Court Opinion

ID: 9689560
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-24 18:40:18.817536+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:18:50.381471
License: Public Domain

Blair Moody, Jr., J.
(concurring in part; dissenting in part). I concur in the holding that the prosecutor violated DR 7-104(A)(l) when he took part in the questioning of Ernest Green without first notifying defense counsel. Under the circumstances of this case, I do not agree that the defendant’s statements should be admissible.
The prosecutor was a direct participant in the preparation for and the conducting of this interview. The influence of the prosecutor’s presence upon the defendant is immeasurable. Defense counsel’s presence could have substantially altered the interrogation. Furthermore, the prosecutor twice accompanied the detective to interrogate Green without notification to defense counsel.
The general rule should be that a prosecutor must be prohibited from interviewing a defendant without first obtaining the consent of defense counsel or the affirmation of defense counsel that he has advised the defendant of his rights and, *299following this advice, the defendant still wishes to be interviewed without him. Failure to do so should result in the suppression of any resulting evidence.
Accordingly, the conduct of the prosecutor in this case necessitates reversal. Additionally, the prosecutor should be subjected to disciplinary action for his conduct.