People v. Parris

OPINION OF THE COURT

R.S. Smith, J.

In both of these cases, the reporter’s minutes of some proceedings were lost, and so never transcribed. Each defendant asks us to reverse his conviction on that ground. Each also asks that, if we do not grant reversal, we order a reconstruction hearing at which the events of the untranscribed proceedings would be recreated, as far as possible, from the memories of the participants and any surviving records.

We have previously held that a loss of reporter’s minutes is rarely sufficient reason in itself for reversing a conviction, and we reject that remedy in…