United States v. Beaty
United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit
722 F.2d 1090 (1983)
Relevant factsFree
At Beaty and Ballouz's (defendants') joint drug-smuggling trial, the judge questioned a government witness to rehabilitate her testimony at a sensitive moment and repeatedly rebuked defense counsel within the jury's hearing (affecting Beaty), while separately conducting extended hostile questioning specifically targeting Ballouz's key defense witness in a manner seemingly designed to attack her credibility (affecting Ballouz); both were convicted and appealed, claiming the judge's conduct prejudiced their trials.
IssueFree
Whether a judge's conduct in a criminal trial may lead the jury to conclude that the judge believes the defendant to be guilty.