Opinion ID: 423956
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 6

Heading: allegation of juror misconduct

Text: 47 Defendants next contend that the district court committed reversible error by failing to hold an evidentiary hearing concerning the defendants' allegation that a government witness had spoken with one of the jurors. This contention is without merit. 48 The defendants alleged that Catherine Ferguson, a prosecution witness, communicated with Juror Figurski during a sidebar. On the basis of this allegation, counsel for one of the defendants moved for a mistrial. The district court denied this motion. 49 The denial of the motion for mistrial, however, did not come until after the district court had questioned Ferguson outside of the jury's presence; Ferguson denied that she had been talking with the juror, she explained that she had merely been mumbling to herself. Ferguson's explanation was corroborated by the court reporter. Defense counsel then were allowed to voir dire two of the defendants concerning their observation of Ferguson's conduct. 50 We believe that the trial judge conducted the necessary investigation into the allegation of juror misconduct. The trial judge's determination that there had been no communication between Ferguson and Figurski was supported adequately by the testimony of Ferguson and the court reporter. Thus, it was not necessary to question Figurski. 51 Because the trial court properly found there had been no private communication between witness and juror, the cases cited by defendants to support the need for an evidentiary hearing are inapt. It is true, as defendants argue, that private communications between jurors and others are presumptively prejudicial. There can be no prejudice, however, in the absence of any such communication. Accordingly, we hold that the procedure followed by the district court in investigating the allegation of juror misconduct in this case was proper; defendants' claim of reversible error must fail.