Opinion ID: 1733200
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: compelling attendance of an ill juror

Text: As the jury was to begin its second day of deliberations, one juror was not present, having called in sick. Defense counsel objected to proceeding with 11 jurors. On the judge's instruction, the court clerk called the juror in the presence of the judge and the prosecutor but without the presence of defense counsel. The clerk reported that the juror responded that she had a sore neck and a cold brought on by the air conditioning. The judge decided that the juror was not too ill to come in, the juror was brought to the court in a police car, and deliberations resumed. When he learned of this, defense counsel objected to the failure to involve him in the process, but neither attempted to prove nor indeed did he claim any prejudice to the defendant on account of it. While the unilateral procedure followed here leaves much to be desired, until we are persuaded that it resulted in denying defendant a fair trial, we will not reverse. The question we must answer is whether there is any reasonable possibility that the defendant was prejudiced. A reasonable possibility of prejudice may not rest upon the bare assumption that the prosecutor or the judge engaged in some misconduct or that the police who transported the juror attempted to influence her. Without some basis on the record for such an assumption, it is unwarranted. To make that assumption, defense counsel, either during trial or at some other point, should have buttressed this issue by questioning the police officer who transported the juror or by inquiring of the juror herself once the verdict was returned. We have no idea whether the juror was so sick that her only thought was to end the deliberations as quickly as possible. On this record we do not find error on the claim which requires reversal. Reversed and remanded.