# FILED April 3, 1996 Cecil Crowson, Jr. App ellate C ou rt Clerk I N TH E C O U R T O FA PPEA LSO FTEN N ESSEE EA STER N SEC TI O N

SA N D R A K . LEW I Sa nd hus ba nd, ) C / A N O . 03A 01- 9510- C

V - 00369 C A R LTO N LEW I S , ) ) BLED S O E LA W Pl a i ntif f s - A

pp e lle e s , )

) HON. J . C

UR TI SSM I TH, v. ) J UDGE ) J ASON M

. PENDER

GR AS Sa nd ) R. EUGENEPENDER

GR AS S , ) R

EV ER SED ) AND D e f e nda nt s - A

ppe l l a nt s . ) R

EM ANDED

H O W A R D L. U PC H U R C H , Pi ke ville , for Pl a i ntif f s - A pp e lle e s . LYNNE D. SW AFFOR D, SW AFFOR D & SW AFFOR D, Pi ke vi l l e , f or D e f e nda nt s - A

ppe l l a nt s .

O

PI N I O N

Fr a nks . J .

The de t e r m

i na t i ve i s s ue on a ppe a l a s f r a m e d by t he a pp e lla nt s is :

[ W he t he r ] t he de f e nd a nt s w e r e de pr i v e do f a f a i r and i m pa r t i a l j ur y be c a us e of J ur or R a nki n’ s f a i l ur e t o r e s pond t r ut hf ul l y on v oi r di r a nd f ur t he r , be c a us e J ur or R

a nki n a nd pl a i nt i f f s ’ c ouns e l bot h f a i l e d t o r e v eal a r ecent at t or ne y/ c l i e nt r e l a t i o n s hi pandan upc om i ng t r i a l w

he r e i n pl a i nt i f f s ’ c ouns e l w oul d be a c r uc i a l w

i t ne s s on be ha l f of J ur or R a nki n.2 I n t hi s a c t i on w

hi c h r e s ul t e d i n a j ur y ve r di c t f or t he pl a i nt i f f s , de f e nda nt s ’ c ouns e l , w he n c onduc t i ng t he v o i r di r e , a s ke d of t he pr os pe c t i ve j ur or s :

H a ve a ny of you, l a di e s a nd ge nt l e m e n, e ve r be e n r e pr e s e nt e d by M

r . U pc hur c h or hi s a s s oc i a t e , or e m pl oye e , Eddi e Bor i ng? H a r r yLee R

a nki n , a m

e m b e r o f t he p a ne l , r e m a i ne ds i l e nt , and s e r v e das a m

e m b e r o f t he t r i a l j ur y . Thi s i s s ue w

a s r a i s e d i n a m

ot i on f or a ne w

t r i a l , a nd t he Tr i a l J udge s ubpoe na e d R a nki n w

ho t e s t i f i e d t ha t he di d not r e m

e m be r t he a t t or ne y a s ki ng w he t he r pl a i nt i f f s ’ a t t or ne y ha d e ve r r e pr e s e nt e d hi m . The Tr i a l J udge ove r r ul e d t he m ot i on a nd de f e nda nt s a ppe a l e d. A s w e not e d i n T

e nne s s e e F

ar m e r s M ut ual I ns ur anc e C om pany v . G

r e e r , 682 S . W

. 2d 920 ( Te nn. A

pp. 1984) , t he r e a r e t w o br oa d c l a s s e s of c a us e s f or t he c ha l l e nge of a j ur or : Pr op t e r de f ect um a nd pr opt e r aff e c t um . The l a t t e r cl a s s i s gr ounds f or c ha l l e nge ba s e d on s om e bi a s or pa r t i a l i t y e i t he r a c t ua l l y s how

n t o e xi s t or pr e s um e d t o e xi s t f r om c i r c um s t a nces , andas t he G r eer c our t obs e r ve d, t he w i t hhol di ng of i nf or m a t i on a m

ount s t o f a l s e s w e a r i ng a nd r a i s e s t he pr e s um pt i on of bi a s a nd pa r t i a l i t y. I d. 924. H o w e v e r , t he app e l l ees count e r t h a t a m e r e pr e s um pt i on i s c r e a t e d a nd t ha t t he r e c or d r e but s t he pr e s um pt i on. I t i s f ur t he r a r gue d t ha t t he r e l a t i ons hi p be t w e e n t he j ur or a nd pl a i nt i f f s ’ a t t or ne y ? w a s a p a s t r e l a t i ons hi p a nd not hi ng m or e . I t di d not r i s e t o t he l e ve l of be i ng i nhe r e nt l y or pr e s um pt i ve pr ej udi c i a l . ? W e cann o t a gr ee. Thi s a c t i on w a s t r i e d on O

c t obe r 6, 1994. O n3

D e c e m be r 3, 1993, pl a i nt i f f s ’ c ouns e l f i l e d a n a ns w e r a nd c r os s - c om

pl a i nt on be ha l f of J ur or R a nki n i n a n a c t i on br ought a ga i ns t R

