Court Opinion

ID: 9684639
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-24 14:05:51.864893+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:17:58.259613
License: Public Domain

John A. Fogleman, Justice, dissenting. I dissent only from the remand of this case. As pointed out in the majority opinion, the state failed to file ¿ny response to appellant’s motion to dismiss. The state had an opportunity, by a response, to state the reason for the delay. Furthermore, the state did not offer one word of testimony or any oral explanation for this unusual lapse of time before charges were filed. Appellant’s guns were not masked. His position was clearly stated by his motion and by the stipulated evidence. If other questions had not been raised on appeal, this court would not have been justified in giving the state an opportunity to file a belated response or make a belated showing of good reasons for the delay in filing charges. There was nothing speculative or premature in appellant’s due process claim. The testimony of the unavailable witness was not cumulative, so prejudice was clearly established. Although I do not consider the dimmed memories of other witnesses controlling on the question, this condition was obvious. If the state had reasons, the prosecuting attorney must have been well aware of them. It is not reasonable to assume that the prosecuting attorney filed these charges after the prolonged delay, without being aware of the reason for delay. It is reasonable to believe that he would have presented them, if they justified the delay. Instead, the prosecuting attorney stood mute, except for the stipulation entered into. Not a word of testimony or a bit of evidence was introduced at the trial that was not available to the state at the time of appellant’s involuntary confession. Although I do not disagree with the majority opinion on the other points for reversal, I would never reach them, because I would reverse and dismiss on the ground that the trial court erred in denying appellant’s motion to dismiss because of the delay in filing charges. I am authorized to state that Mr. Justice George Rose Smith and Mr. Justice Byrd join in this opinion.