Opinion ID: 1704680
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Invalid Verdict?

Text: A rule of evidence directs that a juror may not testify as to any matter or statement occurring during the course of the jury's deliberations or to the effect of anything upon the juror or any other juror's mind or emotions as influencing the juror to assent to or dissent from the verdict ... or concerning the juror's mental processes in connection therewith.... NDREv 606(b). The rule, however, does allow a juror [to] testify on the questions whether extraneous prejudicial information was improperly brought to the jury's attention, whether any outside influence was improperly brought to bear upon any juror, or whether the verdict of the jury was arrived at by chance. Id. The rule forbids use of a juror's affidavit, evidence, or testimony concerning a matter about which the juror would be precluded from testifying. Id. According to the Notes of the Advisory Committee on the 1972 Proposed Federal Rule of Evidence 606(b), the antecedent of NDREv 606(b), the rule does not purport to specify the substantive grounds for setting aside verdicts for irregularity. Still, David W. Louisell & Christopher B. Mueller, Federal Evidence, § 286, p. 118 (1979) clarify: As a practical matter, however, the exclusionary principle [of rule 606(b) ] imposes what amounts to limits upon the ground of permissible impeachment of jury verdicts. Breidenbach argues that the juror's affidavit was not presented to show how the jury reached its verdict, but to demonstrate that extraneous prejudicial information was improperly brought to the jury's attention about limits of coverage and the method one must employ to obtain coverage limits (go to court). We conclude, however, as we did in Andrews v. O'Hearn, 387 N.W.2d 716, 721 (N.D.1986), that this attempt to use a juror's affidavit to show how the jury reached its verdict is precisely within the rule's prohibition against impeachment of a jury verdict for a matter ... occurring during the course of the jury's deliberations.... The rule differentiates between the effect of a source external to the jury, on the one hand, and the effect of internal jury deliberations, on the other hand, regardless of the potential of objectively ascertaining overt acts within the internal deliberations of the jury. Andrews, 387 N.W.2d at 721. As Louisell & Mueller, Federal Evidence, § 285, p. 110, explain: In many cases in which a juror brings to deliberations extrarecord information, the problem is to determine whether the information constitutes improper `specific facts' rather than permissible `general knowledge' presumably possessed by every juror. An external influence or clearly extraneous information has prejudicially reached the jury in some of our cases. See State v. Brooks, 520 N.W.2d 796 (N.D.1994) (presiding juror told jury about newspaper account of prior drug conviction of drug defendant's business partner); Hoovestol v. Security State Bank, 479 N.W.2d 854 (N.D.1992) (deleted jury instruction mistakenly went to jury); State v. Abell, 383 N.W.2d 810 (N.D. 1986) (dictionary used by jury); Keyes v. Amundson, 343 N.W.2d 78 (N.D.1983) (jurors investigated accident scene during recess); Demaray v. Ridl, 249 N.W.2d 219, 225-26 (N.D.1976) (law book in jury room). In each of these cases, it was something more than the general knowledge that a juror brought with him when seated on the jury; it was specific facts or information about the particular case, but not in the record, that reached the jury. That is not this case. Our decisions have consistently rejected jurors' affidavits about the effect of internal deliberations. Erickson v. Schwan, 453 N.W.2d 765, 770 (N.D.1990) (to show jurors confused by instructions); Andrews v. O'Hearn, 387 N.W.2d at 718-23 (to show jury disregarded instructions on cause and relied on improper definition); Mauch v. Manufacturers Sales & Service, Inc., 345 N.W.2d 338, 343 (N.D.1984) (to show jury disregarded instructions); Kerzmann v. Rohweder, 321 N.W.2d 84 (N.D.1982) (to show jury confusion); Brauer v. James J. Igoe & Sons Construction, Inc., 186 N.W.2d 459, 474 (N.D. 1971) (to show the jury misunderstood the evidence); Christensen v. Farmers State Bank of Richardton, 157 N.W.2d 352, 359 (N.D.1968) (to show compromise on damages); Grenz v. Werre, 129 N.W.2d 681 (N.D. 1964) (to show jury did not believe defendant guilty of gross negligence but awarded damages anyway); State v. Forrester, 14 N.D. 335, 103 N.W. 625 (1905) (to show jurors misunderstood instructions). Unless the juror's evidence reflects an external source, our rule and precedents do not permit evidentiary use of a juror's generalizations made during jury deliberations to invalidate the verdict. As we explained thoroughly in Andrews, 387 N.W.2d at 718-23, strong policies protect most internal discussions of the jury from judicial scrutiny. General information, even misinformation, about automobile insurance that a juror mentions in the jury room, as differentiated from specific information about the case, is an internal aspect of jury deliberations, not an external effect on the jury. See Farmers Co-op. El. Ass'n Non-Stock, Big Springs, Neb. v. Strand, 382 F.2d 224, 230 (8th Cir.1967) (jurors discussed likelihood of insurance coverage); Holden v. Porter, 405 F.2d 878 (10th Cir.1969) (juror told others that certain military personnel carried liability insurance). Therefore, we conclude that the trial court did not abuse its discretion in excluding this juror's affidavit, nor in denying a new trial for jury misconduct. The verdict is valid.