Opinion ID: 1135639
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: waiver of full twelve-person jury

Text: In Patton v. United States, 281 U.S. 276, 50 S.Ct. 253, 74 L.Ed. 854 (1930), the Supreme Court addressed the issue of whether a defendant could waive the right to a twelve-person jury and consent to a trial by an eleven-person jury. In Patton, a trial was commenced with a twelve-person jury and continued until one of the jurors became severely ill. Thereupon, the parties stipulated in open court to proceed with a trial by the remaining eleven jurors. Id. at 286, 50 S.Ct. at 254. The defendants personally assented to the reduced jury. The trial court acquiesced after noting that the parties were entitled to a constitutional jury of twelve, and a mistrial would be ordered unless both sides waived all objections and agreed to continue with the eleven-person jury. Defense counsel stated on the record that he had conferred with each defendant and it was their desire to go with the reduced jury. Subsequently, the defendants were convicted. On appeal, the defendants claimed that the constitutional right to a twelve-person jury could not be waived. Id. at 287, 50 S.Ct. at 254. The federal circuit court deferred consideration of the case and certified the question directly to the Supreme Court. [9] The Supreme Court concluded that a criminal defendant had the power to waive a trial by a constitutional jury and submit to trial by a jury of less than twelve persons. Id. at 312, 50 S.Ct. at 263. However, the Court cautioned that: Not only must the right of the accused to a trial by a constitutional jury be jealously preserved, but the maintenance of the jury as a fact-finding body in criminal cases is of such importance and has such a place in our traditions, that, before any waiver can become effective, the consent of government counsel and the sanction of the court must be had, in addition to the express and intelligent consent of the defendant. And the duty of the trial court in that regard is not to be discharged as a mere matter of rote, but with sound and advised discretion, with an eye to avoid unreasonable or undue departures from that mode of trial or from any of the essential elements thereof, and with a caution increasing in gravity as the offenses dealt with increase in gravity. Id. at 312-13, 50 S.Ct. at 263. [10] The Court approved of the waiver in Patton. This Court has also approved of the waiver of a twelve-person jury and permitted a trial by a six-person jury in a capital case, where the State waives the right to seek the death penalty and the parties stipulate to the smaller jury. See State v. Mustelier, 561 So.2d 533 (Fla.1990); State v. Rodriguez-Acosta, 561 So.2d 531 (Fla.1990); State v. Jones, 561 So.2d 532 (Fla.1990); State v. Enriquez, 572 So.2d 515 (Fla.1990). In those cases we held that the waiver was effective even if counsel, rather than the defendant personally, waived the twelve-person jury on behalf of his client after consulting with him and obtaining his consent to the waiver.