Opinion ID: 1671765
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: whether the trial court erred in allowing unauthorized persons to communicate with the jury after the jury was selected and sworn.

Text: ¶ 211. Beckwith complains that immediately after being sworn, the trial judge allowed jury members to return to their homes in the presence of various law officers to retrieve their personal belongings and that the officers accompanying these jurors had not been properly sworn as bailiffs. Second, he argues that the trial court erred by allowing the alternate jurors to mingle with the jury after it had retired to deliberate. The appellant correctly states that Mississippi Law requires alternate jurors to be discharged when the jury retires to deliberate. Miss. Code Ann. § 13-5-67 (As Amended). See also Balfour v. State, 598 So.2d 731 (Miss. 1992). ¶ 212. The record, however, does not substantiate this broad error alleged by the appellant. First, we find it noteworthy that Beckwith has alleged no improper or prejudicial contact with any juror by the bailiffs or anyone else. The bailiffs were sworn by the Circuit Clerk of Panola County in the manner in which bailiffs are customarily sworn. Section 13-5-73 of the Mississippi Code of 1972 states in pertinent part that bailiffs may be specially sworn by the Court, or under its direction, to attend on such jury and perform such duties as the Court may prescribe for them. As we point out to the parties in the preceding issue, this statute applies to capital cases. The bailiffs in this case were sworn under the direction of the Court and were instructed by the Court to accompany the jurors to their homes to collect their belongings for the trip. They were assigned a duty by the Court and they accomplished their task. No error occurred in these regards. ¶ 213. As to the statement that alternate jurors were allowed to mingle with the jury during their deliberations, there is simply no proof in the record supporting this contention. The trial judge clearly told the alternate jurors not to go into the jury with the regular jurors. None of the alternate jurors were ever seated. Any error made by the trial judge in sequestering the alternates separately was a technical error as to this case and is not worthy of further comment.