State v. Palmieri

46 N.E.2d 318, 28 Ohio Law. Abs. 398, 13 Ohio Op. 517, 1938 Ohio Misc. LEXIS 904
CourtOhio Court of Appeals
DecidedDecember 2, 1938
StatusPublished
Cited by10 cases

This text of 46 N.E.2d 318 (State v. Palmieri) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Ohio Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State v. Palmieri, 46 N.E.2d 318, 28 Ohio Law. Abs. 398, 13 Ohio Op. 517, 1938 Ohio Misc. LEXIS 904 (Ohio Ct. App. 1938).

Opinion

OPINION

By NICHOLS, PJ.

Amatio _ Palmieri, the appellant herein, was indicted by the grand jury of Jefferson county, Ohio, for the crime of maliciously shooting with intent to kill William Whelan on May 28, 1937. The appellant being arraigned upon this indictment entered a plea, in writing endorsed thereon and signed by him, of “not guilty by reason of temporary insanity.”

On November 10, 1937 the trial of the cause was commenced and a jury was duly impanelled and sworn. After the impanel-ling and swearing of the jury the prose-: cuting attorney moved the court- for a-view of the premises where the alleged crime was committed, which motion was sustained by the trial court and the jury taken to make a view of the place where the alleged offense occurred.

Upon completion of the view the jury returned to the court room and the prosecuting attorney proceeded with his opening statement to l.he jury on behalf of the state of Ohio, after which Mr. Chestosky, of counsel for defendant, proceeded to make his opening statement of the case to the jury and therein made the following declaration:

“* * * and so, with that thought in mind, let us now proceed to the considera[399]*399tion of what we say shall be submitted to you by the defense and show and satisfy you that the defendant should not by your verdict be found guilty and sent to the penitentiary, but should be found not guiliy by reason of insanity and committed to an institution such as the court might direct.”

The prosecuting attorney objected to the remarks of counsel for the defendant and moved that a juror be withdrawn, which motion, after being' taken under advisement and upon due consideration, was sustained py the trial court; and the court declared a mistrial of the case, discharged the jur^ and ordered the defendant to reappear for trial before a new jury, upon the same indictment, on November 15, 1937, to which rulings of the trial court the defendant excepted at the time*

Subsequently the trial court caused to be entered upon the journal of the court, as of November 10, 1937, an entry reciting the foregoing proceedings and further setting forth the following:

“Said statement” (of counsel for defendant) “was not withdrawn or in any manner excused by defendant’s attorney and was made to the jury by me attorney representing the defendant before any evidence was presented in the trial of said cause.
“In discharging a jury in a criminal case the last sentence in §§13443-18, GC of the state of Ohio, provides as follows:
“ ‘The reason for such discharge shall be entered on the journal.’
“Complying with the mandate of the statute, this court believed, from what was said and the manner in which it was said, that said statement, was of such gravity that the court could not cure the prejudice created in the minds of the jurors by said improper statement of defense counsel by a proper admonition or charge to the jury for the following reasons:
“1. The statement of defense counsel above referred to is a violation of §13443-8, GC, paragraph 2, which provides as.follows: “ ‘The defendant, or his counsel must then state his defense and may briefly state the evidence which he expects to offer in support of it.’
“The court is of the opinion that the statement made by defense counsel in opening statement was improper and prejudicial under the provisions of this section of the General Code.
“2. The matter of punishment of the defendant upon the verdict of thé jury is a matter strictly within the province of the court and not for^the jury, as provided in §13443-9, GC, which provides as follows:
“‘The court must state to the jury that in .determining- the question of guilt it must not consider the punishment, but that punishment rests with the judge.’
“The declaration made by defense counsel. in his opening statement concerning punishment and penalty, therefore, is, in the judgment of the court, improper and prejudicial.
“3. Defendant in open court entered a plea of ‘not guilty by reason of temporary insanity.’
“Counsel for the defendant during their voir dire examinations also stated to the jury that the defendant would not deny that he shot the prosecuting witness, and it is- the opinion of the court that the improper declaration made by defendant’s counsel thereafter in opening statement was made for the sole purpose of laying the foundation to influence the jury as to the matter of punishment and penalty by indicating that the defendant would be punished either by a verdict of guilty or by a verdict of not guilty by reason of temporary insanity, in that if the latter verdict was returned by the jury the defendant would still be confined to an institution, when, as a matter of fact, such an improper statement by counsel is misleading, and by virtue of his plea of temporary insanity, untrue, and defendant would, if able to show his present sanity, be subject to release; and it is the unquestioned opinion of this court that said improper statement, in view of the. plea of not guilty by reason of temporary insanity, entered in this case, constitutes said remarks as extremely prejudicial; and that the same constitutes such a fraud, or, if unintentionally done, such an accident, within the meaning of §13443-18, GC, that it is the unquestioned duty of this court, in order to insure substantial justice, and as a necessity in order to effect a fair trial, to withdraw a juror, declare a mistrial and continue said cause, within the meaning of §13443-18, GC, which provides that the court may discharge the jury without prejudice to the; prosecution for the corruption of a juror or other accident or calamity. ■
“4. That if a verdict of ‘not guilty by reason of insanity’ be returned by the jury, no appeal can - be made by the state of Ohio and thus cure this prejudicial error.
“5. It is the further opinion of this court that substantial justice can not be had by the state of Ohio according to the circumstance's in this case, should the trial [400]*400be allowed to proceed and any verdict returned by this jury; and that there is an absolute necessity for the discharge of said jury in the interests of public justice.
“It is the further opinion of this court that defendant committed said error by reason of the misconduct and prejudicial statement of defendant’s counsel, and that the defendant thereby, having nothing further to say to the court, impliedly consents to this disposition by the court of the motion of the prosecuting attorney.
“This court therefore believes from the statement that was said and the manner in which said statement was made to the jury, that this court could not cure said misconduct and wrongful statement by proper instructions, and this court believes that the effect of the weight of said misconduct and wrongful statement and its resultant effect upon the minds of said jurors is a matter within the sound discretion of the trial court. This court, from the reasons above stated and the examination of the indictment itself, believes that said statement was unquestionably prejudicial and that a mistrial should be declared.

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Bluebook (online)
46 N.E.2d 318, 28 Ohio Law. Abs. 398, 13 Ohio Op. 517, 1938 Ohio Misc. LEXIS 904, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-palmieri-ohioctapp-1938.