Court Opinion

ID: 9534006
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-07 04:36:13.427497+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T13:29:18.442041
License: Public Domain

Williams, J.
I concur in the result. However, I *538believe Medcoff1 is correct on its facts. While Carroll2 reaches a different result from Medcoff, Carroll cannot be said to change the precedent of Medcoff, because there was no majority opinion in Carroll3 and it is therefore precedent only as to its facts, which are distinguishable from Medcoff.
In my opinion, the judge would have been in error if he had refused a request to permit the defendants to be present at the juror interrogation, because their rights might have been affected at an evidentiary proceeding and their presence could have in no way intimidated a juror as in discussing a threat to the juror by a partisan of the defendants.
However, in the instant case it would appear that the defendants were sitting with their counsel in court when the judge issued his invitation to the attorneys to join him in chambers for the interrogations. The defendants didn’t move to accompany their counsel nor object before or after the meeting. Their counsel did not act to bring them into chambers nor object after the meeting.
It is the non-assertion of the right by defendants and their counsel and the fact that there was no specific denial of that right by the judge, combined with the actual non-prejudicial character of the interrogation by the judge in the presence of all counsel that inclines me to agree with the majority result. It is my opinion, however, if asserted timely, the defendants had the right to be present at the interrogation.
Blair Moody, Jr., J., concurred with Williams, J.

 People v Medcoff, 344 Mich 108; 73 NW2d 537 (1955).

 People v Carroll, 396 Mich 408; 240 NW2d 722 (1976).

 In Carroll one opinion had three signatures, and there were two concurring and one dissenting opinions each with one signature. One justice took no part in the decision. The two concurring and one dissenting opinion each relied on Medcoffin some degree.