Court Opinion

ID: 9552953
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-07 19:19:35.677281+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T15:29:25.096937
License: Public Domain

THOMAS, Justice,
specially concurring.
I agree completely with the disposition made of this case according to the majority opinion. Neither is it possible to find any fault with the analysis there made of the federal authorities that pertain to this problem. The distinction I would draw is that this court has no responsibility for enforcement of the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure. We are responsible for our Wyoming Rules of Criminal Procedure.
A failure of the trial court to require the waiver of a jury trial to be in writing when Rule 24(a) of the Wyoming Rules of Criminal Procedure specifically requires that the *786waiver be in writing can only be described as error. Rule 49(a), W.R.Cr.P., however, provides:
“(a) Harmless error. — Any error, defect, irregularity or variance which does not affect substantial rights shall be disregarded.”
The failure to require the waiver to be in writing did not affect any substantial rights of this defendant, and the error is, therefore, susceptible to being disregarded. I would add a caveat to the trial bench that the requirement that such a waiver be in writing was incorporated advisedly in both the federal rule and our rule because it provides the best evidence possible that a defendant has given the matter appropriate deliberation and then has concluded that his interests are best served by waiving a jury trial.