J. F. v. State

WARNER, Judge.

Appellant claims that he was denied a fair trial when the trial court became an active *252participant in his juvenile trial by requesting additional evidence and continuing the proceedings on its own motion to receive it. We agree that the trial judge impermissibly injected himself into the proceedings and reverse.

Appellant was charged with grand theft of an automobile and his case proceeded to an adjudicatory hearing. On cross-examination, appellant’s attorney asked one of the state’s witnesses, an investigating officer, if he had obtained any fingerprints off of the stolen…