Court Opinion

ID: 9628584
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-22 09:25:19.585634+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T09:09:41.391093
License: Public Domain

CALLISTER, Justice
(dissenting).
I respectfully dissent. In my view the main opinion disrobes the Grand Jury of its historic cloak of secrecy1 and, in so doing, condemns it to ineffectiveness and eventual oblivion. All this without benefit of statute or precedent.
It is my observation that courts of late have a tendency to overemphasize the *363rights of an individual accused of a crime without due regard to the rights of the public. It is becoming increasingly more difficult to effectively administer our criminal laws and justly expose and punish those who have violated these laws.
In the instant case defense counsel requested access to the transcript of the Grand. Jury in order to aid him in preparing for trial. My research indicates that the courts throughout' the nation have consistently denied access to grand jury proceedings prior to trial to help the defendant prepare his case.2
Judge Learned Hand, in his inimitable style, had this to say :3
“Finally, the defendants, recognizing that it is difficult to make a case for quashal by the scraps of evidence accessible, move for inspection of the grand jury’s minutes. I am no more disposed to grant it than I was in 1909. United States v. Violon, C.C., 173 F. 501. It is said to lie in discretion, and perhaps it does, but no judge of this court has granted it, and I hope none ever will. Under our criminal procedure the accused has every advantage, While the prosecution is held rigidly to the charge, he need not disclose the barest outline of his defense. He is immune from question or comment on his silence; he cannot be convicted when there is the least fair doubt in the minds of any one of the twelve. Why in addition he should in advance have the whole evidence against him to pick over at his leisure, and make his defense, fairly or foully, I have never been able to see. No doubt grand juries err and indictments are calamities to honest men, but we must work with human beings and we can correct such errors only at too large a price. Our dangers do not lie in too little tenderness to the accused. Our procedure has been always haunted by the ghost of the innocent man convicted. It is an unreal dream. What we need to fear is the archaic formalism and the watery sentiment *364that obstmcts, delays, and defeats the prosecution of crime.” (Emphasis added.)
According to the main opinion, reasons for secrecy of grand jury proceedings are of “little or no validity,” or else disappear after the indictment and arrest of the accused. This argument does not persuade me and evidently did not impress Judge Hand. On this precise point the Supreme Court of New Jersey, Parker, J., had this to sa:4
“It is suggested that the ‘purpose of secrecy has been effected,’ and consequently the obligation has ceased from that time. I cannot agree that such purpose is fully effected when indictment is found. If at that juncture the grand jury proceedings are to be thrown wide open, the possible damage to the interests of the public by way of aiding the accused would be incalculable.”
The majority opinion cites State v. Harries 5 as authority for its position. I read and cite it for just the opposite result. In that case, as in the instant case, defense counsel prior to trial requested access to the transcript of testimony before the Grand Jury for possible use for impeachment purposes (i. e., to aid in the preparation of the trial). This request was denied by the trial judge, but later, after the witness had testified, allowed defense counsel use of the transcript for impeachment purposes. This court upheld the trial judge and, in its main opinion, made the following statements:
“ * * * has alWays been the policy of the law that the investigations and deliberations of a Grand Jury should be behind closed doors and that the results of its labors should not be disclosed. * * *
“The common law rules concerning secrecy were strict and inflexible but over the years a policy of liberation developed. By enacting Chapter 13, Laws of Utah 1947 (now 77-19-9 and 10, U.C.A.1953), supra, our legislature evidenced an intent to release some of the tightly bound rules of secrecy. However, we cannot go further than permitted by the provisions of this chapter for the reason that the authority to relax is with the legislature and not the courts. The quoted sections establish that the legislature only intended to lessen the tension of the common law rules to extent of making a transcript available to the defense for impeachment purposes. * * * Furthermore, the legislature could have very easily prescribed that a copy of the transcript be furnished the defendant, had it intended such to be the case. *365* * * If use of the transcript is limited to impeachment purposes, then defendant could not make a claim of contradictory stories until a witness who had appeared before the Grand Jury had testified in the trial of the cause. Until that time there could be no showing made that there were variances in the testimony of any witness on the two occasions. In the present action there was nothing disclosed to the trial judge prior to the time the trial commenced which would require him to exercise his discretion in favor of the defendant. * * * ” (Emphasis added.)
In recognizing, and citing with approval, the Harries case the majority has created a situation of confusion. Without any standards or guideposts the trial judges may grant or deny access to transcripts of grand jury proceedings to a defendant without abusing their discretion — regardless of the particular circumstances. Every defendant who pleads not guilty to an indictment must prepare his case. If one defendant is entitled to the transcript prior to trial, then in all fairness all defendants should receive the same consideration. The majority, to be consistent, should have so ruled.
The dilemma is further compounded by the presumably accepted proposition that a person charged with crime by information (by far the most customary procedure in this state) rather than by indictment is not afforded the opportunity to preview the prosecution’s evidence. To be consistent and fair, should not a defendant, charged by information, be entitled to access of the files of the prosecutor and law enforcement agencies — prior to trial ?
In an effort to retain some semblance of secrecy, the majority opinion provides for a “screening” of the transcript by the trial judge (instead of the district attorney).. This would necessitate the exercise of delicate, if not impossible, discretion by the trial judge. Just what portions of the Grand Jury proceedings should be made available to the defendant? Would not the defendant or his counsel, of necessity, have to read the entire transcript to determine whether or not the trial judge had arbitrarily withheld portions that were essential and material? When, upon appeal to this court by the convicted defendant (the state would not enjoy the same privilege), would we not have to read the entire transcript' to determine if it had been properly “screened” ? Of course, in appealing to this court the testimony of witnesses before the grand jury would be discussed in the briefs and oral arguments of counsel and in this court’s reported decision — all available to the public. Goodbye secrecy!
Is not this “screening” more “cumbersome and difficult” than the procedure followed by the trial judge in the Harries case?
*366The Harries case interprets our statutes to mean that a defendant upon good showing, may, at the discretion of the trial court use the transcript of a witness’ testimony before the Grand Jury for impeachment purposes after the witness has testified at the trial. I also construe our statutes to mean that the transcript may be made available at any time and to any person (our statutes use the term “person” and do not specifically refer to defendant) if a strong and positive showing should be made why the seal of secrecy should be broken. This should never be done except in extreme instances to prevent clear injustice or an abuse of judicial processes. This case does not qualify and therefore the alternative writ should be made permanent.

