Court Opinion

ID: 9727390
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-26 13:33:27.951985+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:25:36.894109
License: Public Domain

JUSTICE MAAG, *  specially concurring: I concur in both the reasoning of the main opinion and the result. I write separately, however, to emphasize that counsel should remember that cases are tried in the courtroom, not the pressroom. The job of the media is to gather and report the news. The job of the attorneys is to try their case and represent their clients within the bounds of the law. In this case, the prosecutor, Mr. Weber, chose to give an interview to the press in midtrial and characterize Dr. Case’s testimony as a “surprise.” The motive for giving this interview escapes me. The result was an issue on appeal that should have never been an issue. While I find no fault with the press reporting the interview, I believe that in the future counsel should more carefully consider their remarks and the wisdom of characterizing their own trial ability and strategy in such a self-congratulatory manner.   Justice H. Lewis participated in oral argument. Justice Maag was later substituted on the panel and has read the briefs and listened to the audiotape of oral argument.