Opinion ID: 1594360
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 12

Heading: Request For Separate Juries.

Text: Lohnes made a motion for a bifurcated trial on the issues of guilt and insanity. The court granted the motion for a bifurcated trial but denied his request for separate juries. The court ruled that one jury should be impaneled for both phases, with voir dire for both to take place at the beginning of the trial. The court further ruled that a new jury would be impaneled if it became apparent, following the guilt phase of the trial, that the jury could not remain impartial. When a bifurcated trial is ordered, the court should also provide for adequate procedures to insure fairness to the defendant. The procedure ... must effectuate the purpose of bifurcation by guarding against ... (1) prejudice to a defendant's insanity defense arising from the evidence on the merits, and (2) prejudice to a defendant's defense on the merits arising from the insanity evidence. If a bifurcated trial is not ordered, the jury must be clearly instructed that the incriminating statements may be considered only as to the issue of sanity. State v. Devine, 372 N.W.2d 132, 137 (S.D. 1985) [5] ( citing Jackson v. United States, 404 A.2d 911 (D.C.1979)). Unlike the situation in Devine, no incriminating statements were made by Lohnes during a psychiatric examination which would unfairly prejudice his defense on the issue of guilt. Prejudice to Lohnes' insanity defense was guarded against by the trial court's ruling that the jury's impartiality would be re-evaluated at the end of the trial on guilt. Apparently, the jury appeared to remain impartial since no new jury was impaneled. Lohnes claims these procedures were insufficient to safeguard against prejudice to his defense on the merits. He cites to Jackson, supra, which stated that the voir dire should be done separately prior to each phase so that the insanity issue does not prejudice the case on the issue of guilt. While this was not done here, and may have been a better approach, this court has not required separate voir dire as a necessary procedure in a bifurcated trial. Devine dealt with the question of whether a bifurcated trial should have been granted and held that it was not necessary. The trial court specifically instructed the jury that any question regarding insanity could not be considered until the issue of guilt was determined. Further, the evidence in the first phase was strictly limited to the issue of guilt. In view of the factual circumstances of this case, the safeguards provided by the trial court, and the fact that Lohnes has not shown any prejudice, it does not appear that the trial court abused its discretion.