Court Opinion

ID: 9687113
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-24 16:16:21.071268+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:18:24.342610
License: Public Domain

SABERS, Justice
(dissenting).
Schuster’s admissions to Officer Evans were clearly inadmissible under Edwards and Roberson. Since it is not clear beyond a reasonable doubt that the jury would have returned a verdict of guilty absent the admission of Schuster’s statements to Evans, we should reverse under Chapman and Michalek.
The majority’s statement that “Schus-ter’s [taped] testimony ... did not present any evidence inconsistent with his defense” misses the point. The improper admission of the taped interview dictated his defense. It forced Schuster into an obviously ineffective defense. Therefore, the admission of this taped interview under these circumstances cannot be “harmless error.”