Case Name: Rufus NORTON, Appellant, v. STATE of Florida, Appellee
Court: Florida District Court of Appeal
Jurisdiction: Florida
Decision Date: 1987-12-16
Citations: 516 So. 2d 1078
Docket Number: No. 86-2427
Parties: Rufus NORTON, Appellant, v. STATE of Florida, Appellee.
Judges: DANAHY, C.J., and SCHOONOVER, J., concur.
Reporter: Southern Reporter, Second Series
Volume: 516
Pages: 1078–1079

Head Matter:
Rufus NORTON, Appellant, v. STATE of Florida, Appellee.
No. 86-2427.
District Court of Appeal of Florida, Second District.
Dec. 16, 1987.
James Marion Moorman, Public Defender, Bartow, and Allyn Giambalvo, Asst. Public Defender, Clearwater, for appellant.
Robert A. Butterworth, Atty. Gen., Tallahassee, and Robert J. Landry, Asst. Atty. Gen., Tampa, for appellee.

Opinion:
LEHAN, Judge.
Defendant appeals from the trial court's denial of defendant's motion for a new trial, contending that reversible error occurred when during the jury's deliberations the court communicated with the jury without the presence of, or notice to, defense counsel. We affirm.
Defendant was being tried on charges of burglary and aggravated assault. During the jury's deliberations the jury advised the trial judge, through the bailiff, that the jury had a question regarding the burglary charge. The nature of the question was not given. The judge responded, through the bailiff, that the jury would have to rely upon its memory. No record was made of either communication. The jury returned a verdict of not guilty on the burglary charge and guilty on the aggravated assault charge.
The communications having concerned the burglary charge on which defendant was found not guilty, we conclude that the error in communicating with the jury without the presence of, or notice to, defense counsel was harmless. We do not conclude that Williams v. State, 488 So.2d 62 (Fla.1986), which involved a trial on only one charge of which defendant was convicted, requires otherwise. Cf. Hitchcock v. State, 413 So.2d 741 (Fla.), cert. denied, 459 U.S. 960, 103 S.Ct. 274, 74 L.Ed.2d 213 (1982).
Affirmed.
DANAHY, C.J., and SCHOONOVER, J., concur.