Court Opinion

ID: 9599919
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-22 01:22:19.400528+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:01:47.601790
License: Public Domain

*328Justice MARTIN
dissenting in part.
I concur in the majority opinion except for its holding that the trial judge committed prejudicial error by refusing to allow both of defendant’s counsel to make final arguments. The ruling was erroneous, but defendant has failed to demonstrate prejudice. N.C.G.S. § 15A-1443(a) (1983).
The majority holds this “deprived the defendant of a substantial right and amounted to prejudicial error” citing State v. Eury, 317 N.C. 511, 346 S.E. 2d 447 (1986), a companion case to the instant appeal. In Eury, this Court ,did not hold that the trial judge’s refusal to allow both counsel to make final arguments was prejudicial error per se. The Court only found it to be error and then applied a harmless error analysis, after which the Court determined that the error was prejudicial. Eury, 317 N.C. at 517, 346 S.E. 2d at 450.
Here, in Simpson’s appeal, the majority has failed to make a harmless error analysis. For the reasons set forth here and in my dissenting opinion in Eury, 317 N.C. 511, 346 S.E. 2d 447, I respectfully dissent.
Justice Meyer joins in this dissenting opinion.