Opinion ID: 555138
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: The District Court's Decision To Excuse A Juror

Text: 53 The trial of this case began on August 30, 1988. The presentation of evidence took two and a half days. On Friday, September 2, 1988, after a day and a half of deliberation, the jurors sent a note to the court stating that they were deadlocked. After a short discussion with the jury regarding the situation, the court decided to excuse them for the three-day Labor Day weekend and have them start fresh the next week. 54 The jury returned for further deliberations on Tuesday, September 6, 1988. On that morning, however, juror number three, a Mr. Pope, was unable to attend. He informed the court that his wife had taken his car keys, and since he lived some distance away, that there was no other way for him to reach the courthouse. 55 After being informed of the situation, counsel for defense requested that the entire jury reconvene the next day, whereas counsel for the government requested that the jury proceed with the remaining eleven jurors. The court decided that pursuant to Rule 23(b) of the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure, juror number three would be excused and the remaining eleven jurors would be directed to deliberate without him. Approximately two hours after reconvening, and after a third note regarding instructions was answered by the court, the jury returned the guilty verdict.
56 A decision by the District Court to excuse a juror for just cause pursuant to Fed.R.Crim.P. 23(b) is reviewed by this court for abuse of discretion. United States v. Wilson, 894 F.2d 1245, 1250 (11th Cir.), cert. denied, --- U.S. ----, 110 S.Ct. 3284, 111 L.Ed.2d 792 (1990); Fed.R.Crim.P. 23(b).
57 Tabacca argues on appeal that the District Court abused its discretion when it excused juror number three, Pope. He asserts that since the trial lasted only two and a half days, the evidence was neither so voluminous nor so complicated that one additional day's delay would cause the jurors' memories to fade. Tabacca also asserts that Pope's reason for not attending did not constitute just cause. Finally, Tabacca argues that the dismissal of Pope significantly prejudiced him since, although the jury was deadlocked on Friday, it returned a guilty verdict within two hours of Pope's being excused. 58 Prior to 1983, proceeding with eleven jurors was possible only if there was a stipulation by the parties and approval by the court. In 1983, however, Rule 23(b) was amended to allow the court to excuse a juror and proceed with the remaining eleven jurors if there was just cause to do so. Rule 23(b) reads in pertinent part: 59 Even absent such stipulation, if the court finds it necessary to excuse a juror for just cause after the jury has retired to consider its verdict, in the discretion of the court a valid verdict may be returned by the remaining 11 jurors. Fed.R.Crim.Pro. 23(b). 60 The Advisory Committee Notes provide more insight into the proper use of Rule 23(b). The Committee explains: 61 It is the judgment of the Committee that when a juror is lost during deliberations ... it is essential that there be available a course of action other than mistrial. Proceeding with the remaining 11 jurors, though heretofore impermissible under rule 23(b) absent stipulation by the parties and approval of the court, (citation omitted), is constitutionally permissible. Notes Of Advisory Committee On Rules. 62 The Committee pointed to the case of United States v. Meinster, 484 F.Supp. 442 (S.D.Fla.1980), aff'd sub nom. United States v. Phillips, 664 F.2d 971 (5th Cir.1981), cert. denied, 457 U.S. 1136, 102 S.Ct. 2965, 73 L.Ed.2d 1354 (1982), as a good example of why the amendment to Rule 23(b) was needed. There, after a four month trial involving twelve defendants charged under a 36-count indictment, a juror suffered a heart-attack and was excused at the beginning of deliberations. As the Committee states, The problem is acute when the trial has been a lengthy one and consequently the remedy of mistrial would necessitate a second expenditure of substantial prosecution, defense, and court resources. 63 The Committee summed up its comments with the following: 64 The amendment provides that if a juror is excused after the jury has retired to consider its verdict, it is within the discretion of the court whether to declare a mistrial or to permit deliberations to continue with 11 jurors. If the trial has been brief and not much would be lost by retrial, the court might well conclude that the unusual step of allowing a jury verdict by less than 12 jurors absent stipulation should not be taken. On the other hand, if the trial has been protracted the court is much more likely to opt for continuing with the remaining 11 jurors. 65 The issue of what constitutes just cause to excuse a juror pursuant to Rule 23(b) has not yet been addressed by this court. Several other circuits, however, have considered the issue. 66 In United States v. Stratton, 779 F.2d 820 (2nd Cir.1985), cert. denied, 476 U.S. 1162, 106 S.Ct. 2285, 90 L.Ed.2d 726 (1986), the Second Circuit found that a district court did not abuse its discretion when it excused a juror pursuant to Rule 23(b). The juror, having previously notified the court of her conflict, insisted on leaving after one and a half days of deliberations in order to observe a religious holiday. Defense counsel had been warned of this possibility before deliberations began and refused to consent to the substitution of an alternate juror. Id. at 830. Had the court not allowed the jury to deliberate without the absent juror, the jury's deliberations would have been postponed for four and one half days. Thus, the court decided to excuse her, and the remaining eleven jurors returned guilty verdicts that same day. The opinion does not reveal the length of the trial, but the case involved four defendants charged with narcotics violations. 67 In United States v. Wilson, 894 F.2d 1245 (11th Cir.), cert. denied, --- U.S. ----, 110 S.Ct. 3284, 111 L.Ed.2d 792 (1990), a trial court's decision to excuse an ill juror was upheld by the Eleventh Circuit. There, the juror became ill on the sixth day of deliberations, prompting an early dismissal of the jury for the weekend. The juror then told a court clerk over the weekend that she couldn't make it for Monday but hoped that she'd be better by Tuesday. On Monday, being unable to determine with any certainty when the juror would regain her health, the court decided to excuse the juror and proceed with the remaining eleven jurors. The trial in this matter had lasted nine weeks. 68 In United States v. Armijo, 834 F.2d 132 (8th Cir.1987), cert. denied, 485 U.S. 990, 108 S.Ct. 1297, 99 L.Ed.2d 507 (1988), a district court was again upheld in its decision to excuse a juror. There, the juror was involved in a car accident soon after deliberations had commenced and would not have been able to return until the following week at the earliest. The trial of the case had taken five days. 69 Although Stratton, Wilson, and Armijo all upheld the decisions by the district courts to excuse a juror, the situation presented by the instant case provides significantly less reason for finding just cause. 8 The trial lasted only two and a half days, with the government calling only three witnesses. Clearly this was not the type of lengthy trial which the Advisory Committee envisioned when adopting the amended Rule 23(b). More importantly, the absent juror was certain to be available the next day. The only reason he was out was because his wife had his car keys. This is unlike the situation in Wilson and Armijo where the length of the juror's absence could not be determined in advance. Moreover, waiting one day is much less burdensome than the four and one half days involved in Stratton. Further, a short two and a half day trial, combined with one additional day's delay, is unlikely to induce dulled memories on the part of the jurors, even if they had taken a three-day weekend. See Stratton, 779 F.2d at 832 (Adjournment [for four and one half days] would have risked dulling the jurors' recollections of the evidence and summations....).