Opinion ID: 1766302
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: was it error for one or more jurors to take the bible into the jury room during the penalty phase of the trial?

Text: It is not denied that one or two of the jurors had a Bible with them at the penalty phase of the trial. The bailiff informed the trial court, who in turn informed the prosecutor, but not defense counsel. The prosecutor later informed defense counsel who then made a motion for a mistrial. No admonition was given to the jury and the motion for mistrial was denied. Defense counsel interviewed a juror and filed an affidavit, part of which is as follows: I was advised that a particular passage [from the Bible which was taken to the jury room] played a major role in deliberation and, in the opinion of the juror, in the sentence of death which the jury recommended. I was referred to the Book of Numbers, Chapter 35, Verse 16 which the juror read as follows: And if he smites [sic] him with an instrument of iron, so that he dies [sic], he is a murderer: the murderer shall surely be put to death. I suggested to him that the verse sounded familiar, meaning familiar to the facts in Grooms. He answered that more than one juror referred to the verse as the `word of God' in regard to the issue of penalty that was the subject of their deliberation [TR 1404; AI 160]. It cannot be doubted that this passage had a heavy effect on the jury's ultimate decision to impose the death penalty. It is clear that error  highly prejudicial error, occurred here. No extraneous matter is permitted in the jury room. Remmer v. United States, 347 U.S. 227, 74 S.Ct. 450, 98 L.Ed. 654 (1954). A dictionary is not permitted when its presence in the jury room prejudices the defendant. Cole v. Commonwealth, Ky., 553 S.W.2d 468, 471 (1977). Nor may a jurors notes (taken at trial) be taken in the jury room. Harper v. Commonwealth, Ky., 694 S.W.2d 665, 669-70 (1985). What the Bible says about the appropriateness of a death penalty in a particular case is not a legitimate concern of a penalty phase jury. The law specifies when the death penalty is appropriate, and neither the prosecutor nor the defense counsel should be permitted to adduce evidence as to how [a capital] case should be decided on religious grounds. Ice v. Commonwealth, Ky., 667 S.W.2d 671, 676 (1984). If evidence of biblical references to capital punishment is not competent during the penalty phase of a capital trial, it is axiomatic that a jury may not independently consult the biblical scriptures for guidance in reaching its life and death decision. The prosecutor and judge both admit that at least one juror brought a Bible into the jury room during the penalty phase of Grooms' trial, thus consulting what he or she believed to be a religious authority when making the life or death decision. The misconduct is obvious. NeCamp v. Commonwealth, Ky., 225 S.W.2d 109, 112 (1949). Even more alarming are the references in the uncontested affidavit filed in support of Grooms' motion for a new trial. Not only does the affidavit confirm the existence and use of a Bible during the deliberations, it also establishes that a particular passage from the Book of Numbers, calling for murderers to be put to death, played a major role in the jury's decision that Fred Grooms should be executed. I have dwelled on this particular issue because of the trial courts failure to do anything  either grant a mistrial on the penalty issue or give an appropriate admonition to the jury. I also believe it should have been discussed and used as an additional ground for reversal in the majority opinion.