Court Opinion

ID: 9717741
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-26 07:09:43.995644+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:23:55.045928
License: Public Domain

JUSTICE STOUDER, dissenting: I respectfully disagree with my colleagues. In my opinion the defendant was deprived of a fair trial by the prosecution’s representation during opening statement about what a witness would testify to when the witness did not thereafter testify. As observed in People v. Rogers (1976), 42 Ill. App. 3d 499, 502-03, 356 N.E.2d 413, “*** the prosecutor cannot comment during his opening statement upon what testimony will be introduced at trial and then fail to produce such testimony. Such arguments and comments effectively assert the prosecutor’s own unsworn testimony in lieu of competent evidence.” This rule often refers to the representation having been made with knowledge the testimony will not be produced or, in other words, is made in bad faith. The reference to knowledge or bad faith reflects the situation as it is at the time of the opening statement. No evidence has been presented, and the defendant is in no position to object as he may if the statement were made during final argument that it is not based on the evidence or is a misrepresentation of the evidence. Even though the presence of good faith or bad faith is not a factor which should determine whether the defendant has been deprived of a fair trial, the cases sometimes tend to suggest a good-faith representation renders the error harmless and that a representation made in bad faith is less likely to be harmless error. In People v. Platter (1980), 89 Ill. App. 3d 803, 412 N.E.2d 181, and the cases cited in it, the ambivalence of courts in treating good and bad faith representations is demonstrated. After having denied the defendant’s motion in limine to exclude a doctor’s testimony concerning the condition of the child on some prior occasion, the prosecutor in Platter (a child-abuse prosecution) represented during his opening statement that the doctor would so testify. When the testimony was offered during the trial the court decided the testimony was too remote in time and ruled it should not be admitted. Clearly the prosecution represented the doctor’s testimony in good faith, and the only reason the testimony was not presented was because of an adverse ruling of the trial court. In holding that reversible error was not committed the court emphasized the good faith of the prosecution, an emphasis which is understandable but misleading. The implication of the court’s reasoning is that if the prosecution knew the doctor would not testify a contrary result might have ensued. It seems to me that cases such as Platter and People v. Butler (1973), 12 Ill. App. 3d 541, 298 N.E.2d 798, relied upon by the majority, by references to good or bad faith fail to apply the usual and customary standard in determining whether an error is harmless or not. By not applying the usual harmless-error standard the effect of the error is glossed over. As- applied to this type of error, it seems to me that if the representation has some significant probative value concerning a contested material issue in the case it should be regarded as harmless error only if beyond a reasonable doubt it might not have contributed to the verdict of the jury. Before proceeding further, I think it well to suggest how I believe the good or bad faith of the prosecution should be taken into account. Where the prosecutor has represented during his opening statement that testimony will be presented which is not, then I believe it is his burden to show the- failure to produce such testimony was a good-faith omission. If the failure to present the testimony was not made in good faith, then I believe the prosecutor also has the burden of showing the failure did not deprive the defendant of a fair trial. Contrary-wise, if the omission was in good faith, then it should be the defendant’s burden to establish that the omission did result in unfairness. In most cases these distinctions will make little difference, but at a minimum they should place the burden where it belongs. It would also underscore the nature of the representation itself. The harmful effects of such representation ought not to be excused or ignored merely because made in good faith, nor should the prosecution be penalized merely because of its bad faith. I have- dealt at some length with the issue of good or bad faith because both the majority opinion and People v. Butler (1973), 12 Ill. App. 3d 541, 298 N.E.2d 798, the principal case relied on, in finding no reversible error do so by depending substantially on a holding the representation was made in good faith. As I have already said,, I do not see how the good-faith characterization of the representation can affect the nature and effect of the representation on the fairness of the trial. In my opinion, the representations were not made in good faith and in any event might have contributed to the verdict of the jury, thereby rendering the error harmful rather than harmless. During his opening statement the prosecution informed the jury that Bob Ring would “testify that he saw a person walking away from Lavin after Lavin doubled up and he will describe that person to you and his description will match that of the Defendant, Mr. Lamp-ton. However, he will also tell you, I believe, he could not see the face of the person and he could not say it is Lampton or it isn’t Lampton.” Prior to trial, Bob Ring was placed on the State’s list of witnesses. Thereafter, the prosecution served a grand jury subpoena on Ring. At a pretrial hearing to quash this subpoena, the assistant State’s Attorney asserted that Ring had been subpoenaed because the State believed that he “knew more than what [he] told the police” and perhaps was involved in obstruction of justice. Later, during the trial, in discussing whether certain stipulations would be entered, the prosecutor stated that there were “certain reasons” that he was not going to call Ring as a wdtness; that Ring had “made several inconsistent statements” and the prosecutor did not know what Ring would testify to if called as a witness. Contrary to the holding of the majority, the record discloses a classic case of bad faith. When the record shows, and the majority concedes, the witness was not called because the prosecution did not know what he would testify to and because he had made inconsistent statements, I find no support for any conclusion the representation was made in good faith. This brings me to the representation itself and its potential effect. Could , it have contributed to the verdict of the jury? I think in this case the answer must be “yes.” This is a case of the identification of the defendant as the offender by a single witness, the victim. As correctly stated by the majority such identification is sufficient even if contradicted by the defendant to support a conviction. However, the credibility of the victim’s testimony is a substantially disputed issue since he did not identify the defendant, although well knowm to him, for nearly five days after the incident had taken place and after earlier indicating he could not identify his assailant. Anything tending to corroborate the victim’s testimony might well have tipped the credibility balance in favor of the victim, and this was the natural effect of the representation of Ring’s testimony to come. The seed was planted early in the minds of the jurors that a third party had seen someone of the defendant’s description in the parking lot, and I do not see how any of the peripheral advice to disregard the thought or idea could obviate the harmful effect of the error. This is a perplexing problem for trial courts and courts of review. Where an error has occurred and has been recognized during the course of a trial, the nature of the error is in the final analysis the determination of whether its effect can be disregarded and ignored by appropriate instructions. In this case I think not. Were the credibility of the victim’s testimony not so subject to impeachment, maybe it might be otherwise. In summary, I believe the representation in the prosecution’s opening statement to the testimony which was thereafter not produced constituted reversible error and the defendant should be granted a new trial.