Opinion ID: 1423312
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Trial Judge's Recusal in Prior Case

Text: On March 30, 2004, Thompson filed in this Court a Motion to Vacate Trial Court Order, or, in the Alternative, Supplemental Brief in Support of Appeal. In this filing, Thompson contends that the order entered by Judge Gerald Ewell, the trial court judge who reviewed and denied Thompson's competency petition, is void because Judge Ewell recused himself from Thompson's post-conviction case. Thompson cites to cases from Tennessee and other jurisdictions holding that a trial judge who recuses himself or herself can take no further action in the case except necessary ministerial acts, such as transferring the case to another judge. [3] Under these authorities, Thompson asserts, any other orders of the recused judge are void and of no effect. Relying upon these authorities, Thompson asks this Court to vacate Judge Ewell's order and remand this case and designate another judge to hear the cause. Thompson asks that this Court appoint Judge Frank Clement, Jr., of the Court of Appeals, as a special judge because Judge Clement presided over Thompson's prior conservatorship proceedings. On April 2, 2004, the State filed a response to Thompson's motion and/or supplemental brief. While the State does not dispute the proposition that a recusal order disables a judge from further adjudicative responsibility in the proceeding in which the order is entered, the State points out that the disqualification does not extend to subsequent independent proceedings unless some disqualifying factor exists in those proceedings as well. Relying upon Van Tran and this Court's order denying the Public Defender's motion to withdraw, the State contends that this competency proceeding is an independent action involving a discrete issue, not a continuation of any prior proceedings. See Van Tran, 6 S.W.3d at 264 (holding that post-conviction is not the appropriate avenue for litigating the issue of competency to be executed). We agree. As the State points out, this Court in Van Tran instructed that the trial court in which the prisoner's original trial occurred is the proper forum for competency proceedings. 6 S.W.3d at 267. Furthermore, this Court later explained that, [a] competency proceeding is sui generis .... Coe v. State, 17 S.W.3d 193, 214 (Tenn.2000). A competency proceeding is an action independent of the trial and post-conviction proceedings. Id. Finally, as the State emphasizes, a claim of ineffective assistance of counsel, the basis for Judge Ewell's recusal in the post-conviction case, [4] does not arise in this competency proceeding. In short, Judge Ewell's recusal in the post-conviction case does not disqualify him from presiding in other separate and independent proceedings involving Thompson, including this competency proceeding. Cf. State v. Thornton, 10 S.W.3d 229, 237 (Tenn.Crim.App.1999) (recognizing that a judge is not disqualified from hearing a case because the judge has knowledge of the facts of the case). Thompson's request to vacate the trial court's order and remand for designation of another judge is not well-taken and is denied.