Court Opinion

ID: 9612969
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-22 04:13:07.011376+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T11:56:06.275495
License: Public Domain

Smith, Judge,
dissenting.
I agree with Presiding Judge Beasley that the trial court did not err in declaring a mistrial or in denying the plea in bar on double jeopardy grounds. The trial court was in the best position to judge the conduct of counsel and its effect on the jury; the trial court properly concluded that the defense injected the matter resulting in a mistrial and that bars against double jeopardy therefore were not breached. I dissent separately to emphasize the more than ample basis on which the trial court concluded that counsel for Stevens deliberately injected the matter resulting in the mistrial.
The trial court’s order on defendant’s plea in bar and former jeopardy fully sets forth the basis for granting the mistrial and denying Stevens’ plea in bar. The trial court found counsel’s expressed belief that the entire videotape was in evidence incredible, because counsel initially raised the point that portions of the videotape were inadmissible and, in fact, suggested they be excluded. Counsel fully participated in the discussion of creating a redacted tape, and he was aware of the reason for the redaction: to preserve the record for appeal while returning the video footage of other intoximeter tests to the police department for later use.
Noting this initial recognition of inadmissibility and the subsequent chain of events, the trial court concluded that counsel’s failure to ask for clarification on the use of the tape was part of a deliberate scheme to misuse irrelevant portions of the tape. The trial court reasoned that when the tape was played for the jury, counsel caught a brief glimpse of another intoximeter subject without handcuffs. Immediately thereafter, counsel cross-examined Officer Lamb, the intoximeter operator, as to whether every test subject was handcuffed. He elicited the response: “[e]very adult that comes into that room has handcuffs on.”
As the trial court noted, the only reason for this line of questioning was as a predicate to playing the irrelevant portions of the tape in an attempt at impeachment. In fact, during closing argument, counsel stated to the jury: “I chose that to demonstrate something to you. Officer Lamb testified that every person . . .” before being cut short by an objection. Lamb testified to only one fact concerning “every person” — that every person was handcuffed.
The trial court further noted that counsel gave varying and conflicting explanations of his manipulation of the videotape during a recess and his belief regarding its admissibility. The courtroom bailiff’s *723testimony regarding counsel’s conduct during the recess also conflicted with counsel’s explanation.
Decided December 2, 1994
Reconsideration denied December 19, 1994
James N. Finkelstein, Donaldson, Hall, Martin, Garvey & Bell, George P. Donaldson III, for appellant.
Britt R. Priddy, District Attorney, Gregory W. Edwards, Assistant District Attorney, for appellee.
The trial court concluded that counsel, having already elicited the testimony he needed for his attempt at impeachment, deliberately used irrelevant portions of the videotape during closing argument and claimed he had “misunderstood” the trial court’s earlier comments. That conclusion is thoroughly supported by the trial court’s observations and citations to the record. Both the trial court’s conclusion and the basis for it in the record should be noted by this court in affirming the trial court’s decision to declare a mistrial and its subsequent denial of Stevens’ plea in bar.
I am authorized to state that Judge Andrews joins in this dissent.