Court Opinion

ID: 9454582
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-04 18:50:29.78959+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T17:34:10.494503
License: Public Domain

SEITZ, Circuit Judge
(dissenting).
I concur generally in Judge Biggs’ dissent but I desire to emphasize an aspect of the case which I consider of importance. Judge Biggs notes in footnote 2 and I agree that the “trial court refused to make the report available to the defense apparently on the ground that it had not been signed by Rubin Selik-son.” The apparent basis for the denial of access to the statement — that it was not signed — makes it clear and defense counsel was entitled to assume that the critical report would not be made available at some later point in the trial. The right of the defense counsel to examine the detective later with regard to the report or recall Selikson was no substitute here for the report itself.
We are not then confronted, as the majority indicates, with a question as to the trial judge’s right to exercise discretion in controlling the course of a trial. Rather, in view of the ground of the ruling we have a case of an absolute refusal to permit an examination of a critical report given by the important witness being examined.
BIGGS, Circuit Judge, concurs in this opinion.