Opinion ID: 1060393
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 37

Heading: charging the jury on sunday

Text: The record indicates that the proof was closed and closing arguments were made on Saturday, August 31, 1996. After the trial court informed the jury that it would be instructed the next day, court was adjourned at 8:55 p.m. Court was resumed at 1:15 p.m. on Sunday, September 1, 1996, and the trial court immediately conducted the hearing about the juror who had been contacted by his ex-wife. Shortly thereafter, the trial court charged the jury. The jury began deliberations at 2:20 p.m. and returned with the verdicts at 7:35 p.m. Following this Court's decision in State v. Debiasi Sinard King & Dewayne King , No. 03C01-9801-CR-00015, 1999 WL 281080 (Tenn.Crim.App., at Knoxville, April 30, 1999), the Appellants raised the issue of whether the trial court's having instructed the jury on a Sunday coupled with the jury's deliberations and return of verdicts on Sunday required a new trial. In that case this Court held that as late as 1965 the Tennessee Supreme Court reaffirmed the ancient common law rule that judicial proceedings conducted on a Sunday are void. See Smith v. State, 215 Tenn. 314, 385 S.W.2d 748 (1965). As of the time of this Court's decision in King , this rule had not been altered by either the legislature or the Tennessee Supreme Court. Thus, this Court granted a new trial to the defendants in King since a portion of their trial had occurred on a Sunday. When the Appellants raised this issue by way of a supplemental brief this Court ordered a response by the State. The State responded, conceded that the instant case was indistinguishable from King , but indicated that it was pursuing an appeal to the Tennessee Supreme Court in the King case. The State asked this Court to stay its decision in the instant case until such time as our Supreme Court resolved the issue of the propriety of Sunday court proceedings. Without objection from the Appellants, this Court granted the State's request to stay our opinion in this case until the Tennessee Supreme Court resolved this issue. On January 19, 2001, the Tennessee Supreme Court handed down its decision in State v. Debiasi Sinard King and Dewayne King, [40 S.W.3d 442] (Tenn.2001). In that decision the Court rejected a per se rule invalidating Sunday Court proceedings. The Court held whether to conduct court proceedings on a Sunday rests within the discretion of the trial court. The Court went on to hold: In exercising this discretion, the trial court should be deferential to the preferences of the litigants, witnesses, jurors, and attorneys and must be mindful of the need for every participant in a trial proceedings to be prepared and rested. The trial court must also respect and accommodate the genuinely-held religious view of any litigant, witness, juror, or attorney. Finally, the trial court must weigh all of these concerns against whatever pressing need or compelling interest may necessitate a Sunday proceeding. Id. at  8[444] In the instant case the trial had been lengthy and hard fought. The jury had been sequestered. When the trial court proposed giving his instructions to the jury and having the jury deliberate on Sunday the jurors indicated that was fine with them. No attorney or either of the Appellants voiced any objection to the Sunday proceedings. The trial court made appropriate arrangements for jurors who wished to attend religious services. Under these circumstances, we find no abuse of discretion in conducting Sunday court proceedings in the instant case. This issue is without merit.