Court Opinion

ID: 9777899
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-29 20:27:37.112594+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T07:30:16.139983
License: Public Domain

KAROHL, Judge,
concurring.
The claim of error on the first point on appeal is more extensive than that the court “only clarified testimony previously given.” The majority disposes of the issue only on that justification.
The point on appeal is:
THE TRIAL COURT ERRED BY OVERRULING APPELLANT'S OBJECTION AND MOTION FOR MISTRIAL WHEN THE COURT QUESTIONED DR. RINE-HART BECAUSE THE COURT ABDICATED HIS JUDICIAL IMPARTIALITY AND ASSUMED THE ROLE OF PROSECUTOR IN THAT THE COURT ASSISTED THE STATE IN ESTABLISHING AN ESSENTIAL ELEMENT OF ITS CASE, THAT THE VICTIM SUFFERED SERIOUS PHYSICAL INJURY, AND DID SO IN SUCH A MANNER AS TO INDICATE HIS SATISFACTION WITH THE PROOF, THUS COMMENTING ON THE SUFFICIENCY OF THE CASE AS TO THIS ELEMENT AND ALIGNING HIMSELF WITH THE PROSECUTION ON THE CASE AS A WHOLE. (Our emphasis).
Obviously, the claim of error comprehends the manner in which the court assisted the state. However, it also charges error for comments made which were demonstrative of approval of the answers. The court accepted answers with, “Okay” and “Alright.” The comments may have represented expressions of satisfaction with the sufficiency of proof of an element of the charge. Such comments by the court are different than similar statements by counsel during examination of a witness.
Defendant relies on State v. Haddix, 566 S.W.2d 266 (Mo.App.1978). The majority opinion attempts to distinguish the present case from the holding in Haddix, which granted a new trial. In Haddix, the trial court directed a witness to produce an exhibit and, in the presence of the jury, said “[t]his is all I need.” This was done during questioning of a witness by the court and in the presence of the jury.
The charge was escape from prison. The state offered records of the custodian of the Missouri Department of Corrections to prove that defendant was lawfully confined in an institution under the control of the Missouri Department of Corrections on the date of his escape. The records, if believed, proved the element of confinement. The trial court, however, questioned the custodian about a document in the file that would indicate where the defendant was housed on any given day. The court directed the witness to produce the document. The trial court overruled an objection to the interrogation by the court. Thereafter, the document was produced and the court said, “[tjhank you. That is all I need. I don’t have any further questions for Mr. Lauf.”
The Court of Appeals understood that the element of confinement had been otherwise proven. It was concerned with the first and foremost duty of a trial judge to be and appear to be an impartial arbiter. “At the very least, the conduct and remarks of the trial judge conveyed the appearance of bias in favor of the state.” Id. at 273. [Our emphasis]. The factual similarities in the present appeal and Had-dix are apparent. None of the reasons given in the majority opinion justify what the trial court did. That opinion disapproves of what occured. The conduct of the trial court goes well beyond clarifying testimony, it added for the jury a statement that the injuries created a substantial risk of death. The court used that term in two successive questions. The court also added approving comments to answers received. “Okay” and “Alright” are functionally equivalent to “[t]hat is all I need.”
We need not speculate why the court intervened and developed evidence involving a charged element of the crime. The court told us why. It was not to clarify *272testimony already given by Dr. Rinehart for the benefit of the jury. The court stated for the record that he overruled defendant’s objection to the court’s alleged interference in the trial of the cause for the following reason:
The basis or reason for the Court inquiring is because I wanted to make it perfectly clear to an appellate court that the injuries suffered in this case either caused a substantial risk of death or that it was a cause — caused a disfigurement or protracted loss, because although this Court had a victim illustrate to the jury a disfigured little finger and testify that his arm was broken and presumably in a cast, the Court of Appeals found that there was no determination of a disfigurement nor was there a protracted loss of any use of the body, and therefore this Court should have instructed on assault second degree which the Court did not do.
After the explanation defense counsel again objected to the court using its personal feelings to bring out evidence that is against defendant. The court denied such motivation and repeated that it was following instructions of the Appellate Court on what the law was. The Assistant Circuit Attorney then said, “I’m not aware of the case, so maybe I should have asked that. I think it’s so obvious that I didn’t — wasn’t an oversight. I just didn’t ask him.” Defense counsel then observed that the jury was listening to everything being said. The Circuit Attorney justified the circumstances by a comment, “Well, you started all this.” Obviously, it was the court, not defense counsel, who interrupted the trial of the case and interposed its process. In the end, defense counsel declined to request a mistrial. He renewed the objection because of interference with the case by the court in asking questions that were highly prejudicial. The court denied the motion. Defendant preserved the issue in his motion for new trial.
The trial court did not intervene to clarify the testimony of Dr. Rinehart. By the court's own statement on the record he intervened in order that it would not be necessary to instruct on a lessor included offense, if requested. Such conduct may constitute a breach of the trial court’s duty to be and appear an impartial arbiter. The Circuit Attorney agreed that he did not ask or obtain the same testimony received under questioning of the court.
The previous opinion referred to by the trial court is not identified in the record. It may have held that in the absence of proof of serious physical injury the court must instruct on assault second degree, if requested. We are confident that the case did not instruct the trial court to add proof of an element of the crime by intervening and questioning witnesses and approving or appearing to approve answers.
I concur only in result because severity of injury was not a disputed issue and the trial judge involved himself only with that issue. The injuries were caused by a shotgun blast. The degree of medical care was clear and certain proof the injuries satisfied proof of assault in the first degree. The disputed issue was who did the shooting, not what was the result. I cannot accept or justify the conduct of the trial court on the basis of clarifying testimony.