a nki n i n Bl e ds oe C ount y. A

m ong t he i s s ue s i n t ha t c a s e w a s w he t he r R

a nki n’ s a t t or ne y, U pc hur c h, ha d i m

pr ope r l y not a r i z e d t he gr a nt or s ’ s i gna t ur e s t o a de e d w he r e i n R

a nki n w a s gr a nt e e . I n M a y of 1994, pl a i nt i f f s ’ c ouns e l t e s t i f i e d by de pos i t i on i n J ur or R a nki n’ s l a w

s ui t , a nd w

hi l e no or de r w

a s e nt e r e d , th e a ttor ne y ’ s a f f i d a vit s t a t e s th a t o nA pr il 1 3 , 1994, dur i ng di s c ove r y de pos i t i ons i n t he C ha nc e r y l i t i ga t i on, ? i t be c a m

e a ppa r e nt t ha t I c oul d not f ur t he r r e pr e s e nt M r . R a nki n i n t ha t c a s e . Soon t he r e a f t e r I w i t hdr e w

f r om t he c a s e

. . . . ? O

ffi c e r s o f t he C

our t a r e re qui r e dt o ? r e v eal pr om pt l y t o t he C

our t i m

pr ope r c onduc t by a ve ni r e pe r s on or j ur or . . . ?

Te nne s s e e Supr e m e C our t R ul e 8, C

ode of Pr of e s s i onal Re s pons i bi l i t y , D R 7- 108( g) . I n t hi s a c t i on, ne i t he r t he pr os pe c t i ve j ur or nor pl a i nt i f f s ’ a t t or ne y r e v e a l e dthe i r a t t or ne y/ c l i e nt r e l a t i o n s hi ptothe C our t. T

he M i s s i s s i ppi Supr e m e C our t i n t he c a s e of M ar s hal l D

ur bi n, I n c ., v . T

e w, 381 S . 2d 152 ( M S . 1980) , i n de a l i ng w i t h a l i ke i ssue sa i d :

A l a w ye r ’ s dut i e s a r e not c onf i ne d a l one t o s e r vi ng hi s c l i e nt s . H

e i s a n of f i c e r of t he c our t a nd a s s uc h i s c a l l e d on t o do a nd s a y w ha t e ve r i s ne c e s s a r y t o pr om ot e t he f a i r a dm

i ni s t r a t i on of j u s tic e . M

r . Le w i s s houl dh a v e c a lle dtothe c our t ’ s a nd oppos i ng c ouns e l ’ s a t t e nt i on, hi s r e l a tion s hi pw

iththe jur or . . . . I nor de r to a voi d a ny s ugge s t i on of i m pr opr i e t y, c ouns e l s houl d a l w a ys di s c l os e a nd br i ng t o t he a t t e nt i on of t he c our t a nd oppos i ng c ouns e l , t hi s t ype of r e l a t i ons hi p w

i t h pr os pe c t i ve j ur or s . I d. a t 154- 5. I n or de r t o r e s ol ve t hi s i s s ue t he t ot a l i t y of t he c i r c um s t a nc e s , not t he j ur or ’ s s e l f

- s e r vi ng c l a i m of l a c k of4

p a r tia litya l one , is tob e c o n s i de r e d .

W e do not be l i e ve t he pr e s um pt i on c r e a t e d by t he f a l s e s w

e a r i ng of t he j ur or w a s ove r c om

e . Thi s j ur or ha d be e n r e pr e s e nt e d by pl a i nt i f f s ’ c ouns e l unt i l j us t a f e w m ont hs be f or e t hi s t r i a l , a nd ha d a n ongoi ng r e l a t i ons hi p w i t h pl a i nt i f f s ’ c ouns e l i n t ha t pl a i nt i f f s ’ c ouns e l w oul d be a w i t ne s s on J ur or R a nki n’ s be ha l f i n t he C ha nc e r y C

our t pr oc e e di ng. H

ow e ve r , t he r e i s a m or e c om

pe l l i ng gr ound t o gr a nt de f e nd a nt s a ne w tr i a l. Pl a i ntif f s ’ c oun s e l, a s w e ll a s t he pr os pe c t i ve j ur or , ha d a dut y t o r e ve a l t o t he C our t a nd a dve r s a r y c ouns e l t hi s r e l a t i ons hi p. Pl a i nt i f f s ’ c ouns e l c oul d ha ve a voi de d a l l of t hi s by di s c ha r gi ng hi s dut y t o t he C our t . M

or e ove r , t he a ppe a r a nc e a l one i s pr ej udi c i a l t o t he j udi c i a l pr o c e s s . See R ul e 36, T. R. A

. P. For t he f or e goi ng r eas o n s w

e r e v e r s e t he Tr i a l C our t andr e m

a ndf or a ne w

t r i a l . W e pr e t e r m

i t t he r e m

a i ni n gi s s u e s andas s e s s t he c o s t o f t he app eal t oapp e l l ees .

________________________ H e r s c he l P. Fr a nk s , J .

CONC UR:5

___________________________ H ous t on M

. G odda r d, P. J .

___________________________ C l i f f or d E. S a nde r s , Sp. J .