Opinion ID: 2462392
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: the charge as a whole

Text: Because we have found a portion of the charge to be possibly coercive when standing alone, it is necessary to examine the charge as a whole and the circumstances surrounding it in order to properly gauge its effect. As to the charge itself, we note that immediately after the judge erroneously indicated that he would disapprove of a failure to reach a verdict, he cautioned the jury not to forsake their personal convictions. This admonition had the effect of diluting the coercive nature of the previous statement and rendering it unobjectionable. This conclusion is buttressed by the fact that the jury did not come to an agreement until it had adjourned over the weekend and then only after deliberation the following Monday for approximately four hours. We hold that the charge as a whole did not have a coercive effect upon the jury and that the Court of Civil Appeals erred in its conclusion that the charge was coercive and changed the vote of the jurors in the minority.