Court Opinion

ID: 9852825
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-09-24 05:37:27.435708+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T09:22:35.231312
License: Public Domain

*170Chief Justice TOAL:
I respectfully dissent. In my view, the State had a right to appeal the trial judge’s granting of a new trial because the order was based upon an error of law.
In reviewing the trial court’s order granting a new trial, the majority is correct to observe that we review the trial court according to an abuse of discretion standard. However, we must apply this standard in the context with which a trial court may exercise its discretion to grant a new trial. We have said many times that the granting of a mistrial is an extreme measure that should only be taken where an incident is so grievous that prejudicial effect can be removed in no other way. State v. Beckham, 334 S.C. 302, 310, 513 S.E.2d 606, 610 (1999) (citing State v. Kelsey, 331 S.C. 50, 502 S.E.2d 63 (1998)). Furthermore, we must consider the entire trial record when considering whether the trial court abused its discretion in ordering a new trial. See State v. Johnson, 334 S.C. 78, 91, 512 S.E.2d 795, 803 (1999) (“The prejudicial character of the error must be determined from its relationship to the entire case.”)
My review of the record reveals no evidence to support the trial court’s finding that Respondent was “clearly denied” a right to a fair trial. In my view, the trial court’s own factual finding that Solak’s behavior “may have over-ridden the victim’s free will” does not support such a conclusion. Doe confirmed that his testimony was his own, and Solak left the courtroom once it was alleged that she was coaching Doe’s testimony. Even if Solak’s behavior did result in some degree of prejudice to Respondent, I believe this prejudice was outweighed by the ample evidence in the record to support the jury’s verdict. I find no foundation for the trial court’s order and believe that the trial court abused its discretion in granting Respondent a new trial. I would therefore reverse the opinion of the court of appeals, reverse the order of the trial court, and reinstate Respondent’s conviction and sentence.