Opinion ID: 853245
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Indiana Right to Be Present and Heard

Text: Hernandez's second contention is very similar to his first. Hernandez claims that he was deprived of his Indiana Constitutional right to be heard by counsel and himself because the trial court failed to give him notice of the jury's second note and an opportunity to respond. Specifically, he claims that if he had been given notice and an opportunity to be heard, he could have requested a mistrial, and because he was not able to request a mistrial, the jury reached a compromise verdict. Hernandez relies on Stephenson v. State, 742 N.E.2d 463, 492 (Ind.2001), cert. denied, ___ U.S. ___, 122 S.Ct. 905, ___ L.Ed.2d ___ (2002) which recognized state constitutional protection for a defendant's right to be present when a jury makes a request for any additional guidance during deliberations. A denial of the right to be present during all critical stages of the proceedings, like the right to counsel at a critical stage, is a constitutional right that is subject to a harmless error analysis. Id. We are unable to evaluate the claim for the same reason we cannot render a conclusion as to the Sixth Amendment claim.