Court Opinion

ID: 9720337
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-26 08:26:45.516764+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:24:16.218012
License: Public Domain

FRIEDLANDER, Judge,
concurring in result.
I agree with the majority in all respects except for the discussion concerning the first jury note. In order to trigger the mandatory provisions of IC § 34-1-21-6, a jury request to hear testimony must stem from “a disagreement between [jurors] as to any part of the testimony.” I believe that the majority errs in concluding that this requirement may have been met in the instant case.
The jury note stated, “Can we the jury, listen to only a portion of the tape recording made during this subject case”. Record at 108. There is no indication on the face of the note that the request stemmed from disagreement among jurors. The majority, however, deems the note ambiguous in this regard, and concludes that the request may fairly be interpreted as arising from jury disagreement. I believe that this conclusion is viable only if one accepts the premise that any request to hear testimony necessarily *412stems from jury disagreement. To the extent the majority embraces this view (“Indeed, we question why a jury that was in agreement as to the testimony at issue would request to rehear it”, Op. at 409), I disagree.
The applicable provision of IC § 34-1-21-6 does not apply “[ujnless the jury manifests disagreement about the testimony.” Dowdy v. State, 672 N.E.2d 948, 954 (Ind.Ct.App. 1996) (quoting Grayson v. State, 593 N.E.2d 1200, 1206 (Ind.Ct.App.1992)). I believe that the view expressed by the majority constitutes an impermissible judicial revision of the statute. Such an interpretation ignores the condition precedent clearly stated in the statute (manifest disagreement) and instead transforms the statute into one whose mandatory provisions are triggered whenever such a request is made.
I concur with the majority’s opinion in all other respects.