Court Opinion

ID: 9792970
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-31 02:40:13.160644+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T08:02:07.785620
License: Public Domain

FELDMAN, Chief Justice,
specially concurring:
I agree with the result reached by the court and with its analysis, except the portion that deals with the destruction of evidence. Maj. op. at 527-28, 885 P.2d at 1092-93. I write separately because I do not agree with the rule of State v. Youngblood. My reasons are set forth in my dissent in Youngblood. 173 Ariz. 502, 511-14, 844 P.2d 1152, 1161-64 (1993). However, even under my view of the *529proper substantive rule, reversal was not warranted in the present case. Here, unlike Youngblood, the evidence that was subsequently destroyed was examined and analyzed. The results are known. Their exculpatory value, if any, can be described to the jury. Unlike Youngblood, defendant shows no prejudice. Therefore, I join in the court’s holding that the trial judge did not err in denying defendant’s motion to dismiss the charges.