Court Opinion

ID: 9844702
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-09-24 03:06:57.871595+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T09:15:40.313714
License: Public Domain

MR. JUSTICE FREEBOURN:
(specially concurring).
I concur in what MR. JUSTICE ANDERSON has said, and believe defendant entitled to a trial by jury for the further reason that Article III, sec. 23, of our state Constitution, provides: “The right of trial by jury shall be secured to all, and remain inviolate, but in all civil cases and in all criminal cases *377not amounting to felony, upon default of appearance, or by consent of the parties expressed in such manner as the law may prescribe, a trial by jury may be waived * *
“Inviolate” means unimpaired and is synonymous with “sacred.” Merriam-Webster’s New International Dictionary, 2nd Edition.
Being guaranteed the right to a trial by jury, there is no sound reason, since the state gives up nothing, why a defendant charged with a felony should be denied the “sacred” right to a trial by jury, where after plea of guilty but before the commencement of his sentence he demands such right.
To my mind, the defendant has such constitutional right to such trial by jury, where charged with a felony, and the trial judge has no discretion in the matter, but must grant such demand when made.
MR. JUSTICE BOTTOMLY, concurs with the special concurring opinion of MR. JUSTICE FREEBOURN.