the reasons for, or any inferences from, its evidentiary rulings during the course of the trial. This argument is not persuasive. Even in cases where the judge has attempted to cure the error by a subsequent instruction, it has been held that the damage already done is not capable of being cured. Anderson v. State, supra, 196 P. at 1058; Spear v. Commonwealth, supra, 194 S.E.2d at 753; State v. Lampshire, supra, 447 P.2d at 727. This court said in Parker v. State, 24 Wyo. 491, 161 P. 552, 556 (1916):    Whether the evidence was sufficient to warrant the verdict returned by the jury we express no opinion; but, whether innocent or guilty, the defendant was entitled to a fair and impartial trial, which from a careful examination and consideration of the record in the case we are convinced was not accorded to him.    The prejudicial effect of the court's comment in this case was not cured by the pre-evidence instruction. The state also contends that the error was not properly preserved at trial because appellant failed to object to the comment at the time of its utterance or to otherwise request a seasonable ruling on the matter, citing, Chrysler Corporation v. Todorovich, Wyo., 580 P.2d 1123, 1135 (1978). The issue was raised, however, in defense counsel's motion for a mistrial made in chambers at the close of the case. While it is the proponent's burden to call the matter of possible error to the trial court's attention so that it may have an opportunity to consider and correct the error, the comment here made could not be erased from the minds of the jury, and any further reference to it during trial would only aggravate the situation. Collins v. Sparks, Ky.App., 310 S.W.2d 45, 48-49 (1958); Morris v. E.I. Du Pont De Nemours & Co., 346 Mo. 126, 139 S.W.2d 984, 129 A.L.R. 352 (1940). We do not intend this as suggesting a departure from the requirement of a contemporaneous objection in most instances wherein a ruling could be obtained within or without the presence of the jury. Here the matter was properly brought to the attention of the trial court. See Roby v. State, Wyo., 587 P.2d 641 (1978) (prosecutor misconduct in cross-examination of accused preserved by raising issue of its prejudicial effect in defendant's motion for acquittal or new trial).