Opinion ID: 2331454
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Extensive Jury Questioning

Text: [¶ 14] Merchant contends that the lengthy, individual inquiry of jurors, coupled with the fact that the inquiry focused on the nature and impact of actions of Merchant's family members, may have compromised the verdict by creating an uneasy feeling in jurors about Merchant himself. This contention is advanced for the first time on appeal. Counsel for Merchant at trial consented to and participated in the lengthy inquiry to which Merchant now objects. [5] [¶ 15] Where an issue is raised for the first time on appeal, our review is limited to whether the court's actions reflect obvious error. In re Joshua B., 2001 ME 115, ¶¶ 9-10, 776 A.2d 1240, 1243. Obvious error requires us to vacate a trial court's judgment only if the error deprived the party of a fair trial and resulted in a substantial injustice. Id. ¶ 9, 776 A.2d at 1243; In re William S., 2000 ME 34, ¶ 8, 745 A.2d 991, 995. [¶ 16] It is regrettable that an incident occurred involving a confrontation between jurors and a member of Merchant's family, as jurors were leaving the courtroom for home at the end of the day. However, the physical arrangements at courthouses and limitations on court security staff often make it difficult to assure separation of jurors from other trial participants and spectators, while jurors, within or around the courthouse, are coming to or leaving the jury room or the courtroom. In this case, when it learned of the problem, the court promptly informed the parties of what it had learned. See State v. Kaler, 1997 ME 62, ¶ 18, 691 A.2d 1226, 1232 (stating that court should promptly inform parties of any jury problems when it learns of such problems). While outside contacts with the jurors were regrettable, the trial court's response protected the integrity of the process and assured that the trial could proceed and that the jurors who would decide the case were objective and impartial. [¶ 17] We have indicated that when the impartiality of a jury is called into question, the trial court should individually interview the affected jurors to ascertain whether each can remain impartial. State v. Melanson, 2002 ME 145, ¶ 11, 804 A.2d 394, 398; State v. Mair, 670 A.2d 910, 912-13 (Me.1996). [¶ 18] Individualized inquiry on the facts of this case was essential to assure that no other juror was aware of what any particular juror may have seen, heard or thought about the incident. The trial court properly conducted such an individualized inquiry of each juror to determine if that juror's capacity to remain impartial had been compromised by either the events of the confrontation with Merchant's relative, or by anything the juror may have seen or heard when the matter was reported to the jury officer. The trial court also acted well within its discretion in permitting counsel to participate in the individualized questioning of the jurors. [¶ 19] As a result of the individualized inquiry, Merchant challenged only two of the fourteen questioned jurors. The court excused one of these jurors, but determined that the other juror might be able to sit and render an impartial verdict, if necessary. The trial court's determination of whether a juror can remain impartial is entitled to substantial deference because of the court's ability to observe and assess the juror's believability during the individualized inquiry. Melanson, 2002 ME 145, ¶ 11, 804 A.2d at 398. The second questioned juror was excused before deliberations began, leaving no member of the jury to whom Merchant objected. [¶ 20] It is fortunate that, during jury selection, the trial court had elected to have two alternate jurors. M.R.Crim. P. 24(d). This choice gave the court greater flexibility in excusing jurors and in making the decision to extend the trial into the weekend, both of which might have been problematic had there been no alternates available. [¶ 21] The trial court committed no error, let alone obvious error, in appropriately addressing, through individualized inquiry, the problem presented by contacts between jurors and relatives of Merchant.