Court Opinion

ID: 9577729
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-21 21:37:22.544479+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T13:21:09.007559
License: Public Domain

M. F. Sapala, J.
(concurring). I concur and join in Judge Markman’s opinion. It is necessary to emphasize that the refusal of the trial court to permit cross-examination of a res gestae witness with regard to a grant of immunity was clear error. Indeed, it is the kind of error that is usually so offensive to the maintenance of a sound judicial system that it should never be considered harmless.
In this case, however, proof of guilt of first-degree felony murder was overwhelming. Furthermore, the defendant’s testimony confirmed that he shot the deceased, and there was no evidence in the record that his testimony was other than voluntary. There is no reason to conclude that the defendant testified only because Cordell testified for the prosecution.
*691A conviction fairly reached should not be set aside where proof of guilt is overwhelming even when serious judicial error such as seen here occurs.