Opinion ID: 1269334
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Restraints During Trial

Text: Defendants next argue that the trial judge committed prejudicial error by allowing them to be tried while wearing ankle weights. In State v. Tolley, 290 N.C. 349, 226 S.E.2d 353 (1976), we held that it was not error for a defendant to be tried in shackles when there was a sufficient showing that under the circumstances the restraints were necessary. We did emphasize that shackles are inherently prejudicial to the defendant and should not be used without justification. We recommended certain procedures for insuring that, when shackles were used, the record supporting their use would be sufficient to permit appellate review of the trial judge's determination of necessity. N.C.G.S. § 15A-1031 (1983) incorporates our holding in Tolley as follows: A trial judge may order a defendant or witness subjected to physical restraint in the courtroom when the judge finds the restraint to be reasonably necessary to maintain order, prevent the defendant's escape, or provide for the safety of persons. If the judge orders a defendant or witness restrained, he must: (1) Enter in the record out of the presence of the jury and in the presence of the person to be restrained and his counsel, if any, the reasons for his action; and (2) Give the restrained person an opportunity to object; and (3) Unless the defendant or his attorney objects, instruct the jurors that the restraint is not to be considered in weighing evidence or determining the issue of guilt. If the restrained person controverts the stated reasons for restraint, the judge must conduct a hearing and make findings of fact. In accordance with the statute, the trial judge informed the defendants and their counsel and made an entry in the record out of the presence of the jury that the restraints were necessary to prevent the defendants' escape. The trial judge conducted a hearing, and Deputy Rollins of the Union County Sheriff's Department testified as follows: Information was relayed to me last week that they almost escaped previously en route to the hospital, that one of them purposely told the deputy to look at a woman walking across the yard, and when the deputy turned to look at her, his intention was to get the gun while the other man was getting the prescription filled in the drugstore, and their intentions was [sic] to grab a deputy's gun, or officer's gun, while en route to the courtroom to escape. When asked about the source of his information, Deputy Rollins said it came from the chief jailor. Although Deputy Rollins' testimony would not have been admissible at trial because based upon hearsay, we hold that a judge may base his findings supporting the use of restraints upon reliable information which would not be admissible as evidence at a trial. The trial judge noted that the defendants' pants legs about cover up those weights around the ankles of both defendants. He made the following findings of fact which we find justify the use of the unobtrusive ankle weights: Let the record show that upon this motion the Chief Deputy Sheriff of this county says he had information that these defendants, if they got a chance, would would [sic] grab a gun and attempt to escape; that the Sheriff this week got a new type of leg weight, apparently has a lock to it, that wraps around the legs, that it is dark in color, looks like it is made of cloth and possibly one leather strap around it; that both defendants are now sitting in the court with those weights around each of their legs; that in the court's opinion based on the Sheriff's information and the fact that these two defendants will be sitting at the counsel table primarily behind counsel and between the State's counsel and the jury, and due to the fact that the court intends to have all persons in the courtroom before the jury comes in and excuse the jury before other persons are excused, I do not think the jury will notice anything around either of the defendant's legs. If they do, without some comment from the attorneys, I do not think a jury would associate that type of wrappings around a person's leg as being shackles or leg chains. .... Now, in the event one or both of them want to testify, we'll then at that time take some other steps. The defendants did not testify before the jury and there is no indication in the record that the trial judge did not follow the procedure which he outlined in his findings to prevent the jurors' observing the defendants' heavy gait caused by the weights. In their brief to this Court, the defendants argue that the judge failed to instruct the jury in accordance with the statute that the restraint was not to be considered in weighing the evidence and determining guilt. The defendants made no objection at trial to the failure to instruct and did not include in the record on appeal an assignment of error on this point. They have therefore failed to preserve the issue for appellate review. N.C.R.App.P. 10(b)(2). This assignment of error is overruled.