Opinion ID: 75633
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Voluntariness of Rosell's Absence

Text: 108 The first question which we must address in order to decide whether Rosell is entitled to a new trial because of his absence on three full days (November 15, 17, and 18) and most of a fourth day (November 16), is whether his absence was voluntary or involuntary. 3 Bradford, 237 F.3d at 1311. The parties have conflicting views on whether the district court ever answered this question. The government points out that the district court made a finding on November 16 that, based on the evidence that had been presented, it would treat Rosell's absence as voluntary. Rosell points out that the district court assumed for purposes of his motion for new trial that the absence was involuntary. 109 The district court never explicitly revisited its November 16 finding that Rosell was voluntarily absent, but the court made that finding before it was provided with much information about Rosell's condition. It also made that finding before Rosell's second hospitalization, which occurred during his absence from the two days of trial while his defense was presented. It is not clear from the record that the district court found Rosell's entire absence voluntary. For example, in discussing whether to go forward without Rosell on November 17, the day that the presentation of Rosell's defense began, the district court acknowledged that a showing that Rosell was simply unable to attend might be possible and could result in a mistrial. At that time, the court made no mention of Rosell's absence being voluntary. Given that, we do not agree with the government that the district court found the entirety of Rosell's absence to be voluntary. 110 In light of the record, we are convinced that at least substantial portions of Rosell's absence were involuntary, and that any contrary finding by the district court would have been clearly erroneous. Whether Rosell was voluntarily absent during the time when he was at home, but in pain and highly medicated, is a difficult issue, and if those were the circumstances surrounding the entirety of Rosell's absence, then it might be difficult for us to conclude that the district court clearly erred in finding the absence voluntary - if that is what the court did or would do. However, at least during the periods of time when Rosell was hospitalized, which included both days on which his defense was presented, we find that Rosell was involuntarily absent from court, and that any contrary finding would be clearly erroneous. 111 The record makes it abundantly clear, and the government does not dispute, that Rosell's ailments during the last week of his trial were real. There is no contention that this is a case in which a defendant was faking an illness or otherwise attempting to scuttle a trial. Rosell attended seven weeks of this eight-week trial, and was absent only after collapsing in the courthouse and being carried away in an ambulance. He was hospitalized twice over a ten-day period. Even after Rosell became ill, his counsel cooperated commendably with the government and the district court and only moved for a continuance, or in the alternative a mistrial, after the evidence being presented began to directly impact Rosell's part of the case. Under these circumstances, and absent further evidence, which neither side has requested an opportunity to present, it would be clearly erroneous to find that Rosell's absence was not, at least in part, involuntary. 4