Opinion ID: 2570891
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 6

Heading: Allegations regarding ex parte communications by trial judge.

Text: The first issue raised by Row in her successive application for post-conviction relief is that she was denied a fair trial and sentencing because of ex parte communications by the trial judge who presided over her criminal proceedings. Row alleges that such communications occurred with two of the state's witnesses Joan McHugh and her son John Blackwell. Approximately one year before Row was charged with the crimes in her criminal case, Joan McHugh's husband Bernard McHugh was charged with and sentenced for two felony check charges. The trial judge who presided over Row's criminal proceedings also presided over Mr. McHugh's criminal proceedings. Row contends that as a result of presiding over the criminal case against Mr. McHugh, the trial judge had information that was not available to Row. Both Mr. McHugh and Row were represented by the Ada County Public Defender's office, and Row's trial counsel called Mr. McHugh as a defense witness and specifically questioned him about his conviction for a felony. The fact that the same trial judge presided over both Row's and Mr. McHugh's criminal proceedings was also a matter of public record. The court below did not err in summarily dismissing this claim because it was known or reasonably could have been known by Row at the time she filed her first petition for post-conviction relief. Row also alleged that while the criminal proceedings were pending against her, Joan McHugh and John Blackwell began attending the same small church of which the trial judge was a long-time member, and the pastor of that church accompanied Mrs. McHugh to Row's trial, including when Mrs. McHugh testified. There is no allegation that the trial judge actually engaged in any ex parte communications with either Mrs. McHugh or John Blackwell. In fact, Row provided the affidavit of the pastor who stated that she never saw the trial judge talk to or be within speaking distance of either Mrs. McHugh or Mr. Blackwell and that she did not speak to the trial judge during the trial or sentencing. Row argues that because the trial judge and Mrs. McHugh both attended the same church, he may have given more weight to Mrs. McHugh's testimony when deciding to impose the death sentence. Citing State v. Wood, 132 Idaho 88, 967 P.2d 702 (1998), cert. denied, 526 U.S. 1118, 119 S.Ct. 1768, 143 L.Ed.2d 798 (1999), the court below held that these allegations did not even raise an issue of prejudice, and dismissed this claim on that basis. Church affiliation alone is not a reasonable basis for questioning a judge's impartiality. Id. at 95, 967 P.2d at 709. The factual allegations, even if true, would not cast doubt on the reliability of Row's conviction or sentence. I.C. § 19 2719(5)(b). The court below also held that Row had failed to make a prima facie showing that these alleged facts were not known and could not reasonably have been known when Row's first petition for post-conviction relief was filed. The court below did not err in summarily dismissing this claim.