. The Section of Judicial Administration of the American Bar Association has prepared Federal and State Handbooks for Grand Juries in which the necessity for secrecy is emphasized. See Vol. 45, American Bar Association Journal, p. 800.

. State v. Harries, 118 Utah 260, 221 P.2d 605; In re Martin, 170 Misc. 919, 11 N.Y.S.2d 607; People v. McCarthy, 188 Misc. 132, 67 N.Y.S.2d 560; People v. McOmber, 206 Misc. 465, 133 N.Y.S.2d 407; State v. McDonald, 342 Mo. 998, 119 S.W.2d 286; Conway v. Quinn, Mo.App., 168 S.W.2d 445; Mo.R.S.A. § 13359; State v. Hayes, 127 Conn. 543, 18 A.2d 895; State v. Krause, 260 Wis. 313, 50 N.W.2d 439; Havenor v. State, 125 Wis. 444, 104 N.W. 116; Steensland v. Hoppmann, 213 Wis. 593, 252 N.W. 146; United States v. Rose, D.C., 113 F.Supp. 775; State v. Selby, Ohio Com.Pl., 126 N.E.2d 606, 607; 23 C.J.S. Criminal Law § 956; 14 Am.Jur.Criminal § 210, cf. United States v. Procter & Gamble Co., 356 U.S. 677, 78 S.Ct. 983, 2 L.Ed.2d 1077; Pittsburgh Plate Glass Co. v. United States, 360 U.S. 395, 79 S.Ct. 1237, 3 L.Ed.2d 1323. The foregoing citations are far from exhaustive.

. United States v. Garsson, D.C.S.D.N.Y.1923, 291 F. 646, 649.

. State v. Borg, 8 N.J.Misc. 349, 150 A. 189, 191.

. See footnote 2, supra.