Case Title: Andrews v. State

Citation: 472 S.W.2d 86

Docket Number: 

State: arkansas

Court: Arkansas Supreme Court

Date: 1971-11-01T00:00:00Z

Document:
472 S.W.2d 86 (1971) Patrick L. ANDREWS, Appellant, v. STATE of Arkansas, Appellee. No. 5623. Supreme Court of Arkansas. November 1, 1971. A. A. Thomason, W. Byron Thomason, and Thomas A. Monroe, Magnolia, for appellant. Ray Thornton, Atty. Gen., Gene O'Daniel, Asst. Atty. Gen., Little Rock, for appellee. HARRIS, Chief Justice. Patrick L. Andrews, appellant herein, was charged by the prosecuting attorney of the Thirteenth Judicial Circuit with the crime of murder in the first degree. On trial, he was convicted of murder in the second degree and the jury fixed his punishment at 21 years in the Department of Correction. From the judgment so entered, appellant brings this appeal. For reversal, it is first argued that the court committed reversible error by explaining to the jury foreman the length of time that the defendant would be required to stay in the Arkansas Department of Correction under possible verdicts in the case, this occurring before the jury had reached a verdict as to the defendant's degree of guilt. It is also argued that the court committed reversible error by giving lengthy oral instructions to the jury foreman in the absence of the remaining members of the jury to such extent that such instructions could not be accurately related to the absent members of the *87 jury. We first discuss the second contention. The record reflects that after the jury had retired, the foreman returned to the courtroom and asked a question of the court. The transcript reflects the following: After a thorough study of the statute and our cases, we have come to the conclusion that the judgment should be reversed on this count, but in making this determination, we think it only fair to state that no *88 fault should be attached to the learned Circuit Judge because of the ruling rendered. Our cases are somewhat in conflict, and the distinctions drawn in instances where cases have been affirmed, and other cases reversed, are confusing and difficult to follow. For instance, in Wacaster v. State, 172 Ark. 983, 291 S.W. 85, the trial court answered a question propounded by the jury foreman in the hall outside the jury room, and away from the presence of defendant and his attorneys, the question relating to the likelihood of a parole in the case under consideration. The answer given by the court was proper but the judgment was reversed by this court because the judge's action was in conflict with § 3192 Crawford & Moses' Digest, the court holding the provisions to be mandatory. It might be here stated that the statute mentioned is the same as our present statute, Ark.Stat. Ann. § 43-2139 (Repl.1964).[1] This reversal was entered despite the fact that jurors testified after the rendering of the verdict, that they had already reached a verdict of guilty before the communication was received. In Aydelotte v. State, 177 Ark. 595, 281 S.W. 369, a different result was reached. From the opinion: A similar holding was rendered in Smith v. State, 194 Ark. 264, 106 S.W.2d 1019 (1937), where a single juror requested the sheriff to permit him to leave the remaining eleven and go into the courtroom to see the court. The sheriff granted permission and the juror walked up to the bench where the judge was sitting and talked with him. Following the conversation, the court permitted the juror to return to the jury room. This action was observed by an attorney named Walker. The opinion then recites: This court thus, in effect, held that the failure of the attorney to make the requests just mentioned, operated as a waiver. The court then said: A contrary conclusion was reached in Bell v. State, 223 Ark. 304, 265 S.W.2d 709. There, the court went to the door of the jury room, the sheriff not being available, and inquired if the jury wanted to go to lunch or wanted the judge to keep himself available during the noon hour to receive their verdict. As he left one of the jurors asked him a question and the court, on the spur of the moment, answered. The court then returned to the courtroom and informed counsel for the defendant fully as to *90 what had occurred. No motion for a mistrial was made at the time but the matter was included in the motion for a new trial but was overruled. This court then quoted the first part of the statute and pointed out that in Wacaster v. State supra, we had held the provisions of such statute mandatory. The state insisted that any error that might have been committed by the trial court was waived by the defendant and his counsel because the judge immediately returned to the courtroom and informed counsel for the defendant fully as to what had occurred, but no objection was made. It was contended that in the absence of an objection the error could not be considered, but in holding contrary to that contention we said: Our most recent case on this subject is Rollie v. State, 236 Ark. 853, 370 S.W.2d 188 (1963). There, a juror left the jury room after they had retired to consider the verdict and sought advice of the court as to the form of the verdict out of the presence of the remaining jurors, the defendant and her counsel not being present. The Bill of Exceptions contained the following statement by the court: In reversing the judgment, we quoted the statute (identical with 43-2139), and also in effect at the time of Aydelotte. We then said: The facts in the present case have some, but not all of, the elements in the cases cited. For instance, in Smith, this court held that the court's error was waived by the defense because no request was made that the entire jury be brought in, and the conversation repeated in their presence; however, the affirmance seems to be mainly based on a finding that the record clearly reflected that there was no prejudice. In Aydelotte, the communication between the court and foreman of the jury was said not to have been prejudicial where the court informed the entire jury of the entire conversation that the judge had with the foreman and inquired if that was their understanding of what had happened; they were also asked whether this communication had exerted any influence on them in reaching their verdict. To this question, the entire jury answered in the negative. In addition, no objections were registered to this procedure. In the case before us, the procedure