Court Opinion

ID: 9851482
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-09-24 05:13:41.89252+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T09:20:58.449126
License: Public Domain

BUSSEY, Judge,
concurring in part/dissenting in part.
I agree that the death sentence must be set aside due to failure of the court reporter to transcribe voir dire proceedings after they had been recorded and properly requested in the designation of record.
However, I feel I must express differing views on three points. First, I would still require a defendant to request that a record of proceedings be made, regardless of whether the death penalty is sought. Second, even if this burden is shifted to the State, neither this case nor Kelly, cited by the majority, is an appropriate case to adopt such a rule. In Kelly, this Court unanimously held that the case should be reversed due to improper admission of hearsay testimony. Reversal was granted on the basis of error actually found in the record, rather that on the basis of some speculative error. Similarly, error is found in this case due to demonstrated failure of the reporter to transcribe proceedings after recording and designation. The destruction of those records has rendered proper appellate review impossible.
Finally, even if we use this case to shift the burden to the State, the consequences of the State’s failure must be limited to reversal of the death sentence only. If the *823burden is shifted, that shift should not exceed the scope of the statute which purportedly caused the shift. Error requiring reversal under that statute should not be extended to the question of guilt. Cases such as this one ought not be remanded for full trial, but only for resentencing.