Court Opinion

ID: 9530934
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-07 04:05:21.214505+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T13:28:17.826108
License: Public Domain

DeBRULER, Justice,
concurring and dissenting.
In this case we are called upon to review the trial judge’s determination that appellant failed to exercise his right to challenge the systematic exclusion of black persons from the jury that tried him at trial and on his first motion to correct errors, and thereby waived that right. Indiana Code § 33-4-5.5-16 required appellant to object to the jury selection process prior to trial in a motion to dismiss. This was not done. At his post-conviction hearing the State relied upon the defense of waiver and therefore in light of the clear record showing the failure to object, appellant at the very minimum at that point should have been granted an opportunity to present evidence to show that he had not affirmatively waived the right to challenge the composition of the jury by failing to object. Dull v. State, (1978) Ind., 372 N.E.2d 171. The trial court erroneously refused to permit appellant to present evidence on the waiver issue. Appellant then made an offer to prove that he and his trial counsel would testify that prior to and during trial appellant, a Negro, drew his counsel’s attention to the racial imbalance in the group of prospective jurors and continued to do so during trial and that his repetitious complaints on the subject created a serious conflict with his counsel that resulted in his counsel’s request during trial to withdraw from the case. Consequently I would affirm the trial court on parts II, III, *229IV and V, and reverse on part I and remand for a waiver hearing.