Opinion ID: 361134
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: The second expulsion.

Text: 33 a) Events. 34 The defendant was returned to the courtroom later the same day, in time to begin the presentation of his case in chief. The court advised him at length to question as a lawyer would, not to argue with witnesses, and, especially, not to interrupt the court or to argue with it except on strictly legal matters. The defendant promised to conduct himself in a proper manner. He spent the remainder of the day examining his first two witnesses with only occasional lapses. Tr. Mar. 8, pp. 61-3, 95-6, 122-3. 35 On March 9, the fourth day of trial, the defendant continued to present his case through the testimony of fellow inmates. While questioning his first witness he once strayed into irrelevant matters; later he interrupted the cross-examination and had to be admonished. Interruptions of the prosecutor continued during cross-examination of the next witness. The second time this happened the court excused the jury and warned appellant, The next time you will have to go and Mr. Wildermuth (standby counsel) is going to be in your place. The defendant interrupted the court twice during the warning itself. He was allowed to put on his next witness, however, before the court stood in early recess until March 13. Tr. Mar. 9, pp. 19-20, 23, 49-51. 36 March 13, the fifth day of trial, opened with the examination of Dr. Glenn Walker. Dr. Walker was present as a result of last-minute efforts to obtain an expert who would testify to the effects of tear gas, which had been employed against the defendant during the incident of October 8, 1972. Earlier in the trial, the defendant had apparently been extremely upset to learn that he had missed his opportunity to subpoena witnesses he wanted while he was in prison. Tr. Mar. 6, pp. 67-71, 146-148. 37 Now he claimed to be disappointed that his witness was not an eye specialist but a general practitioner. That dismay increased when, after some initially favorable testimony, Dr. Walker examined a cartridge of the tear gas used in the prison and declared it to be one of the milder forms. An escalating exchange with the court then took place. 5 To save his argument, the defendant asked that he be shot with tear gas in front of the jury. He interrupted the court when it advised him to ask questions and to defer other matters until the recess, then complained that (the jury) never hear what's going on. When he continued to argue about the function of the jury, the jury was excused and he was ordered removed from the courtroom. Appellant still objected after this order, and in the end the trial judge was forced to leave the room to end the tirade. Tr. Mar. 13, pp. 8-9, 12-16. 38 b) Analysis. 39 Our review of these events may begin with the observation that there is no difference in kind between the misconduct of the defendant after he returned on March 8 until he was expelled on March 13, and his misconduct on March 6 and 7. In both periods we are looking at an inartful and inept examiner, occasionally irrelevant, often repetitious, and most serious seemingly incapable of letting others finish speaking when what they said went against him. But, appellant was not expelled on March 6 or 7. 40 We find no sign in these proceedings to compare with the earlier baiting and raised fist, or, much less, with the verbal and physical assaults of the defendants in Allen and Ives, which would indicate an opposition to the concept of a trial itself. Indeed, the evidence of the defendant's attitude runs strongly in the other direction. Before his second expulsion, the defendant had frequently apologized for his errors, Tr. Mar. 6, pp. 120, 177; Tr. Mar. 7, p. 193; Tr. Mar. 6, p. 184; Tr. Mar. 9, pp. 50-51. And the court had agreed that they were not intentional. Tr. Mar. 6, p. 184. Twice the defendant had volunteered to take responsibility for his co-defendant's conduct. Tr. Mar. 6, pp. 131, 168. He had not seized every occasion, although he had seized many, to raise an objection or to insist on his rights. Tr. Mar. 6, pp. 56, 87, 88, 150. When ejected, his vigorous and truthful protestations that he had not been violent show he held a real (if imperfect) vision of conduct befitting an accused, which he had meant to follow. Tr. Mar. 8, pp. 5-6; Tr. Mar. 13, pp. 15, 31. The very fact that the trial had managed to progress for five days is final evidence that appellant was not opposed to the process. 41 The defendant in Kizer, supra, also was guilty simply of interruptions and arguing, yet was removed. That case is distinguishable. There, the defendant was not in the position of representing herself so it was clear that her mere presence would be disruptive. Here, appellant's behavior was exhibited as he was playing the attorney's role. In light of all the evidence, including both the limited nature of his misconduct and the evidence as to his intent, it is impossible to tell if the arguing and the interruptions would have persisted, had that role been withdrawn and assigned to another person. 42 We find error in the second expulsion of the defendant, therefore, even when we accord the trial judge the full measure of deference due his position and superior acquaintance with the facts. We emphasize that we do not hold that the trial court could take no action under the circumstances. We do hold that the action it took was excessive. Where constitutional rights of the accused are at stake, including the right to be present, a trial court must look for corrective measures that do least injury to these rights consistent with the preservation of an orderly court atmosphere. 43