FI RST DI VI SI ON

BA RNES, P. J.

, M ERCI ER and BROWN, JJ.

N O T IC E : M otions for r e c ons i de r a tion m us t be

ph y sic a l ly r e ce iv ed i n our c le r k ’s offic e w ithin te n

da y s of the da te of de c is ion to be de e m ed tim e ly file d.

http://w w w .ga a ppe a l s .us /r ule s

Januar y 17, 2020



# I n th e Co u r t o f

A p p eals o f

G eo r g ia

A1 9 A2 21 6 . COLLINS v . THE STATE.

M E R C I E R , J u dg e.

A ju ry fo u n d St an l ey Co l l i n s g u i l t y o f ag g rav at ed as s au l t

, ag g rav at ed b at t ery

,

cru el t y t o ch i l d ren

, p o s s es s io n o f a fi rearm d u ri ng t h e co m m i s s i o n o f a fel o n y an d

p o s s es s i o n o f a fi rearm b y a fi rs t o ffen d er p ro b at i on er. Aft er hi s co n v i ct io n

, Co l l i n s

fi led a m ot i o n fo r n ew t ri al , wh i ch was d en i ed . Co l l i n s ap p eal s

, co n t en d i ng t h at t h e

t ri al co urt erred b y rep laci n g o n e ju ro r wi t h an al tern at e aft er t h e s eat ed ju ro r d i d n ot

rep o rt t o co u rt o n ti m e o n t h e f i r s t d a y o f t ri al

. Fi n d i n g no ab u s e o f d i scret i o n

, we

affi rm

.

OCGA § 15 -1 2 -1 7 2 p ro v i d es

, i n rel ev an t p art : “ If at an y t i m e, wh et h er b efo re

o r aft er fi n al s u bm i ss i o n o f t h e cas e t o t he ju ry

, a j u ro r d ies

, beco m es i l l, u p o n o t h er

g o o d c a u s e s ho w n t o t h e co u rt i s fo u n d to b e u nab l e to p erfo rm hi s d ut y

, o r i sd i s ch arg ed fo r o t h er l eg al cau s e, t he fi rs t a l t e r n a t e ju ro r s h al l t ak e t h e p l ace o f t h e

fi rs t ju ro r b eco m in g i n cap aci t at ed .” “ OCGA § 1 5 -1 2 -1 72 ves t s t h e t ri al co u rt wi t h t h e

d i s cret i o n t o d is ch arg e a ju ro r an d rep l ace h i m o r h er wi t h an al t ern at e at an y t i m e s o

l o n g as t h e t ri al co u rt h as a s o u n d l eg al b as i s ” fo r d o i n g s o

. Br o o ks v. S t a t e

, 2 8 1 Ga.

1 4

, 1 8 (3 ) (6 3 5 SE2 d 72 3 ) (2 0 0 6) (ci t at io n an d p u n ct ua t i o n o m i t t ed ). A ju ro r’ s

t ard i nes s m ay pro vi d e a so u n d b as is fo r h i s o r her d is m i s s al

. Id

. ; Her r in g v. St a t e

, 2 2 4

Ga. A p p. 8 09

, 8 1 1 (1 ) (4 8 1 SE2 d 8 4 2 ) (1 9 97 ) (t ri al co u rt di d n o t ab us e i t s d i s cret i o n

b y rep l aci n g ju ro r wh o rep o rt ed t o co u rt l at e d u e t o car t ro u b l e).

In t h i s cas e, t he reco rd s h o ws t h e fo ll o wi n g fact s

. T he p ro s ecu t o r an d d efen s e

at t o rn ey s el ect ed t wel v e ju ro rs an d t wo al t ern at e ju ro rs fo r Co l l i n s’ s t ri al

. Th ereaft er,

t h e co u rt i n s t ru ct ed t h e ju ro rs t o ret u rn t he fo l lo wi n g m o rn i n g at 9: 3 0 fo r p rel i m i n ary

i n s t r u ct i o n s an d o p en in g s t at em en t s

. Th e co u rt gav e t h e j u ro rs b us i n es s card s

co n tai n i n g t he p h o n e n u m b er o f t h e co u rt ’ s ch am

b ers an d d i rect ed t h e ju ro rs t o cal l

t h at n um b er i f an y p ro b lem s aro s e t h at wo u l d in t erfere w i t h t h ei r s erv ice. Th e co u rt

t h en ex cu s ed t h e ju ro rs fo r t he d ay

.

Th e n ex t m o rn i n g

, aft er th e co u rt co n s i d ered an ev i d en t i ary m at ter, t h e b ai l i ff

an n ou n ced t o t h e co u rt t h at o ne ju ro r was ab s en t

. Th e d ep ut y cl erk s t at ed t h at a co u rt

s t aff p ers o n h ad t el ep h o n ed th e ju ro r an d th at t h e j u ro r s ai d h e was s t i l l at h o m e an d

2h ad to t ak e care of h i s m ot h er. Th e s t aff p ers o n to l d t h e ju ro r t h at h e n eed ed t o co m e

t o co u rt ri g h t away

, t o wh ich t h e ju ro r rep l ied

, “ i t m i g h t be an h o u r t o an h ou r-an d -ah al f.” Th e s t aff pers o n to l d t h e ju ro r th at h e n eed ed t o “ g et h ere n o w”; t h e ju ro r s ai d,

“ o k ay .” Th e ju ro r h ad n o t cal l ed t h e co u rt t o rep o rt t h e co n fl i ct

.

