Opinion ID: 1875925
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 8

Heading: juror was asleep?

Text: During the examination of Dr. Russell, the judge noticed that a juror was nodding and the following took place: BY THE COURT (TO THE JURORS): Just a minute. Mr. Thompson. Mr. Viverette, will you shake the fellow there. You'll have to stay awake, now. All of you stand up for just a moment and stretch. (JURORS STAND IN THE JURY BOX) Alright, you may sit back down. Alright, Mr. Booker. Appellant's counsel continued questioning Dr. Russell and did not attempt to object to the incident until after the defendant was found guilty and just prior to sentencing when he made a motion for a mistrial, or a new trial, because the juror was asleep. The trial court said the following into the record: BY THE COURT: The defendant, Curtis Norris, has filed his Motion for New Trial, and among others, has assigned the Defendant should be granted a new trial because a juror was asleep during the taking of the testimony of the Defendant's case. The Court observed Juror Fommie Thompson with his eyes closed during the time the case was in trial, and not knowing whether the juror was asleep or awake, I asked one of the jurors to awaken him, and then had all jurors to stand up and stretch. I constantly observed the jury, and if this juror was, in fact, asleep, he could have only been asleep for a few brief moments. Therefore, I fail to see how he could have possibly missed very much of the testimony. Norris does not cite any cases as authority for reversal; instead, he attempts to distinguish Hines v. State, 417 So.2d 924 (Miss. 1982), wherein the following was said: The appellant next argues that the court erred in failing to declare a mistrial, or in the alternative, to replace a juror, who was allegedly asleep, with an alternate juror to conclude the case. It was claimed that the juror had been asleep during the closing argument of the appellant. The trial judge made a finding that if the juror was indeed asleep, he awoke before the matter was brought to the attention of the court by appellant's counsel. This finding was made during the appellant's motion for a J.N.O.V. or in the alternative for a new trial, at which time the trial judge stated, in overruling the appellant's motion: .... On the second ground, the Court has a few comments to make concerning its own observation of what did take place. The Court was not looking at the jury when Mr. Gilfoy pointed out to the Court that we had a juror who was asleep. I looked at the jury and juror Dixon did have his head down and his hands over his eyes. The juror next to him hit him in the side or punched him in the side and he looked at the juror and said to him, I am not asleep, and he looked at the Court and said I am not asleep. The argument proceeded. The defense argued. Mr. Gilfoy was going through his argument at which time Mr. Gilfoy again pointed out that juror Dixon appeared to be asleep, at which time I looked again at Dixon and I watched him thereafter throughout the argument. He did have his head down and he had his hands over his eyes but when the comment was made by Mr. Gilfoy he raised his head and looked at me and said I am not asleep. Therefore, the Court is of the opinion that if juror Dixon was asleep he awoke. He was awakened by his fellow who punched him in the side when Mr. Gilfoy brought it to my attention and thereafter the Court is convinced from his responses to me, which were made directly to me after Mr. Gilfoy pointed out that he was asleep, that he was not in fact asleep because he moved his hands and raised his eyes and indicated that he was not asleep. In this case, the trial judge found that the juror was not asleep and thus there was no need to remove him from hearing the rest of the case. We hold that due to the trial judge's finding that the juror was indeed awake, the appellant's assignment of error is without merit. Id. at 925. Norris claims that his case is distinguishable because the judge in Hines found that the juror was not asleep, while no such affirmative finding was made by the trial judge here. We are satisfied that the judge's finding set out in the record in this case was a sufficient and justifiable reason for allowing the juror to remain on the jury. Moreover, in Gerlach v. State, 466 So.2d 75 (Miss. 1985), Gerlach complained on appeal of jury tampering. However, counsel had said nothing about it until several days later, after the jury's guilty verdict. The Court mentioned Hines by anology, and then said the following: It would appear that, if Gerlach had objected at trial to Carvin's remaining upon the jury on the grounds that the information in the telephone call would adversely prejudice Carvin's deliberations concerning Gerlach's guilt, then Carvin should have been taken off the jury and an alternate juror seated. In this context we note that the trial judge interrogated Juror Carvin extensively, and it appears without serious doubt that the juror understood her obligation to disregard the telephone call and to decide the case solely on the evidence presented in open court. Because the record fails to reflect a timely and adequate objection on the part of defense counsel, we deny the assignment of error. Id. at 79. No reversible error occurred because the trial judge gave a sufficient justification for leaving the juror on the jury, and there was no timely complaint by counsel to the juror continuing to serve.