Court Opinion

ID: 9700574
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-25 21:36:09.389893+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:21:11.604130
License: Public Domain

JOHNSON, Judge,
dissenting:
I am constrained to dissent. I do not disagree with Judge Cavanaugh’s accurate analysis of the law of double jeopardy. I understand that case law in this jurisdiction has not provided us with precedent for finding manifest necessity in such circumstances as those of this case. However, it is our duty as an appellate court to apply the law, in this case the law of double jeopardy, not only to protect a defendant’s right to have his trial completed by a particular tribunal and to protect defendants from the harassment of multiple prosecutions, United States v. Jorn, 400 U.S. 470, 91 S.Ct. 547, 27 L.Ed.2d 543, (1971), but also to guarantee the public’s interest in fair trials designed to end in just judgments. See Wade v. Hunter, 336 U.S. 684, 69 S.Ct. 834, 93 L.Ed. 974 (1949), quoted in Jorn, supra, 400 U.S. at 480, 91 S.Ct. at 554-55, 27 L.Ed.2d at 554.
My disagreement with the majority view here involves its analysis of the reaction of the trial court to the situation. I disagree that the court “leaped to the conclusion” that there may have been tampering. My view is that the appellate court should give more weight to the trial court’s exercise *343of discretion when the trial court was faced with an unexpected situation which involved perhaps illegal or unethical, but at least questionable, conduct by defense counsel. The trial court’s response was admittedly swift, but not arbitrary or capricious. The majority opinion chastises the trial court for not considering reasonable alternatives to a sua sponte declaration of mistrial, yet does not suggest what these alternatives might be, other than to have permitted defense counsel to cross-examine the witness. The reason the trial court gave for choosing not to permit this was that it decided that such a line of inquiry would compromise defense counsel’s advocacy of his client’s cause, turning it into a situation of self-exoneration for defense counsel.1 In other words, the trial court did consider an alternative, and rejected it.
A further reason which the trial court gave for deciding to end the trial at this stage was the likelihood of a subsequent appeal requesting a new trial on the grounds that defense counsel, trying a case with the shadow of alleged impropriety looming over him, was unable to try the case effectively, and thus deprived the defendants of the effective assistance of counsel.2
I see this situation as one where the defendant’s valued right to have his trial completed by a particular tribunal is subordinate to the public’s interest in fair trials and just judgments. See United States v. Jorn, 400 U.S. at 480, 91 S.Ct. at 554-55, 27 L.Ed.2d at 554.
I would affirm the denial of the application to bar reprosecution, on the grounds that in the untoward circumstances of the case, involving possibly highly improper behavior of defense counsel, the trial court was faced with manifest necessity to declare a mistrial sua sponte, and that the double jeopardy bar to retrial is inapplicable.

. Commonwealth v. Bradley et al., No. 4982-79, slip op. August 15, 1980 at 8, and N.T. April 2, 1980 at 7 (C.P. Montgomery County, 1980).

. Id. Slip op. at 9, N.T. at 7.