Court Opinion

ID: 9807705
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-31 20:13:43.573829+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T11:52:15.263506
License: Public Domain

VANDE WALLE, Chief Justice,
concurring specially.
[¶ 11] I concur with and have signed the opinion of the Court. Rule 23.1, N.D.R.Crim.P., is clear and, as our opinion notes, unless the rule is ambiguous, we look only at the language of the rule. The rule provides that those defendants who exercise their constitutional right to a jury trial should not be assessed the expenses for the exercise of that right.
[¶ 12] The rule and the explanatory note do not appear to contemplate that a defendant who exercises the constitutional right to a trial by jury will, without a justifiable or reasonable excuse, fail to appear for that trial. I agree that it is a contempt of court to fail to appear for court without justifiable and reasonable excuse, for which the defendant might be assessed a sanction comparable to the jury expenses. However, in light of the purpose of Rule 23.1, and to avoid the costly and time consuming contempt procedure, perhaps it is time to consider amending the rule to provide that jury expenses may not be assessed in a criminal case unless the defendant without justifiable or reasonable excuse fails to appear at the time designated for the jury trial. A defendant who exercises the right to a jury trial should be aware that the failure, without good reason, to appear for the jury trial is not only a contempt of court but that the expenses of calling that jury may be assessed as costs directly against the defendant.