Court Opinion

ID: 9844671
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-09-24 03:06:26.812439+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T09:15:39.852357
License: Public Domain

JOHNSON, Justice,
concurring, concurring in the result and concurring specially:
I concur in the Court’s opinion, except parts I-II (PRETRIAL RULING ON AVAILABILITY OF INSANITY DEFENSE) and part V (DISQUALIFICATION OF TRIAL JUDGE FOR PREJUDICE).
I concur in the result of parts I-II. In my view, there was a justiciable issue as to the constitutionality of the repeal of the insanity defense. However, this Court ruled in State v. Searcy, 118 Idaho 632, 798 P.2d 914 (1990) that the repeal of the insanity defense was not in violation of either the United States Constitution or the Constitution of the State of Idaho. Since no rehearing was requested in Searcy, a remittitur has issued, and the Court’s opinion has become final. Although I dissented from this ruling of the Court in Searcy, I now accept that Searcy should be honored under the rule of stare decisis.
I concur specially in part V. In my view since the district judge who was the subject of the motion to disqualify did not sentence Rhoades to death in this case, I do not believe we should address the issue raised concerning his disqualification.