Opinion ID: 1653352
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: absences of the judge from the courtroom

Text: Of concern are the appellee's charges that the trial judge absented himself from the courtroom on two occasions. The first is stated to be for a fifteen second period which occurred during appellee's examination of a witness. The second time is stated to be for a 30 minute period which occurred during appellee's closing argument. The Court of Appeals noted that appellee's counsel states in his brief that he did not realize that the trial judge left the courtroom during closing argument until the video tape of the trial was reviewed in preparation for briefing. The videotape, upon our replays, discloses that the judge was not in his customary seat upon the bench during the time frames cited by appellee. From all forms of argument of both counsel, we discern that neither party can state with absolute certainty that the trial judge was outside the confines of the courtroom. There is no disputing that the trial judge was not in his customary seat on the bench, but no opinion or rule exists which requires a judge to remain anchored on the bench during the entire trial. It is not oxymoronic to state that the mind will absorb only what the end will endure. Judges, for various legitimate reasons, sometimes absent themselves from the bench, i.e., to obtain a better view of exhibits, diagrams, witnesses or even enhance their alertness. Not all courtrooms are laid out in such a manner as to afford a perfect view to all the participants of a trial and the limited video scope in this Jefferson Circuit courtroom discloses disadvantages, including the lack of anything approaching full video scope of the facility. From the video viewing scope, the trial judge was noted, while off the bench on one occasion, to be seated behind counsel table, and then near counsel table, and on still another occasion, while not within view, his voice could be clearly discerned. Judicial absences during the taking of evidence have been held to involve either harmless error or a waiver by failing to make a timely objection. See Zinnamon Assoc. v. Swafford, 488 F.2d 863, cert. denied 417 U.S. 968, 94 S.Ct. 3172, 41 L.Ed.2d 1139, (1974); Carter v. Reid, 540 So.2d 57 (1989). Similarly, absences during the argument of counsel to the jury have been held not to require reversal or merely harmless where the complaining party was not in any way prejudiced by what occurred during the judge's absence or because it was regarded as having been waived by counsel. See Ideal Pool Corporation v. Champion, 157 Ga.App. 380, 277 S.E.2d 753 (1981); Dulaney v. Sebastian's Adm'r, 239 Ky. 577, 39 S.W.2d 1000 (1931); Wells v. O'Hare, 209 Ill. 627, 70 N.E. 1056 (1904); Baxter v. Ray, 62 Iowa 336, 17 N.W. 576 (1883). The absence of the trial judge during the course of trial is subject to question and the propriety of such a course is not to be commended. The absence of a trial judge during arguments of counsel to the jury has been held in most cases not to require reversal. 25 ALR3d 637, p. 659. Neither counsel objected to the trial judge's absence, if indeed he was absent, but both advised they were unaware of any absence until a review of the video failed to disclose him on the bench. Without a definitive showing that the trial judge was, in fact, absent from the courtroom, coupled with a showing of prejudice occurring during the claimed absence, there is no palpable error. All counsel were simply oblivious to the trial judge's position or presence.