Court Opinion

ID: 9585648
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-21 23:02:33.094247+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T17:21:47.763269
License: Public Domain

Chief Justice BRANCH concurring in result.
I am of the opinion that the crucial questions determinative of this appeal are (1) whether the trial court erred in allowing testimony of a photographic lineup in which the child’s photograph was displayed and (2) whether the trial court erred in denying the child’s motion for nonsuit. I agree with the holding of the majority on both of these questions. However, the majority of the twenty-seven page opinion is devoted to a discussion of statutes which do not become effective until 1 January 1980. All such discussion is, of course, dictum. I do not believe that this Court should adopt a policy of considering matters which are not properly before it. Admittedly, the content of the majority opinion is a learned and complete consideration of matter which might properly come before us at some future date. However, I do not believe that it is the function of this Court to anticipate questions of law and to deliver, in effect, advisory opinions which cannot have the force of precedent.
Justices COPELAND and EXUM join in this concurring opinion.