Opinion ID: 2508188
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 16

Heading: Supplemental Findings of Fact

Text: Davis argues the trial court erred by failing to adopt seven of his proposed findings of fact. These include findings that: jurors seated in the jury box close to the jury room doorway would have had an unobstructed view to the area underneath defense counsel table if the barrier erected by the attorneys did not block their view; jurors Dasher and Buchanan sat in the upper row of the jury box next to the jury room doorway; the barrier in front of the defense counsel table was made of moveable objects; none of the attorneys specifically remembered checking every day or more than once during a single day to make sure the barrier in front of the defense counsel table was in place; juror Buchanan saw buckles or rings around Davis's ankles he believed were restraints, and he believed Davis must have done something that caused him to be in restraints; a juror made a comment to Dasher about seeing restraints on one of the defendants and juror Dasher responded by mentioning her own experience with disabled children; and Dasher indicated people are placed in restraints because they are a danger to themselves or others. Several of Davis's proposed findings were covered by the trial court's findings, albeit contrary to Davis's version of the facts, and were discussed above. The only proposed findings that were not addressed, one way or another, in the trial court's findings, are those pertaining to the view from and seating arrangement in the jury box. Davis claims the trial court should have adopted these proposed findings because the vantage point in the jury box from which his shackles could have been visible, but for the barrier obstructing the view, is material to whether Dasher and Buchanan actually saw Davis wearing shackles in the courtroom. However, had the court adopted Davis's proposed findings of fact, that would not change the outcome of the issue they support: whether any juror actually saw Davis in shackles in the courtroom during the guilt or penalty phases of his trial. Whether Buchanan and Dasher might have been able to see under defense counsel table absent the barrier is immaterial to whether they actually saw Davis wearing restraints in the courtroom. Buchanan testified he did, Dasher testified she did not.