Court Opinion

ID: 9674041
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-24 04:22:15.059047+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:16:25.322263
License: Public Domain

ALDEN A. STOCKARD, Special Judge
(dissenting).
The circumstances of this case compel me to dissent.
First. At the time the statement was made by the court pertaining to the presence of the knife, appellant made no objection whatever. The prosecutor continued the direct examination of the witness, counsel for appellant then cross-examined the witness, re-direct and re-cross-examination was conducted, the witness was dismissed, a recess was taken, and then for the first time appellant made any complaint about the remark. He then requested a mistrial; he did not request any other remedial action. In my opinion the objection came too late to preserve the matter for appellate review. State v. Hudson, 358 Mo. 424, 215 S.W.2d 441, 442 (1949); State v. Brown, 524 S.W.2d 188 (Mo.App.1975).
Second. The matter was, in my opinion, of the nature that the prejudicial effect, if any, could have been removed by appropriate instructions on the part of the court if such relief had been requested. In these circumstances the drastic remedy of a mistrial, State v. Camper, 391 S.W.2d 926 (Mo.1965); State v. Phelps, 478 S.W.2d 304 (Mo.1972), would not have been required even if a timely request therefor had been made.
Third. In view of the right and duty of the court to take reasonably necessary precautions for the maintenance of order in the courtroom and for the safety of all in attendance, State v. Edmonson, 371 S.W.2d 273, 277 (Mo.1963), I do not consider the comment of the Court to be so grievous as to now require the reversal of the judgment, at least in view of the total circumstances. To direct a reversal in the situation we have here is to impute to the jury a lack of common understanding, which I am not willing to do, and to reward the appellant for failing to obtain corrective action less than a mistrial.
Fourth. Assuming that it is arguable that the remark of the court in the circumstances of this case constituted error, the record so clearly demonstrates appellant’s guilt that this is the appropriate case for the application of the rule “that error which in a close case might call for reversal may be disregarded as harmless when the evidence of guilt is strong.” State v. Degraffenreid, 477 S.W.2d 57, 65 (Mo. banc 1972); Thomas v. United States, 281 F.2d 132, 136 (8th Cir. 1960).
I do not express any view concerning the other contentions of appellant, but I would not reverse the judgment for the reasons set forth in the principal opinion.