Court Opinion

ID: 9739017
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-26 20:07:18.333724+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T07:24:09.666156
License: Public Domain

Dissenting Opinion
Jackson, J.
I am unable to concur in the majority opinion and dissent thereto.
An examination of the record herein discloses a total lack of substantial evidence of probative value to sustain the verdict below.
The evidence relied on by the State is the uncorroborated testimony of a fourteen year old delinquent adduced by improper direct, leading and suggestive questions by the prosecuting attorney and denied by one of the State’s witnesses and by the defense witnesses.
The second reason that I am unable to concur in the majority opinion is occasioned by the failure of that opinion to recognize the abuse of discretion by the trial court in refusing to grant the several motions of the defendant to declare a mistrial on the report of the jury that they were unable to agree on a verdict.
The record discloses the trial of appellant resumed on September 20, 1967, at 9:30 a.m. The Jury retired to deliberate on the case at 2:00 o’clock p.m. on said date. At 8:50 p.m. on the same day the jury reported to the court that they were unable to agree upon a verdict. The appellant then moved the court for a mistrial, such motion was overruled and the jury retired for further deliberation.
At 11:10 p.m. on said date the jury again returned into open court and reported they were unable to agree upon a verdict and were again ordered to retire for further deliberation. Appellant again moved for a mistrial, which motion was again overruled.
Thereafter at 11:55 p.m. the jury again returned, this time with a verdict of guilty of sodomy as charged in the affidavit.
*435At that time the jury had been in the court room and the jury room for a total of fourteen hours and twenty-five minutes and, in the opinion of the writer, such verdict did not represent the true verdict of the jury and was a coerced verdict brought about by the abuse of discretion of the court in refusing to grant appellant’s motion for a mistrial.
The judgment of the trial court should be reversed and remanded with instructions to grant appellant’s motion for a new trial.
Note. — Reported in 261 N. E. 2d 68.