Court Opinion

ID: 9588610
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-21 23:36:17.428645+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T09:43:34.190309
License: Public Domain

Hill, Justice,
concurring in the judgment.
*821According to the testimony, defendant was indicted for the murder of Robert Madaris and a witness list including the name of the victim’s brother, Dale Madaris, was furnished to the defense with the indictment. The first indictment was nol prossed and a subsequent indictment was returned. The witness list famished to the defense on the second indictment erroneously failed to include Dale Madaris’ name. As the witness began to testify, the defense objected on the basis of Code Ann. § 27-1403. The trial court suspended the witness until the state could provide the defense with any information it had regarding the witness and until the defense could interview the witness. The state noted that it had already famished the defense with a transcript of a statement the witness had made to the police.
The trial court recessed early on the first day, in order to give defense counsel ample time to interview the witness. Although the defense conceded that an early recess might suffice, the defense renewed the objection to having the witness testify at all. The court excused the jury at 4:30 p.m., at which time a hearing was held to determine what to do about the witness. The trial court indicated that he would order a continuance, stating to the defense, "Now if you think that you need a half day or a day or two days or a month or whatever time you think is necessary to properly prepare yourself knowing what this witness is expected to testify to and to give you an opportunity to subpoena any witnesses that you may need to counteract what you anticipate or what the state anticipates this witness is going to testify to, the court wants to make that time available to you.” The defense responded that it had "two preliminary matters” and the trial court recessed the hearing until 9 a.m. the next morning. The state offered to make the witness available to the defense that evening, but the defense failed to question him.
The next morning the defense asked for a ruling on the motion to disqualify the witness, and the trial court reiterated that he would grant a continuance or a mistrial, whichever the defense wanted, and sustained a defense objection to entering in evidence a copy of the prior indictment, nol prossed on a technicality. He did *822admonish the defense counsel for his continued objection to the witness testifying at all, feeling that because of the prior indictment the defense was not entirely surprised by the calling of the witness. The defense then moved for a continuance for at least a day to obtain possible criminal records of the witness. After the state offered to furnish the defense with an FBI report on the witness, containing a possibly impeachable offense in another county, the defense was not satisfied and the requested continuance was granted. The third day a mistrial was declared when it appeared to the court that the defense was still not willing to proceed.
Here, the trial court exercised sound discretion, keeping the rights of the defendant clearly in the forefront of his decision. The trial court considered alternative remedies and employed the use of a continuance as long as reasonably possible to give the defense time to adequately prepare. See Cherry v. Director, State Board of Corrections, 613 F2d 1262 (5th Cir. 1980). Because the facts indicate a patient attempt by the trial court to pursue other reasonable alternatives prior to granting a mistrial, I concur in the judgment.