Court Opinion

ID: 9528969
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-07 03:45:47.744904+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T13:27:33.859398
License: Public Domain

BRETT, Judge
(dissenting):
I respectfully dissent to this decision. It is presumed that a district attorney is competent to execute his own signature to an information. Both informations and all the pleadings filed by the district attorney were executed by Use of a Rubber Stamp. The statute makes no provision for the district attorney to sign an information by rubber stamp, unless it is filed by his assistant and is signed by the assistant district attorney. In this case the record indicates that all pleadings were filed by the district attorney and not by his assistant; therefore, the execution by rubber stamp indicates either incompetence or laziness. Consequently, I believe the information was not sufficient and defendant’s challenge to the information should have been sustained. The adversary system of justice intends that the prosecutor shall also comply with the law.
The trial judge should have disqualified himself in this case; defendant should have been granted a change of venue; and the court clerk should furnish a box large enough to accommodate the juror slips in order to comply with the statute providing for the manner of withdrawing the names of prospective jurors.
During the second stage of defendant’s trial, defendant was not properly identified as being the person formerly convicted, as contemplated by due process of law. So, I believe the sentence is excessive.
I will not place my stamp of approval on this type trial for any person. A fair trial, as contemplated by due process of law, encompasses a trial of fundamental fairness at least. This defendant did not receive such a trial, and I believe this conviction should be reversed and remanded for a new trial. Therefore, I dissent.