Opinion ID: 2076252
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Hunt's Request To Reopen His Case

Text: Failing to receive the instruction, Hunt sought to have the judge reopen the case so that he could offer evidence of the sentence. The trial judge has wide discretion in the conduct of a trial. Smith v. State, 299 Md. 158, 179, 472 A.2d 988, 998 (1984). The reopening of a case is within the trial judge's discretion and a denial of a motion to reopen will not be disturbed on appeal unless there is an abuse of discretion. Stansbury v. State, 218 Md. 255, 262, 146 A.2d 17, 22 (1958). See also McCloud v. State, 77 Md. App. 528, 535-36, 551 A.2d 151, 155, modified, 317 Md. 360, 564 A.2d 72 (1989) (within the judge's discretion to deny defendant's request to reopen case for purpose of giving testimony in his own defense). The trial judge had ample reasons to deny Hunt's request. The trial had already reached the instructions phase. Both the State and defendant had rested. Had the judge allowed the defendant to reopen the case in order to present evidence of the handgun sentence, the State might also have sought the opportunity to rebut and explain the effect of parole and good time credits on the 20 year sentence. This might have delayed the jury's deliberations and unduly stressed the testimony in question.... Noel v. State, 202 Md. 247, 252, 96 A.2d 7, 10 (1953). It was a proper exercise of judicial discretion for the trial judge to refuse to allow the defendant to re-open his case. We should also note that the trial judge's failure to grant Hunt's requests did not result in undue prejudice to Hunt. If the handgun sentence had been introduced and explained, the jury would have discovered that Hunt may have served little or no additional time in prison as a result of this sentence. First, the judge would have had to tell the jury that the handgun sentence might be served concurrently or consecutively to the murder sentence. Second, the death penalty sentencing commenced on November 30, 1988. Hunt had been in custody since November 23, 1985, and he could have been eligible for parole on the handgun sentence as early as January 27, 1990. [1] Hunt established through testimony at the hearing that, if the jury sentenced him to life imprisonment, he could not be considered for parole until he served at least 25 years less up to 6 years time off for good behavior. Failure to establish that the earliest possible parole date should be in approximately 20 years rather than 19 years would not tip the scales and cause the jury to believe that death may not be appropriate. Foster v. State, 304 Md. 439, 475, 499 A.2d 1236, 1254 (1985), cert. denied, 478 U.S. 1010, 106 S.Ct. 3310, 92 L.Ed.2d 723 (1986).