Court Opinion

ID: 9694715
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-25 17:52:41.911866+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:20:04.825172
License: Public Domain

SPAETH, Judge,
concurring:
As the respective opinions of Judge HESTER and Judge MONTGOMERY show, the issue in this case is whether defense counsel did or did not elicit Laura Tate’s response— which both judges agree was prejudicial. To resolve this issue, the testimony immediately preceding the objectionable response must be considered. It was as follows:
*195Q. And then it is your testimony that after you got all the girls downstairs, then a minute or two later Ben left the bathroom and he came down? He came downstairs then?
A. I wouldn’t recall, a minute or two. I—
Q. A short period of time?
A. Because I am not keeping up with all the times but things were still in progress, that’s for sure.
Q. And you and Ben walked together up to the neighbor’s house to get your husband?
A. Yes.
Q. And I believe Ben knocked on the door?
A. I went first, I knocked on the door.
Q. So am I correct in saying that you or your husband, John, never confronted Ben with this that night, did you?
A. No, no. You mean — no.
Q. When did you finally call the police?
A. I think the Sunday morning, called the detectives.
Q. You waited until the next morning. I believe it was about noon the next day until you call the police?
A. Detective, yes, um-hum. I told my husband, John, to call them.
Q. He didn’t do it?
A. Wouldn’t call, um-hum. I often wondered why, but I don’t know.
Q. Who did finally call the police?
A. Mrs. Matthews, the little blind girl’s mother, she is the one who helped me out to hire the detective.
Q. You knew where Ben lived, didn’t you? You knew he lived out in Bressler?
A. Yes, but I didn’t know he was here in the city. I didn’t know he was here. I didn’t know he was out of jail, really. I didn’t know he was here until I seen him in my house.
*196Appellant’s motion for a mistrial followed. After it was denied, the witness was dismissed without further questioning. It should also be noted that the last question was the only question concerning the witness’s knowledge of appellant’s address.
In these circumstances I concur in Judge HESTER’s opinion that defense counsel did not elicit the objectionable response. I also concur that the prejudice may not be considered harmless; the only witness to the crime was a 7 year old sister of the victim.