Opinion ID: 1755512
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: courtroom disturbance

Text: Bass and Thomas also contend that the trial court erred in refusing to grant a mistrial after a disturbance occurred in the courtroom. During Bass' cross-examination of prosecution witness Anita Thompson, Thompson started crying when Bass sought to elicit testimony as to whether anyone tried to influence her testimony. When Thompson mentioned the name Tyrone, an unidentified spectator ran out of the courtroom and was followed by a law enforcement officer. After this disturbance, the court recessed for lunch. After the recess, the court stated that it had decided to clear all of the spectators out of the courtroom for the remainder of the trial. The attorneys for Bass and Thomas moved for a mistrial. They argued that the disturbance unfairly prejudiced the minds of the jurors against Bass and Thomas. This motion was overruled. The general rule is that it is the duty of the trial court to maintain order in the courtroom and to take appropriate action when disturbances occur. 23 C.J.S. Criminal Law § 970. Rule 5.15 of the Mississippi Uniform Criminal Rules of Circuit Court Practice provides that [t]he court shall declare a mistrial upon the defendant's motion if there occurs during the trial an error or legal defect in the proceeding or conduct inside or outside the courtroom resulting in substantial and irreparable prejudice to the defendant's case. In Ladner v. State, 584 So.2d 743, 753 (Miss. 1991), this Court held that it will not reverse on the failure to grant a mistrial unless the trial court abused its discretion in overruling the motion for a mistrial. See also Horne v. State, 487 So.2d 213, 214-15 (Miss. 1986); Coley v. State, 378 So.2d 1095, 1097 (Miss. 1980); Logsdon v. State, 183 Miss. 168, 170, 183 So. 503 (Miss. 1938). In Davis v. State, 530 So.2d 694, 697 (Miss. 1988), quoting Schwarzauer v. State, 339 So.2d 980, 982 (Miss. 1976), the Court stated: [t]rial judges are peculiarly situated so as to decide (better and more logically than anyone else) when a trial should be discontinued. In this case, the trial court stated that it did not feel that the disturbance would cause substantial prejudice to Thomas and Bass because it was unlikely that the jurors even realized exactly what took place. The court did not abuse its discretion in refusing to grant a mistrial. After the disturbance, the court recessed for lunch. The court also cleared the spectators from the courtroom for the remainder of the trial in order to preclude another disturbance. The court was in the best position to decide what action needed to be taken and did take reasonable action. After a careful study of the record, we find that the remaining assignments of error are without merit. AFFIRMED. ROY NOBLE LEE, C.J., DAN M. LEE, P.J., and PRATHER, ROBERTSON, SULLIVAN, PITTMAN, BANKS and McRAE, JJ., concur.