Court Opinion

ID: 9717315
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-26 07:01:27.934559+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:23:52.477523
License: Public Domain

DeBRULER, Justice,
dissenting.
Art. I, § 13 of the Indiana Constitution commands security for each person facing criminal charges in the following words:
In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall have the right to a public trial, by an impartial jury, in the county in which the offense shall have been committed; to be heard by himself and counsel; to demand the nature and cause of the accusation against him, and to have a copy thereof; to meet the witnesses face to face, and to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor.
When there is judicial, legislative, and executive respect for and observance of all of the enumerated individual rights granted by this provision, the promised security will be manifest. Each such right is of the highest rank. The state constitutional waiver standard applicable to each should therefore be of the highest rank as well. A waiver of an Art. I, § 13 right should be declared only where there is (1) an intelligent personal decision to forego the right, (2) without coercion, and (3) with a full awareness of the right. This is the standard that has already been declared applicable to the waiver of any trial, a jury trial, the right to counsel, and the right to be present at trial. Cassidy v. State (1929), 201 Ind. 311, 168 N.E. 18; Robey v. State (1990), Ind., 555 N.E.2d 145; Grimes v. State (1972), 257 Ind. 660, 278 N.E.2d 271; Freeman v. State (1989), Ind., 541 N.E.2d 533. This is the standard that will insure due respect and regard for the right of persons facing criminal charges to meet the witnesses against them face to face.