Court Opinion

ID: 9778453
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-29 21:05:02.283646+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T07:33:09.272974
License: Public Domain

SEILER, Judge,
dissenting.
I respectfully dissent. The record shows that the state first moved for disqualification of Judge Ferriss in Division 6. This motion was sustained. This was change of judge number one for the state. Then, when the case was pending before Judge Crandall in Division 1, and after learning that Judge Crandall would rule against the state on a question of evidence, the state again filed a motion to disqualify the judge. This motion was also sustained. This was change of judge number two for the state. I find this set forth in the record by Judge Ruddy, who during the hearing on the motion for new trial, said: “The State of Missouri by the Prosecuting Attorney filed a motion to disqualify the Judge of Division Number One who was Judge Crandall and although his signature is not dated that motion was SUSTAINED by Judge Cran-dall and that cause was sent to Division Number Fourteen [Judge Ruddy’s division] and the trial commenced, of course, on March the 1st, 1976 . .” Both sides agreed this was the correct history. The respondent’s statement of facts is to the same effect.
Rule 30.12 states “Only one such affidavit [referring to an affidavit of disqualification of judge] may be filed by the same party in the same case and such affidavit shall be made as to only one of the judges of said court.”
Apparently the proceedings before Judge Crandall were in chambers with no reporter present and no record made. The state asserts defendant’s counsel made no objection at the time. I find this difficult to accept in the absence of a record to that effect, because what was happening to the defendant was that he was, by virtue of the state making an unauthorized affidavit for a second change of judge, about to be deprived of a judge who had indicated he was *179going to rule on an important evidence question in defendant’s favor, a ruling which probably would have meant the state would fail to convict defendant.
All the record shows on what occurred before Judge Crandall as to objection by defendant is the prosecutor’s statement at the hearing on the motion for new trial that “[I]t is my recollection, discussion arose and I stand corrected if I’m wrong, but Mr. Schwartz did not make an objection to Crandall’s disqualification at that time.” This is a rather equivocal statement.
Unfortunately, at that point in the hearing on the motion for new trial the court said, “Let’s go off the record” and when the court returns to the record, the next statement made is merely that the motion for new trial has been presented and argued. I do not believe it can be said on this record that Judge Crandall’s disqualification was made on his own initiative. On the contrary, it is quite clear that the state, contrary to rule 30.12, sought and obtained two disqualifications of judge in the same case. It is by no means clear, however, whether or not. defendant stood by in silence and acquiesced, as the state now contends. As said, it is hard to believe defendant would acquiesce in the state’s obtaining an unwarranted second change of judge where the second judge was going to rule an important evidence question in defendant’s favor. I would remand this case for an evidentiary hearing on the point with findings of fact to be made by the trial court and the cause then returned to this court before we decide the issues and permit the state baldly and unblushingly to violate rule 30.12.