Opinion ID: 887708
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 6

Heading: issues

Text: ¶ 61 Did the District Court err when it did not provide the jury with a transcript of the testimony of a witness? ¶ 62 During its deliberations, the jury sent a note to the Court asking for a transcript of witness Scott Green's testimony concerning a meeting between him and other witnesses. The District Court declined to provide such transcript. Potts argues that the District Court violated § 25-7-405, MCA, when it refused such jury request. Section 25-7-405, MCA, provides: After the jury has retired for deliberation, if there be a disagreement among the jurors as to any part of the testimony or if they desire to be informed of any point of law arising in the cause, they may 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 parties or counsel. Such information must be given in writing or taken down by the stenographer. ¶ 63 Potts contends that the statute requires the Court to provide the requested transcript because the only rational reason for the request was juror disagreement. He supports his argument that there was juror disagreement with the affidavit of a juror obtained after the verdict. Potts argues that not providing the requested transcript prevented a fair trial and hampered the jury. He cites Henrichs v. Todd (1990), 245 Mont. 286, 800 P.2d 710, in support of his argument. Potts concludes his argument by urging us to extend our reasoning regarding juror misconduct in Allers v. Riley (1995), 273 Mont. 1, 901 P.2d 600, to encompass what he terms misconduct on the part of the District Court in denying the jury's request. ¶ 64 The present case is distinguishable from Henrichs. The jury in Henrichs was not allowed to ask a question concerning a point of law, 245 Mont. at 288, 800 P.2d at 712, which is specifically covered by § 25-7-405, MCA. The jury here was not concerned with a point of law. ¶ 65 The written note from the jury in this case gave no reason for the request. It does not indicate that the jurors disagreed as to the testimony in question, a fact noted by the District Court in its decision not to provide the transcript. We do not agree with Potts' contention that the only rational reason for the request was juror disagreement. The request could have been made for any number of reasons, including but not limited to a simple desire to review the testimony, or the desire of one or more jurors to emphasize a point or to make an argument to his or her colleagues. ¶ 66 The only indication of juror disagreement is the affidavit of a juror later submitted by Potts, which claims that the jury asked for the transcript because of disagreement regarding Scott Green's testimony. Rule 606(b), M.R.Evid., sets forth the only three circumstances under which a juror affidavit can be considered: (1) whether extraneous prejudicial information was improperly brought to the jury's attention; or (2) whether any outside influence was brought to bear upon any juror; or (3) whether any juror has been induced to assent to any general or special verdict, or finding on any question submitted to them by the court, by a resort to the determination of chance. We have described the rationale for this rule, in part, as follows: Further, if after being discharged and mingling with the public, jurors are permitted to impeach verdicts which they have rendered, it would open the door for tampering with jurors and would place it in the power of a dissatisfied or corrupt juror to destroy a verdict to which he had deliberately given his assent under sanction of an oath.... Sandman v. Farmers Ins. Exch., 1998 MT 286, ¶ 29, 291 Mont. 456, ¶ 29, 969 P.2d 277, ¶ 29 (quoting Boyd v. State Med. Oxygen & Supply, Inc. (1990), 246 Mont. 247, 252, 805 P.2d 1282, 1286). Given this rationale, we have long held that the exceptions under Rule 606(b), M.R.Evid., are exclusive and narrowly construed. Sandman, ¶ 29. Since the affidavit does not fall under any of the Rule 606(b), M.R.Evid., exceptions, it cannot be used to impeach the verdict. We disregard the affidavit. ¶ 67 We have consistently held that the decision to provide testimony to the jury during deliberations, or to refuse a request by the jury to do so, lies within the sound discretion of the trial court. State v. Henrich (1994), 268 Mont. 258, 266, 886 P.2d 402, 407; State v. Evans (1993), 261 Mont. 508, 511, 862 P.2d 417, 418; State v. Mayes (1992), 251 Mont. 358, 374, 825 P.2d 1196, 1206; State v. Harris (1991), 247 Mont. 405, 417, 808 P.2d 453, 459-60; State v. Ulstad (1990), 246 Mont. 102, 103-04, 802 P.2d 1260, 1261-62. We will not abandon this standard and extend our cases regarding juror misconduct to hold that a district court was somehow guilty of misconduct because it denied a jury's request for a transcript of testimony. ¶ 68 In this instance, the District Court carefully considered whether or not to provide a transcript of the requested testimony. It found that the testimony concerned a minor point, that it was of questionable relevance, that it concerned settlement offers, and that it would unduly emphasize specific testimony. The District Court was correct that providing more testimony than necessary to address a jury request can cause undue emphasis of the testimony of a single witness and, when such undue emphasis is given, we have held such is an abuse of discretion. State v. Graves (1995), 272 Mont. 451, 462, 901 P.2d 549, 556. Further, the record fairly supports the additional reasons articulated by the District Court for denying the jury's request. The District Court did not abuse its discretion when it did not provide the jury with the requested transcript.