Th e co u rt as k ed th e at t o rn ey s h o w t h ey w an t ed t o p ro ceed reg ard i n g t h e ab s en t

ju ro r. Th e p ro s ecu t o r rep l ied t h at s h e wan ted t h e j u ro r t o b e rep l aced wi t h o n e o f t h e

t wo al t ern at es

. D efen s e co un sel req u es t ed t h at t h e co u rt wai t fo r t h e ju ro r’ s arri v al

.

Bas ed o n wh ere t h e ju ro r l i v ed

, t h e co u rt r em ark ed t h at th e ju ro r s h o ul d b e ab l e to

arri v e i n 1 5 m i n u tes

, n o t at o n e a n d o n e-h al f ho u rs

. Th e co u rt ad ded t h at i t wo u ld

d el ay m ak i n g a d eci s io n an d w o u l d i n s t ead wai t fo r t h e ju ro r t o arri v e t o ex p l ai n h i s

s i tu at i o n

.

At 1 1 : 2 0 a.m

., t h e j u ro r en t ered t h e co u rt ro o m

. 1 Th e co u rt t h en e n g a g ed i n a

c o ll o q uy wi t h t h e ju ro r. Th e co u rt s t at ed t hat t h e j u ro r h ad fai led t o rep ort t o c o u r t

t h at m o rn i n g ; t h at wh en th e s taff p ers o n cal l ed t h e ju ro r, t h e ju ro r s ai d h e h ad t o t ak e

care of h i s m o t her an d t h at he h ad n o t ran s p o rt at i o n ; an d t h at t h e ju ro r h ad sai d o n t h e

p rev i o u s d ay t hat he wo u l d rat h er earn $ 7 5 p er h o u r on h i s co n s tru ct i on jo b t h an

1 It i s u n cl ear fro m t h e reco rd ex act l y wh en t h e ju ro r arri ved

. Th e ju ro r en t ered

t h e co u rt ro o m

at 1 1 : 2 0 , ju s t aft er t h e t ri al co u rt d i rect ed t hat h e b e b ro ug h t i n

.

3recei v e th e $ 2 5 p ay fo r ju ry d u t y

, an d th at h e w an t ed t h e co u rt t o p ay h i s

t ran s po rt at i o n co st s

. Th e ju ro r ap o l o g i zed an d s t at ed t h at h e s h ou l d hav e p h o n ed t h e

c o u r t ; t h at h is b ro t h er t o l d hi m t h at m o rn i n g t here wo u ld b e n o o n e t o t ak e care o f

t h ei r m o t h er, wh o was d i ab et i c; an d t h at h e d i d d o co n s tru ct i on wo rk b ut th at wo rk

w a s s l o w at t h e t i m e. Th e co u rt rem ark ed t h at t h e ju ro r’ s s t at em en t s “ d i d n o t ri n g

t ru e” an d co n cl u d ed t h at t h e ju ro r “ ju s t d i dn ’ t wan t to b e h ere.” Th e ju ro r rep l i ed t h at

t h at was n ot t ru e. Th e co u rt rei t erat ed t h at th e ju ro r h ad b een in s t ru ct e d to cal l t h e

co u rt i f t here was a p ro bl em

, b u t t h at h e h ad n o t d o n e s o

, an d t h at t he co u rt d i d n ot

b el i ev e h e was cap ab l e o f s erv i n g p ro p erl y

. Ov er d efen s e co u ns el ’ s o b ject i o n

, t h e

co u rt d i s m i s sed t h e ju ro r an d rep l aced h i m wi t h an al t ern at e.

Th e tri al co u rt h ad a s o u nd b as i s fo r d i s m is s i n g t h e ab s en t -t h en -t ard y ju ro r an d

rep l aci ng h i m wi th t he al t ern at e ju ro r – t h e ju ro r h ad n ot r e po rt ed t o co u rt at t h e

s ch ed u l ed t i m e an d d i d n o t co n t act t he co u rt as i ns t ru ct ed wh en a p ro b l em aro s e. Th e

t ri al h ad n ot y et beg u n w h e n t h e j u ro r was rep l aced

, an d Co ll i n s h as n o t s h o wn

p reju d i ce b y

t h e t ri al co urt ’ s act

. See S co t t v. St a t e

, 2 7 2 Ga. Ap p

. 3 2 (1 ) (6 1 1 SE2 d

7 1 2 ) (2 0 0 5 ). Acco rd i n g l y

, t h e r e was n o ab us e o f d i s cret io n. See Br o oks

, s u p ra;

Her ri n g

, s u p ra at 8 11 -8 1 2 (1 ).

Ju d g men t a f f i r m ed . Ba r nes , P. J., a n d

Br o wn , J., co ncu r

.

4