was somewhat different, though the record reflects that the court did mention to the jury when they returned to render a verdict that it had been asked by the foreman when the defendant might be released. It seems clear that the entire conversation with the foreman was not repeated, and it was a lengthy conversation. Counsel did object, but his objection did not go specifically to the *91 fact that the court was only talking to the foreman rather than the entire jury. In Bell and Rollie, we held the court's communication prejudicial error, though there was no objection and the point was only raised in a motion for a new trial. It is apparent that the cases are not harmonious and the holdings lack consistency though the more recent cases hold such action by the trial court to constitute error. We think this is the better holding, for where answers are given to only one member of the jury, and he in turn reports that answer to the other jurors, there is a great opportunity for misconstruction. After all, the juror is not a lawyer and, though honestly and conscientiously endeavoring to convey to the other jurors the answer of the court, will necessarily only give his interpretation of what was said; this interpretation may be erroneous. Of course, it is also possible that the single juror might not hear correctly everything the court said. Accordingly, we have reached the conclusion that the statute, Ark.Stat.Ann. § 43-2139 (Repl.1964), should be strictly followed. In Wacaster we did reverse because of the court's conversation with the foreman, but in Aydelotte, though holding on the one hand that the provisions were mandatory, we proceeded to say, in effect, that the statute was not mandatory, for we affirmed even though the provisions were violated. We now repeat that following the statute is mandatory in the full meaning of the word, defined by The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language as "Required as if by mandate; obligatory". Obligatory is then defined as "legally or morally constraining; binding * * * compulsory". Turning now to the other point, viz, that the court committed reversible error by explaining the length of time that the appellant would be required to serve under possible verdicts in the case, we quickly point out that the court's statement was in accord with our cases. We have said numerous times that a court can properly tell the jury the law, but cannot give an opinion or base a statement on hearsay. See Bell v. State, supra, where this court said: In the instant case, the court simply answered the question of the foreman by setting out the law as found in Ark.Stat.Ann. § 43-2807 (Supp.1969). The summarization was correct, and accordingly no error was committed, and we would not reverse because of the court's action. However, inasmuch as this judgment is being reversed anyway, we are of the unanimous view that this is a proper time to stabilize the procedure. In dozens of cases, juries have propounded this question to the court, and the answers have varied. So long as the court confined the reply to the law, we held that no error was committed, but we have reached the conclusion that this procedure should not be followed longer. It clearly appears that the preponderance of jurisdictions do not permit information concerning paroles or parole time to be given to the jury,[2] and even in those jurisdictions where an answer is made similar to the answer in the present litigation, the trial court is further required to tell the jury that the matter is one with which they need not be concerned. This is certainly not a question, the answer to which must be known, before the members of the jury can discharge their duty. Their duty is to determine, within the limits of the statute, the punishment that *92 should be meted out for the crime that has been committed, and such judgment should not be influenced by any event that might occur at some time in the future. The subject matter is entirely alien to a judicial proceeding since it is handled entirely by another department of government, the executive. What, after all, is the purpose, or reason, for the jury to inquire how long one must serve before he is eligible for parole? The only reason that a jury desires this information is to set the punishment for a sufficient term that will require the defendant to serve the amount of time that the jury really thinks he should serve as punishment. As an example, if the jury feels that the defendant should serve five years, but has been advised that he will be eligible to be paroled within one-third of that time, (one year eight months), the defendant might be given a fifteen year penalty, the jury concluding that he will serve five years, the proper punishment that he should receive. This feeling of the jury is entirely understandable, but in arriving at such a verdict, the jury has gone far afield from its proper purpose and prerogative. Accordingly, we have concluded that this information should not be given the jury, and when asked for such information, the court should reply, in effect, that it is improper for the court to answer the inquiry, and an answer might well constitute reversible error; that the jury need not concern itself with the matter; that the control of the parole sytem is committed by law to the legislative and executive branches of the government, and, that the jury, if reaching a verdict of guilty, has only the duty of imposing such punishment as may be considered, under the court's previous instructions, to be appropriate. We recognize that appeals may presently be pending where the court, in following previous opinions, may have violated the present admonition. We therefore state that the matter last discussed in this opinion, being only a matter of procedure, shall not be retroactive, but shall become effective when this opinion becomes final. Because of the error committed, as set out in the first point discussed, the judgment is reversed, and the cause is remanded. It is so ordered. [1] "43-2139. After the jury retires for deliberation, if there is a disagreement between them as to any part of the evidence, or if they desire to be informed on a point of law, they must require the officer to conduct them into court. Upon their being brought into court, the information required must be given in the presence of, or after notice to, the counsel of the parties." [2] See 35 A.L.R.2d 769.