Opinion ID: 1986196
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: the sequestration of the jury

Text: The defendant argues that it was reversible error for the trial justice to deny his repeated motions to sequester the jury for the duration of the trial. It is true that a trial justice is given discretionary power to sequester a jury by G.L. 1956 (1994 Reenactment) § 12-17-13. It is important to note that sequestration of a jury is not an end in itself but is a means toward insulation of a jury from external influences including media reports that could dilute the jury's impartiality. We noted in State v. Cline, 122 R.I. 297, 316, 405 A.2d 1192, 1203 (1979), that when a defendant makes a claim that a trial jury has been subjected to exposure to newspaper articles during the course of a trial, it is necessary for the defendant to make a showing that he or she was prejudiced thereby. Earlier in Palmigiano v. State, 120 R.I. 402, 387 A.2d 1382 (1978), we enunciated with approval the following general principle: Newspaper and television publicity surrounding a trial represent the most common threats to the integrity of the proceedings. This is not to suggest, however, that juror exposure to any publicity vitiates the fairness of the trial. The severity of the threat depends upon both the nature of the information so publicized and the degree of juror exposure to it. Id. at 407-08, 387 A.2d at 1385 (quoting United States v. Thomas, 463 F.2d 1061, 1063 (7th Cir.1972)). Consequently in order to establish reversible error, defendant must establish that he was prejudiced by publicity or other external influences that interfered with the deliberations of the jury to such an extent that he was deprived of his right to a fair trial. In the case at bar no such showing has been made. Although the trial justice did not sequester the jury, he repeatedly instructed the jurors at each adjournment of the court that they were not to discuss the case with one another or with anyone else. He further admonished them that they should not watch any television program or read any newspaper article relating to the case before them. During the course of the trial defendant's counsel made reference to a report on the radio and television media of an alleged plot between Mr. Hightower and others at the Adult Correctional Institution (ACI) to harm potential witnesses in this case. The trial justice, at the request of defense counsel, polled the jurors concerning whether any of them had heard the broadcasts or any references made to the broadcast. Two jurors reported that they had heard fragments on the bus but one juror asked that the speakers not discuss the matter and the second juror immediately removed himself from the location and did not obtain any significant information from the fragments. A third juror stated that she had heard something about the ACI and that defendant may have attempted an assault on an inmate or inmates at the institution. The defendant, under oath, and after consultation with his attorney, stated that he desired to excuse only the one juror who had heard the allegation concerning the assault. He was not concerned about the other two jurors and requested that he be allowed to continue the trial with fifteen jurors instead of sixteen jurors. The trial justice acceded to this request and excused the one juror who had heard more than a mere fragment concerning the report. The only other report brought to the attention of the trial justice of media influence was a broadcast from a Boston television station concerning the case. Again the trial justice polled all fifteen remaining jurors individually, and all stated that they had not watched or heard any Boston television station. Counsel for defendant was satisfied with this examination and suggested that the trial continue. Later that same day counsel for defendant informed the trial justice that a local radio station planned to conduct a poll concerning whether Hightower was guilty or not guilty of the charges on trial. Apparently, the poll either was not broadcast or in any event never reached the attention of any of the jurors. The trial justice gave a very stern instruction to the jurors that they should pay no attention to any such broadcast and that they alone must decide the guilt or innocence of defendant and determine what their verdict should be. He also complimented them upon their performance of a civic duty. The next reference came to the attention of the court on April 5, 1993, when the court became aware that counsel for defendant had been quoted in an article in the Boston Globe concerning the case. There was no indication that any juror had read the article, and the trial justice rebuked counsel for having made such public comment. Thus there is not the slightest indication that any prejudicial media reports or any other external reports came to the attention of the jurors throughout the trial save in the one instance when a juror was excused at the request of defendant. Consequently defendant can point to no instance of prejudicial intrusion upon the evidence submitted to the jurors as a result of lack of sequestration. Indeed, sequestration in and of itself is not a right in any sense. In the event that prejudicial publicity had come to the attention of the jurors, defendant's remedy would have been to move for a mistrial as a result of the interference with the impartiality of the jurors. See, e.g., State v. Gibbons, 418 A.2d 830, 838 (R.I. 1980); State v. Palmigiano, 115 R.I. 166, 168-69, 341 A.2d 742, 743 (1975). The trial justice committed no reversible error by declining to sequester the jurors since no prejudicial external influences resulted from the lack of sequestration.