Opinion ID: 1658416
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: the jury was sequestered but separated. in attempting to determine whether there was jury tampering, the lower court improperly impeached a defense witness.

Text: The jury retired to the jury room and was in recess while a bailiff escorted one of the jurors to a restroom. During this period, two witnesses, Sheila McCullough and Linda McGee Carter, inadvertently entered the jury room to obtain coffee. Appellant contends that the sanctity of the jury was violated and the incident requires reversal of the case. When the matter was brought to the attention of the trial judge, he conducted an inquiry outside the presence of the jury to determine whether or not anything was done or said in the jury room while the two women were present, which related to the trial and charge against appellant, or influenced the jury in any way. Without contradiction, it was developed that the women went into the jury room by mistake; that no conversation was had with any juror; and that nothing occurred, which would influence or affect the jury in its deliberation and decision of the case. Appellant argues that the court's manner of investigation caused the improper impeachment of Linda McGee Carter, who was an important defense witness. Appellant cites Woods v. State, 43 Miss. 364 (1870) and cases following Woods to support his position. The reasoning of Woods is not pertinent to the case sub judice, where there was an inadvertent separation of the jury for a brief time. See Lampley v. State, 291 So.2d 707 (Miss. 1974). In the trial of cases during modern times, inadvertent or brief separations can hardly be prevented, regardless of accomodations and the number of bailiffs. Every case has to be decided on its own facts in regard to what happened. The possibility that influence might have been used on a jury is not enough to set aside a conviction and any presumption of prejudice may be rebutted by an affirmative showing that no such prejudice exists. Anderson v. State, 231 Miss. 352, 95 So.2d 465 (1957); Pepper v. State, 200 Miss. 891, 27 So.2d 842 (1946). The trial judge's inquiry included placing Ms. McCullough and Mrs. Carter under oath and interrogating them outside the jury's presence, and inquiring of the jury as to whether anything occurred that would influence them in their decision. We are of the opinion that nothing tainted or influenced the jury and that there is no merit to appellant's claim that the inquiry amounted to an impeachment of the witness, Linda McGee Carter.