State v. Wright

• Decision Date: 05 November 1975
• Docket Number: No. 11855,11855
• Citation: 542 P.2d 63,97 Idaho 229
• Parties: STATE of Idaho, Plaintiff-Respondent, v. Willie WRIGHT, Defendant-Appellant.
• Court: Idaho Supreme Court

Page 63

542 P.2d 63

97 Idaho 229

STATE of Idaho, Plaintiff-Respondent, v. Willie WRIGHT, Defendant-Appellant.

No. 11855.

Supreme Court of Idaho.

Nov. 5, 1975.

Peter D. McDermott, Pocatello, for defendant-appellant.

Wayne L. Kidwell, Atty. Gen., Lynn E. Thomas, Deputy Atty. Gen., Boise, for plaintiff-respondent.

SHEPARD, Justice.

This is an appeal from a conviction of robbery after trial and a jury verdict of guilty. The questions presented involve the failure of the court reporter to record the closing argument of counsel and the testimony of the arresting officer that the appellant refused to divulge his name at the time of his arrest. While we find error in the failure to record all proceedings, appellant has not demonstrated any prejudice resulting therefrom. We affirm.

Appellant Willie Wright asserts that prejudicial error is found in the testimony of the arresting officer that at the time of his arrest appellant refused to divulge his name and requested an attorney (albeit said testimony came in without objection); that such testimony 'was again emphasized' to the jury during the prosecuting attorney's closing argument (again absent any objection); and because the closing argument of counsel was not recorded.

According to her testimony, one Christine Cordova was serving as a clerk in a '7-11' convenience store in Pocatello, Idaho on the afternoon of April 13, 1974. She observed a Negro male of medium height and build, clad in a dark blue sweater, dark blue trousers and a light purple or lilac shirt, enter and remain in the store for approximately one hour during which he inspected and handled many of the items in the store. During that time, in accordance with management direction, she had counted the money in the cash register totalling $94.00 or $95.00. The above described individual finally brought certain items to the checkout counter. While Cordova was totalling and bagging these items, the above described individual threatened her with a knife and removed all paper money from the cash register. After instructing the clerk not to call the police, he fled with a bag containing the money and the specific items.' Three minutes later Cordova called the police and gave the above description of the robber. Within a few minutes Police Officer Rossiter sighted the appellant, who identically matched the description furnished by Cordova, some five or six blocks distant from the store. Rossiter testified that he halted the appellant, placed him under arrest, read appellant his Miranda rights and asked appellant his name. Appellant refused to identify himself and requested an attorney. Cordova was immediately brought to the scene of the arrest where she made a positive identification of the appellant. A search of appellant's pockets turned up the sum of $94.00 in paper money in the same denominations as that taken from the store.

Appellant contends that the failure of the district court to require the court reporter to record closing arguments of counsel was error and contrary to the requirement of I.C. § 1-1103. We agree. I.C. § 1-1103 provides:

'The said reporter shall correctly report all oral proceedings had in said court and the testimony taken in all cases tried before said court, but the parties may, with the consent of the judge, waive the recording by such reporter of any part of the proceeding or testimony. '

In Ebersole v. State, 91 Idaho 630, 428 P.2d 947 (1967) extensive consideration was given to the mandatory provisions of the statute. There, error was found in the failure of the district court to record the arraignment of an accused. That holding was reaffirmed one year later in Martinez v. State, 92 Idaho 148, 438 P.2d 893 (1968) and extended to cover the recording of closing argument in Annau v. Schutte, 96 Idaho 704, 535 P.2d 1095 (1975). The requirement of I.C. § 1-1103 is equally mandatory in the instant case.

Respondent suggests that the waiver provisions of I.C. § 1-1103 are applicable here since appellant failed to object to the local practice of not recording final argument. The statute places no obligation on a party to request recording. Only where the record clearly demonstrates counsel's waiver of recording and the consent of the trial judge thereto may the mandatory requirements of I.C. § 1-1103 be deemed to have been waived.

The importance and significance of judicial records was established and emphasized by this Court in Ebersole. District courts, as courts of record, speak only through their records. Farmer v. Loofbourrow, 75 Idaho 88, 267 P.2d 113 (1954); Jackson v. Staste, 87 Idaho 267, 392 P.2d 695 (1964); Pacific Finance Corp. of Calif. v. LaMonte, 64 Idaho 438, 133 P.2d 921 (1943). See also Herren v. People, 147 Colo. 442, 363 P.2d 1044 (1961). We take judicial notice that in several jurisdictions local practice permits courts to avoid the mandate of I.C. § 1-1103. Local practice cannot be allowed to supersede the dictates of the statute. Ebersole v. State, 91 Idaho 630, 428 P.2d 947 (1967); Parrott v. United States, 314 F.2d 46 (10th Cir. 1963); Fowler v. United States, 310 F.2d 66 (5th Cir. 1962). The requirement of I.C. § 1-1103 is mandatory and may be effectuated by stenographic or mechanical recording but court minutes or summaries are insufficient.

