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DEFENDANT DID NOT WAIVE HIS RIGHT TO BE PRESENT AT A SIDEBAR DISCUSSION WITH A PROSPECTIVE JUROR; UPON RETRIAL AN ADULT WITNESS SHOULD NOT TESTIFY WHILE ACCOMPANIED BY A THERAPY DOG (FOURTH DEPT).

The Fourth Department, reversing defendant’s conviction, determined defendant did not waive his right to be present when a prospective juror told the judge and attorneys that she was not sure she had completely answered a voir dire question. Defendant was not in the courtroom when the judge asked defense counsel if he wanted his client present and defense counsel said he was “okay with it.” The juror then said that her son was a convicted felon. The Fourth Department also held that upon retrial an adult witness should not be allowed to testify accompanied by a therapy dog:

Initially, we conclude that the situation at issue here constituted a material stage of trial inasmuch as the prospective juror volunteered information about her son’s status as a convicted felon. This information was relevant to a question asked earlier during voir dire: “Have any of you or anyone close to you been a victim of a crime, a witness to a crime, been accused of a crime, or participated in any way in a criminal proceeding?” That question was intended to be relevant to, inter alia, potential bias … . …

We further conclude that, under the circumstances of this case, defendant did not waive his right to be present. It is well established that a defendant has the right to be present at every material stage of a trial, including matters such as questioning prospective jurors regarding bias … . “It is equally clear, however, that such right may be voluntarily waived by a defendant or the defendant’s attorney’ ” and that “a defendant’s waiver in this regard may be either express or implied” … . Here, without defendant being physically present in the courtroom, and with counsel simply stating to the court, “I’m okay with [his absence],” we perceive no basis to conclude that there was either an implicit or explicit waiver. Defendant’s absence from the courtroom when the prospective juror raised the issue of potential bias made it impossible for him to knowingly and voluntarily waive his right to be present … . People v Geddis, 2019 NY Slip Op 04819, Fourth Dept 6-14-19

 

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