Court Opinion

ID: 9642675
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-22 18:05:58.223307+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:10:50.814887
License: Public Domain

WADDILL, Circuit Judge
(dissenting).
I cannot concur with the majority of the court in so much of their opinion as gives approval to the action of the trial court in selecting and impaneling the new jury, after the mistrial had been ordered, or to the method adopted in the introduction of testimony on the new trial. The court undoubtedly had the right to declare the mistrial, upon being -satisfied of. the serious ill-,-uess of the juror, and to proceed de novo with the néw trial; that is, that the new jury should have been drawn, selected, impaneled, and sworn in the manner prescribed by law (Judicial Code, §§ 276 to 281, 286,' 287 [Comp. St. §§ 1253-1258, 1263, 1264]); the trial, including the introduction of testimony, to be proceeded with as in any other case.
There seems to be no dispute as to what occurred, viz. a single person was selected, and along with the 11 well jurors already in the jury box sworn as the jury to try the ease, and in the progress of the trial testimony as taken down by a stenographer at the former trial was read to the jury, the stenographer proving his notes, and some of the witnesses were called to the stand, who testified the stenographer’s notes embraced their evidence. ■ What was done was in accordance with the almost universal custom and practice in eivil cases in like circumstances, but is there adopted by consent of the parties, and cannot be thought of save.by such consent.
■ The majority opinion says consent was given here, and, because of such consent, approval is apparently given thereto. But the law applicable to eivil cases is wholly unlike and dissimilar to that in criminal cases. In the former, parties litigant may, in respect to their private and eivil matters, give consent to many things as between themselves. But in criminal cases an entirely different condition exists,, and what was done in this case, as well with respect to the choice and impaneling of the jury, as to the introduction of testimony by reading the stenographer’s notes of the former trial, was not warranted by law, because it denied, on the one hand, to the accused his legitimate right and opportunity of challenge in the selection of the jury, at the new trial, and to the accused and the new jury, especially the new juror, the opportunity to see and hear all the witnesses on such second trial; that the same did not constitute due process of law, 11 of the jurors so remaining being disqualified to serve by reason of their connection with the first .trial, and the odd juror because, like the 11, he had not been drawn for the trial then being had, and the proceeding was wholly void and in plain contravention of the Fifth and Sixth Amendments to the federal Constitution.
Briefly, it may be said that the accused (Amendment 6) is guaranteed the right to a speedy and public trial by an impartial jury; that he cannot be deprived (Amendment 5) of his life, liberty, or property without due process of law; that he cannot (Amendment 5) for the same ofíense be twiee put in jeopardy, nor be compelled to be a witness against himself; and that he has the right (Amendment 6) to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation, and to be confronted with the witnesses against him. The fact that the accused may have agreed to what was done will not assure the validity of the same, as the constitutional requirements regarding the manner and method of criminal trials, as affecting the life and liberty of the citizen, cannot be waived by an accused when present at the trial. Hopt v. Utah, 110 U. S. 578, 579, 4 S. Ct. 202, 28 L. Ed. 262; Thompson v. Utah, 170 U. S. 345 to 354, inclusive, 18 S. Ct. 620, 42 L. Ed. 1061 (8-juror case); Freeman v. United States, 227 F. 743 to 749, inclusive, 142 C. C. A. 256; Ex parte McClusky (C. C.) 40 F. 71, 76; State of North Dakota v. Hazledahl, 2 N. D. 521, 52 N. W. 315, 16 L. R. A. 150; Watson on the Constitution, vol. 2, pp. 1431 to 1485, chs. 53 and 54 (on the Fifth and Sixth Amendments to the Constitution); Cooley’s Constitutional Limitations, pp. 213, 214; also eases bearing upon the ste*969nographer’s notes, viz.: Motes v. United States, 178 U. S. 467, 469, 470-474, 20 S. Ct. 993, 44 L. Ed. 1150, inclusive; Reynolds v. United States, 98 U. S. 145, 160, 161, 25 L. Ed. 244 (in this case the witness was kept away by the accused); Diaz v. United States, 223 U. S. 448, 449, 32 S. Ct. 250, 56 L. Ed. 500, Ann. Cas. 3913C, 1138, (this case recognized the doctrine contended for here, but the deposition there was put in by the defendant).
That consent cannot be given by an accused in circumstances as here, and be relied upon by the government as the basis to sustain a conviction of one of its citizens, given while in jeopardy, restrained of his liberty, and on trial for a grave and serious felony, is too old to need citation of authority. “Consent in a criminal case cannot bind the defendant, 'since criminal charges are not the subject of arbitration, and any infliction of criminal punishment upon an individual, except in pursuance of the law of the land, is a wrongdoing to the state, whether the individual assented or not.’” Cooley’s Constitutional Limitations, p. 576.
“ 'The natural life,’ says Blaekstone, 'cannot legally be disposed of or destroyed by any individual, neither by the person himself, nor by any other of his fellow creatures, merely upon their own authority.’ 1 Bl. Com. 133. The public has an interest in his life and liberty. Neither can be lawfully taken, except in the mode prescribed by law. That which the law makes essential in proceedings involving the deprivation of life or liberty cannot be dispensed with or affected by the consent of the accused, much less by his mere failure, when on trial and in custody, to object to unauthorized methods. The great end of punishment is not the expiation or atonement of the offense committed, but the prevention of future offenses of the same kind.” Mr. Justice Harlan, in Hopt v. Utah, supra, 110 U. S. 574, 579, 4 S. Ct. 202, 204 (28 L. Ed. 262).
“The right to waive a right does not exist when the matter concerns the public as well as the individual. Thus, the waiver of the trial of a crime by jury involves the setting on one side of the tribunal constituted by law for that purpose and the substitution by consent of one unknown to the law. It is not competent for the accused and the district attorney to change by consent the constitution of the tribunal provided for the trial of crimes. Between the waiver oí a jury iu a civil case aud its waiver in a trial for crime there are fundamental differences. The one involves only property rights of the parties, rights over which they have dominion. The other involves the liberty or life of the citizen. This is a matter over which the accused has not dominion. The state, the public, are concerned that neither shall be affected save by duo process of law.” Judge Lurton, later a justice of the,Supreme Court, in Low v. United States (C. C. A. 6th Cir.) 169 F. 86, 91, 92, 94 C. C. A. 1, 6.
“There are a number of eases where an attempt has been made to substitute a juror for one of the 12 who have been impaneled to try the case, and where, owing to sickness or some disqualification, one of the original panel has been excused. The rule seems to be well established in such cases that the trial must begin de novo, in order that the defendant may have his full right of challenge, and in order that the now juryman may both see and hear all the witnesses.” Judge Rogers, in Freeman v. United States, supra (C. C. A. 2nd Cir.) 227 F. 732, 749, 142 C. C. A. 256, 273, citing a large array of authority in support thereof.
The majority opinion cites and relies upon Diaz v. United States, 223 U. S. 442, 450, 32 S. Ct. 250, 56 L. Ed. 500, Ann. Cas. 1913C, 1138, to sustain the ruling of the District Court permitting a stenographer’s notes of evidence taken at a former trial to be read to the jury. This case, like that of Reynolds v. United States, supra, 98 U. S. 145, 160, 161, 25 L. Ed. 244, supports the general doctrine contended for here, which ordinarily excludes stenographer’s notes; but the ruling in that ease was based upon the fact that the accused himself offered the stenographic notes to be read, and in the Reynolds Case, upon the fact that the defendant was responsible for the failure of the witness to appear. These are well-known exceptional cases, and upon the general proposition support, rather than militate against, anything said in this dissent.