Appellant here argues that the failure to record closing arguments has denied him the protections of the due process clauses of the constitutions of the United States and the State of Idaho, is prejudicial and resulted in lack of fundamental fairness reaching constitutional dimensions. We do not agree that the failure to record closing argument is per se a denial of due process. Error in the abstract does not necessarily rise to the level of constitutional dimensions unless and until a defendant properly presents specific prejudice resulting from such error.

As stated in Brown v. United States, 314 F.2d 293 (9th Cir. 1963):

'. . . we would think failure to record counsel's summation, without more, though error 'is an error which is neither jurisdictional nor constitutional. It is not a fundamental defect which inherently results in a complete miscarriage of justice, nor an omission inconsistent with the rudimentary demands of fair procedure. " (Quoting Hill v. United States 368 U.S. 424, 82 S.Ct. 468, 7 L.Ed.2d 417 (1962).)

Here, appellant contends prejudicial error was committed in references to Wright's refusal to give his name at the time of arrest and his request for an attorney. Those references were contained in Officer Rossiter's testimony in which he described the circumstances surrounding apprehension and arrest of appellant. No objection was taken thereto. It is a long established principle of this Court that, with limited exception, error at trial must be the subject of proper objection to merit review upon appeal. Annau v. Schutte, 96 Idaho 704, 535 P.2d 1095 (1975); State v. Thomas, 94 Idaho 430, 489 P.2d 1310 (1971); State v. Stevens, 93 Idaho 48, 454 P.2d 945 (1969); State v. Aims, 80 Idaho 146, 326 P.2d 998 (1958); and earlier cases cited therein. See alsi, Johnson v. United States, 361 F.2d 447 (9th Cir. 1966); cert. denied, 385 U.S. 976, 87 S.Ct. 516, 17 L.Ed.2d 439. We have recognized an exception to that principle in State v. Haggard, 94 Idaho 249, 486 P.2d 260 (1971) in a situation involving 'fundamental error.' We do not agree that the instant case falls within that exception. In all of the cases cited by appellant prosecution comments were in regard to the failure of the defendant to testify in his own behalf or his failure to make exculpatory statements prior to the time of trial. Haggard dealt with cross-examination of a defendant without objection regarding the defendant's failure to present alibi testimony. See also, Griffin v. California, 380 U.S. 609, 85 S.Ct. 1229, 14 L.Ed.2d 106 (1965); Malloy v. Hogan, 378 U.S. 1, 84 S.Ct. 1489, 12 L.Ed.2d 653 (1964); Miranda v. Arizona, 384 U.S. 436, 86 S.Ct. 1602, 16 L.Ed.2d 694 (1966); Chapman v. California, 386 U.S. 18, 87 S.Ct. 824, 17 L.Ed.2d 705 (1967).

In the instant case no reference was made to appellant's silence at trial nor his failure to provide an exculpatory explanation at the time of his arrest. Officer Rossiter in his testimony explained the circumstances surrounding appellant's apprehension and arrest and read to the jury the same warnings that he had read to the appellant and added that the defendant refused to identify himself and sought the advice of counsel. We hold that in the context of that testimony a jury could not reasonably draw an inference of guilt. The admission of such testimony does not present fundamental error. Fagundes v. United States, 340 F.2d 673 (1st Cir. 1965).

Even assuming that the error alleged of non-reporting is of constitutional dimensions there is no showing of resulting prejudice. Not all constitutional error is harmful or prejudicial. Chapman v. California, supra. Although the U. S. Supreme Court has held that the Fifth Amendment precludes comment or argument concerning a defendant's silence in a criminal trial, Stewart v. United States, 366 U.S. 1, 81 S.Ct. 941, 6 L.Ed.2d 84 (1961); Griffin v. California, supra; and Chapman v. California, supra, that rule is interpreted in the light of reason:

'. . . the test is whether the language used was manifestly intended or was of such character that the jury would naturally and necessarily take it to be a comment on the failure of the accused to testify.' Knowles v. United States, 224 F.2d 168 (10th Cir. 1955). See also United States v. Fay, 349 F.2d 957 (2nd Cir. 1965); United States v. Wright, 309 F.2d 735 (7th Cir. 1962).

This Court has held the test must be satisfied by an appellant carrying the initial burden of showing prejudice. State v. Polson, 92 Idaho 615, 448 P.2d 229 (1968); State v. Peterson, 87 Idaho 147, 391 P.2d 846 (1964); State v. Marks, 45 Idaho 92, 260 P. 697 (1927).

Although the U. S. Supreme Court in Chapman, and ...