Opinion ID: 460947
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 6

Heading: dismissing a juror

Text: 41 Grubbs contends that the trial court committed error by excusing a seated juror without prior notification and consultation with defense counsel. Before the government's opening argument, the trial court advised the parties that it had dismissed a juror. The court stated: 42 Wait a minute. Now we have another problem. I forgot to tell you about. Ruth Poncik, who is a juror.... She is under the care of a physician. She is juror number twelve, according to my notes, .... She is under the care of a physician, is receiving necessary drugs which make her drowsy and she cannot drive. And I have excused her this morning. Therefore--and I understand--Mr. Waska (counsel for Fricks) if you want to you can make an objection. I have a case to cite to you about that, but make your objection if you wish. But she has been excused. Therefore, Marie Herbert, who is alternate number one, the first alternate, will be substituted as a member of the twelve-person jury. 43 Grubbs did enter an objection to the juror's dismissal. Grubbs claims the dismissal of Mrs. Ponick in his absence violated his right to trial by jury under the Sixth Amendment and Fed.R.Crim.P. 43(a). 9 44 This case is similar to United States v. Dumas, 658 F.2d 411 (5th Cir.1981), cert. denied, 455 U.S. 990, 102 S.Ct. 1615, 71 L.Ed.2d 850 (1982). In Dumas, after the jury had been selected, the district court released a juror and replaced him without notifying the parties. The court excused the juror in response to the request of the juror's employer. The employer said the juror was urgently needed to perform a fuel inspection at a United States Air Force base in California. The court stated: 45 We do not feel that the trial judge's determination of the juror's inability to serve, even though that determination was unwisely made outside the presence of defense counsel, merits the reversal of the conviction. The record reveals that Dumas' objection at trial to the excusal was not based on the denial of notice or presence at the conference. Consequently, the District Court did not give reasons for the non-notification or for the failure to have the defendant present at the conference. Even if this issue is properly before this Court, the record indicates that it was by inadvertance, not design, that Dumas was not notified or present at the conference when the excusal was granted, and the error was harmless beyond a reasonable doubt. 46 As in Dumas, Grubbs's objection at trial was not based on the denial of notice or denial of presence at the conference. Grubbs made a general objection. In any event, any error the trial court may have committed was harmless error beyond a reasonable doubt since the failure to have Grubbs present was inadvertent. Dumas, 658 F.2d at 414; United States v. Dominguez, 615 F.2d 1093, 1096 (5th Cir.1980). 47 A thorough review of the record and all contentions of appellants reveals no reversible error. The convictions of Grubbs and Fricks are properly affirmed. 48 AFFIRMED.