Opinion ID: 469177
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Ex Parte Communications With Juror

Text: 50 The morning after voir dire was completed but before any testimony was heard, a juror approached the jury clerk and reported that she might be disqualified. In a recorded ex parte meeting with the court, the juror stated that her husband was appearing before another tribunal with an attorney who was a personal friend of Anthony's. The juror stated that her husband and Anthony's friend would be testifying together as expert witnesses before the Corporation Commission for the duration of the defendant's trial. The juror stated that the news media had reported earlier commission hearings, and her husband suspected that the media would also cover the hearings with which he and Anthony's friend were involved. 51 Judge Thompson voiced his concern over appearances, called the attorneys in to his chambers, where he indicated the juror's recently discovered problem, and stated that he wanted to excuse the juror. The judge asked the attorneys if they wanted to question the juror on the stand. Defense counsel objected to her being excused, but declined to question her because Judge Thompson said the juror told him that she felt compromised. Defense counsel continued to object to her dismissal. 52 The defendants contend that the district court, in communicating with the juror ex parte, violated their constitutional rights to be present at every stage of their trial. In a later review of the record, the defense discovered that the juror never said she felt compromised. The defendants claim they were prejudiced by this misstatement because they would have inquired further of the juror if the trial court had not misled them. 53 In Rushen v. Spain, 464 U.S. 114, 104 S.Ct. 453, 78 L.Ed.2d 267 (1983), the Supreme Court stated that, while the right to personal presence at all critical stages of the trial and the right to counsel are fundamental rights of each criminal defendant, these rights are subject to the harmless error analysis. The Court reversed a Ninth Circuit opinion which held that an unrecorded ex parte communication between trial judge and juror can never be harmless error. The Court admonished the district court for not having contacted counsel for both parties after the juror approached him; however, the Court stated, an automatic reversal rule would undermine the administration of the criminal justice system since the day-to-day realities of courtroom life include occasional, and innocuous communication between the court and jurors. Id. at 119, 104 S.Ct. at 456. 54 In United States v. de Hernandez, 745 F.2d 1305 (10th Cir.1984), we held that whether the harmless error exception applies to ex parte communications is a question to be determined case by case as to whether a defendant's substantial rights have been adversely affected. The burden is on the prosecution to show the ex parte communication with the jury did not prejudice the defendant. Id. 55 Although it would have been better to have had the confrontation in the presence of counsel for both sides, we hold the district court's communication with the juror did not constitute reversible error. We can find no reason why or how the court's action prejudiced defendants. Unlike the jurors in Rushen or de Hernandez, this person did not sit on the jury. Therefore she could not have been adversely influenced by any comments by the court and, more importantly, could not have contaminated jury deliberations, or in any way prejudiced the outcome of the trial. Although the defendants have not challenged the district court's ruling dismissing the juror for cause, we hold that the court's concern with appearances, which we interpret as the appearance of impartiality, was not an abuse of discretion in light of the public attention focused on this case.