Opinion ID: 852874
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Newspaper Article Impeaching the Verdict

Text: At the sentencing hearing, McManus tendered a news article purporting to relate jurors' perceptions of McManus during the trial. He contends that the trial court erred by excluding the exhibit. The trial court has inherent discretionary power on the admission of evidence, and its decisions are reviewed only for an abuse of that discretion. Jones v. State, 780 N.E.2d 373, 376 (Ind.2002). Indiana's Evidence Rule 606(b) reads as follows: Upon an inquiry into the validity of a verdict or indictment, a juror may not testify as to any matter or statement occurring during the course of the jury's deliberations or to the effect of anything upon that or any other juror's mind or emotions as influencing the juror to assent to or dissent from the verdict or indictment or concerning the juror's mental processes in connection therewith, except that a juror may testify (1) to drug or alcohol use by any juror, (2) on the question of whether extraneous prejudicial information was improperly brought to the jury's attention or (3) whether any outside influence was improperly brought to bear upon any juror. A juror's affidavit or evidence of any statement by the juror concerning a matter about which the juror would be precluded from testifying may not be received for these purposes. McManus does not argue any of the three exceptions. He contends only that the defense was unaware of the medications administered to him and was therefore unable to account for his cool demeanor. This was not a ground for permitting impeachment of the verdict.