Court Opinion

ID: 9680151
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-24 07:21:56.97308+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:17:26.102600
License: Public Domain

Carleton Harris, Chief Justice, dissenting. I disagree with the reversal in this case. The appellant invoked the provisions of Ark. Stat. Ann. § 43-2021 (Repl. 1964) to exclude from the courtroom any witnesses, not at the time under examination, in order that they would not hear the testimony of other witnesses. Upon such a request being made by a defendant, the aforementioned statute provides that the judge shall exclude such witnesses. The court questioned Guilton about how long he had been in the courtroom, and the witnesses that he had heard testify. Guilton replied that he had heard the appellant testify. The exclusion of witnesses was, as stated, requested by appellant himself, and I.certainly can find no abuse of the trial court’s discretion in the ruling made. Not only that, but no proffer of the testimony of Guilton was made until after the giving of instructions to the jury, the conclusion of argument by respective counsel, and the retirement of the jury to the jury room. At that time, the proffer was made. This came too late, in my opinion. I would affirm.