Court Opinion

ID: 9533814
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-07 04:34:45.690786+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T13:29:11.189347
License: Public Domain

JUSTICE THOMAS, specially concurring: I agree with the majority that the judgment of the trial court should be reversed because there was no evidence in the record supporting the trial court’s finding that the State destroyed the evidence before defendant filed his discovery motion. However, I would remand the cause for a hearing on the issue of when the evidence was destroyed. In ruling on defendant’s motion to dismiss, the trial court stated that, based upon its review of the stipulation entered into between the State and defendant, it could not determine how or when the evidence was destroyed. The trial court nonetheless concluded that the evidence was destroyed prior to the filing of defendant’s motion for discovery. Because the lengthy delay in this case was due to defendant’s flight, I would remand for a hearing to allow the State an opportunity to establish, if possible, when the evidence was destroyed.