Court Opinion

ID: 9676095
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-24 05:14:46.776879+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T12:14:08.432984
License: Public Domain

Tom Glaze, Justice, dissenting. As is becoming much too commonplace, this court again overrules another of its precedents — Maddox v. State, 283 Ark. 321, 675 S.W.2d 832 (1984). In overruling Maddox, the majority court reverses and remands this case for another proceeding which is clearly a total waste of everyone’s time. The situation in Maddox is identical to the one here — the trial court ruled that the defendant’s former trial counsel, who was alleged to have been ineffective, could remain in the courtroom during the Rule 37 proceeding. Like the case at hand, the defendant appealed, arguing the trial court committed prejudicial error. The Maddox court disagreed and gave the following reasoning: We next discuss the error by the court in allowing the trial counsel to remain in the courtroom during the Rule 37 proceedings. In an ineffective assistance claim the trial attorney does not become a party to the action. He should have been excluded from the courtroom during the testimony pursuant to the Rule 37 petition. We specifically ruled upon this issue as early as the case of Chambers v. State, 264 Ark. 279, 571 S.W.2d 79 (1978). We have generally held that such illegal procedure goes only to the credibility of the witness. Allen v. State, 277 Ark. 380, 641 S.W.2d 710 (1982). Although it was clearly erroneous for the court to fail to exclude the trial counsel from the hearing the matter was heard before the court without a jury. As a practical matter a retrial would be a useless gesture in this case. Therefore, we hold that under the particular circumstances of this case the error was not prejudicial. Like in Maddox, King can show no prejudice, even if it was trial court error under A.R.E. Rule 615 to allow his former defense counsel to remain present during the Rule 37 proceeding. Here, as is generally true in these matters, the trial judge conducting the Rule 37 proceeding is the same judge who had presided over the defendant’s earlier trial. King v. State, 314 Ark. 205, 862 S.W.2d 22 (1993). That judge, David Burnett, was well aware at King’s trial that King had a change in attorneys and King wanted a continuance which was denied. Judge Burnett knew King had changed the nature of his defense shortly before trial, and requested a subpoena for an additional witness. The judge stated that, although defense counsel had known of that new witness’s identity for some time, the judge still issued the subpoena. At trial, King also complained, unsuccessfully, concerning an absent witness. Common sense tells me that Judge Burnett had sufficient background knowledge of King, his former trial counsel and the various trial strategies offered by both to permit him to hear and decide King’s Rule 37 petition, irrespective of King’s former counsel’s presence during the hearing. Nonetheless, this court is sending this case back to the judge so he can hear and decide this matter yet again. Forgive me if I predict Judge Burnett’s decision will be the same. Even so, I am sure new counsel, defenses and strategies will be offered, and this court will get another appeal. If this court followed its precedent in Maddox and the rationale therein, it would affirm this case in this appeal. Here, the majority court should be reminded of a fundamental rule that, where a principle of law has become settled by prior decisions, it is binding on the courts and should be followed in similar cases. This rule is referred to as stare decisis. If precedent is erroneous or is no longer valid, I would not hesitate to overrule it. That is not the case here. For the foregoing reasons, I respectfully dissent.