Court Opinion

ID: 9626185
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-22 08:04:46.687636+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:06:22.844271
License: Public Domain

THOMAS, Chief Justice,
specially concurring.
The constitutional provisions cited in the majority opinion and Rule 42, W.R.Cr.P., set forth a strong policy in favor of the right of an accused to be present at all stages of the trial. Concededly, that right may be waived by the voluntary absence of the accused. Here, even though one could argue that the appellant was voluntarily absent from his trial, the district court did not make any finding to that effect. Consequently, while I have some subjective feeling with respect to the impact of that absence upon the trial which is similar to that of the dissenting justice, I cannot identify any objective factors which would justify a conclusion of voluntary absence. I am satisfied that harmless error in a case such as this is foreclosed by the strong policy in favor of the right of the accused to be present.
I do offer a defense for proceeding as the trial court did in the face of the appellant’s absence. Indeed this was a close case, and if the jury had acquitted the appellant then I am sure there would have been no complaint about his absence. I believe that the district judge proceeded with that possibility in mind, and of course the case would have been over if an acquittal had resulted. When that prospect did not materialize, however, I am satisfied that the trial judge then should have recognized the error in proceeding in the absence of the appellant, and should have directed a new trial.
The case as presented to us then must result in a reversal and remand.