Court Opinion

ID: 9577936
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-21 21:39:33.670825+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T13:21:31.501970
License: Public Domain

BERNSTEIN, Chief Justice
(dissenting).
I must most respectfully dissent to the majority opinion of this court.
Under the posture of this case, on the very morning of the new trial the defendant learned for the first time that the same judge had been assigned to hear the case. The appellant timely, and I believe, understandably, filed his oral motion for change of judge. This motion was denied.
The majority relies heavily upon Hendrickson v. Superior Court, 85 Ariz. 10, 330 P.2d 507, 73 A.L.R.2d 1235; a case involving a request for change of judge at the commencement of a retrial following a mistrial. The majority’s theory is that a new trial and a mistrial are analogous; and argue in effect that a new trial is not a new trial but only “a continuation of the trial against defendant.”
Rule 314, Arizona Rules of Criminal Procedure, 17 A.R.S., provides as follows:
“When a new trial is granted, the new trial shall proceed in all respects as if no former trial had teen had. On the new trial the defendant may be convicted of any offense charged in the indictment or information regardless of the verdict or finding on the former trial. The former verdict or finding shall not be used or referred to in evidence or argument on the new trial.” (Emphasis added.)
It is well established that once an appeal has been perfected the trial court loses all jurisdiction. State v. Lopez, 96 Ariz. 169, 393 P.2d 263. Further, with the trial court’s denial of defendant’s motion for new trial, all matters came to an end, the case was concluded, there remained no “ultimate issues” for the trial court to decide. Following conviction and sentence, had there been no timely motion for a new trial filed, I think all members of the court would readily agree that the case was over.
Therefore, it seems patently clear that “when”, on appeal, “a new trial is granted” the new trial is not “a continuation of the trial against defendant” (as the majority opinion states) but a new trial. Under Rule *117314, “the new trial shall proceed in all respects as if no former trial had been had” The new trial proceeds from the original indictment or information, it does not proceed from, or become a continuation of the old trial, the jury of which has been discharged, the jurisdiction of which has been lost to the trial judge, and the judgment of which has been reversed.
Furthermore, I believe that the Hendrick-son case, supra, is not applicable. There is a critical distinction between a new trial and a mistrial. In State ex rel. Sullivan v. Patterson, 64 Ariz. 40, 45, 165 P.2d 309, this court held that “the term ‘mistrial’ aptly applies to a case in which a jury is discharged without a verdict. A mistrial is equivalent to no trial.” Hence no final judgment or sentence thereon is rendered by the court. In Stern v. Wabash R. Co., 52 Misc. 2, 101 N.Y.S. 181, 182, the Supreme Court of New York said, in distinguishing between a new trial and a mistrial, “the former results from the exercise of discretion. The latter is a matter of law. A mistrial is a nugatory trial. A new trial recognizes a completed trial which for sufficient reason has been set aside so that the issues may be litigated de novoand in Ex parte Alpine, 203 Cal. 731, 265 P. 947, 949, 58 A.L.R. 1500 the Supreme Court of California in distinguishing previous decisions said “A mistrial and a new trial are not the same thing in name or effect. A mistrial is equivalent to no trial * * * it is a nugatory trial; a new trial recognizes a completed trial. * * * This court has no power whatever to make any order based upon a mistrial” * * * whereas * * * “an order granting a new trial is appealable and subject to review by this court.”
In all cases after jury verdict the trial judge “exercises” * * * final * * * “discretion” in granting or denying a motion for new trial and in pronouncing sentence. In performing these judicial acts, he acts in good faith and believes in the righteousness of what he has done. When subsequently the judgment “is set aside'for sufficient reason,” and a new trial ordered, the same trial judge would be less than human if he did not enter that new trial with some preconceived notions as to its outcome; just as one who reads the same book twice, knows its ending before he gets to it.
The right to a fair and impartial trial before a fair and impartial judge is a valuable substantive right, Marsin v. Udall, 78 Ariz. 309, 279 P.2d 721, and rules of procedure authorizing a change of judge should receive a liberal and not a strict construction. Such rules should be construed to promote rather than to defeat the right to a change of judge, and the right of a defendant to change of judge is absolute, People v. McWilliams (1932), 350 Ill. 628, 183 N.E. 582; People v. Smith (1963), 28 Ill.2d 445, 192 N.E.2d 880. These cases found reversible error in the trial court’s failure to grant a motion for change of judge.
The right of disqualification being peremptory, the rule in Stephens v. Stephens, 17 Ariz. 307, 309, 152 P. 164, as set out in the majority opinion applies, and this cause should be reversed arid remanded for new trial.
LOCKWOOD, J., concurs in this dissent.