Court Opinion

ID: 9537062
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-07 07:11:57.548193+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T14:55:51.871585
License: Public Domain

HOWE, Justice,
concurring:
I concur, except I reserve any expression of opinion on the. importance and effect of the variance between the March 5 date in the information and the March 22 date in the witnesses’ testimony which is discussed in Part III. In my opinion that question is not before us, and I would prefer to wait for another day when it has been fully briefed and is squarely presented. At that time the seemingly various points of view found in the eases may be analyzed and perhaps reconciled. See State v. Wilson, Utah, 642 P.2d 394 (1982); United States v. Davis, 436 F.2d 679 (10th C.C.A.1971).
The State contends that the variance between the dates was minor and unimportant because time was not an element of the crime. There is no doubt that such an argument would have been plausible for the State to have made before the trial judge when he was considering the defendant’s post-trial motion for either a judgment of acquittal, or in the alternative, a new trial. However, the court granted a new trial, rightly or wrongly, because of the discrepancy in the dates. It is important that the State does not complain about the granting of the new trial. Rather, the thrust of the State’s brief on appeal is that the defendant was not entitled to a judgment of acquittal because the discrepancy in dates was insignificant and not prejudicial.
Since the State is content with the order for a new trial, the only dispute before us on appeal is whether subjecting the defendant to a new trial violates his right against being placed in double jeopardy. On that question the parties sharply divide. The State claims that the defendant waived that right when he moved for a new trial. The majority opinion has correctly analyzed and decided that question concluding that the ground for granting a new trial was because the evidence was insufficient and there was no waiver. Consequently, the State’s argument that the discrepancy in the dates does not warrant acquittal but only goes to the weight to be given to the testimony of the witnesses at trial is really beside the point at this time. A new trial was given and we must view the double jeopardy question against that backdrop.