Opinion ID: 1103979
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: The Baliff [Sic] Assigned to the Jury Was Personally Affected by a Capital Murder.

Text: ¶ 25. Puckett maintains that he did not receive a fair trial because jury members were aware of the circumstances surrounding the death of Bailiff Ladner's husband, Bruce Ladner, who was a highway patrolman. Bruce Ladner was the victim of a capital murder. Puckett asserts that such knowledge by the jury constitutes extraneous influence because anything less than a guilty verdict and sentence of death would appear to be disrespectful to not only Mrs. Ladner but also to the memory of her deceased husband. ¶ 26. First, Puckett does not offer any authority in support of his contention. This Court has continually considered issues of error not supported by citation or authority as abandoned. Thibodeaux v. State, 652 So.2d 153, 155 (Miss.1995). It is the duty of an appellant to provide authority and support of an assignment of error. Drennan v. State, 695 So.2d 581, 585-86 (Miss.1997); Hoops v. State, 681 So.2d 521, 526 (Miss. 1996); Kelly v. State, 553 So.2d 517, 521 (Miss.1989); Smith v. State, 430 So.2d 406, 407 (Miss.1983); Ramseur v. State, 368 So.2d 842, 844 (Miss.1979). Because Puckett has failed to meet the burden of providing authority to support his assignment of error, he is procedurally barred. Holland, 705 So.2d at 329; Drennan, 695 So.2d at 585-86. ¶ 27. Without waiving the procedural bar, Puckett's claim has no merit. Puckett offers no proof that any juror had knowledge of the circumstances surrounding the death of Bailiff Ladner's husband or that such knowledge had a prejudicial effect on the jury's verdict. Puckett directs this Court's attention to his Exhibit 7, purportedly and affidavit of Harris. Puckett's Exhibit 7 is an affidavit from James Green, an investigator for the MOCPCC who swears in his affidavit to a telephone interview with Ms. Tomoe Parker. There is nothing in Green's affidavit that relates to Bailiff Ladner or her late husband. ¶ 28. The only affidavit provided in Puckett's exhibits from an individual named Harris is Exhibit 8, which is a sworn affidavit of Tomika Harris. Harris is also an investigator for the MOCPCC. In this affidavit, Harris swears conducting an interview with Mr. Jerry Parker, an alternate juror in Puckett's trial. Harris's affidavit also comments on various statements made by Mr. Parker to her. Mr. Parker informed us that he only served as an ALTERNATE juror on this case. He stated that the bailiff's names were Mr. Warden and Mrs. Ladner (Mrs. Ladner is the widow of the late Bruce Ladner, officer slain in the line of duty years earlier). Puckett's petition, Ex. 8, Affidavit of Tomika Harris. ¶ 29. This is the only reference of Bruce Ladner's death presented by Puckett's exhibits to his application for post-conviction relief. This hearsay reference to Bruce Ladner does not assert that any juror's decision was influenced in any way because of Mrs. Ladner's presence as a bailiff in Puckett's trial. This issue is both barred from review, and without merit.