Opinion ID: 2570544
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 8

Heading: Effect of Discharge on the Guilt Phase

Text: Defendant finally contends that to the extent Juror No. 5 is found to have been biased based on his comments outside the courtroom during the guilt phase, we must reverse the guilt judgment. In support, he argues that if there was a substantial likelihood the juror was biased, the guilt phase verdict is tainted no matter how convinced we might be that an unbiased jury would have reached the same verdict, because a biased adjudicator is one of the few structural trial defects that compel reversal without application of a harmless error standard. ( People v. Nesler, supra, 16 Cal.4th at pp. 578-579.) Respondent replies that, if anything, Juror No. 5 was biased in defendant's favor and thus the rule requiring automatic reversal is not required. Because we find that Juror No. 5's fleeting and solitary comments do not establish to a demonstrable reality that he had prejudged the case, we also conclude there was insubstantial evidence indicating that he was a biased juror. Indeed, he affirmed he could follow the law and that he in fact was following the law. His fellow jurors reported that he was an active participant in deliberations. Accordingly, we conclude he was not a biased juror and thus reject defendant's argument that we must reverse the guilt phase judgment.