Opinion ID: 2552546
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Objection to the Ex Parte Communications

Text: The defense counsel, based on the information the judge received from the juror, moved for a mistrial after the third and final ex parte communication. In McGinnes, this court observed that an objection serves little purpose where the ex parte communication has already taken place. Therefore, the objection or lack of a specific objection may not be dispositive of the outcome of the issue. Matters Discussed in the Ex Parte Communication and Manner of Communication The matters communicated in the ex parte communication did not concern evidence. The subject of the communication was significant, however, because, as Rayton asserts, it involved possible juror prejudice and the ability of jurors to objectively evaluate the evidence after feeling threatened by the presence of defendant's sole witness. This factor goes to the substance of the communication and more appropriately bears on whether the trial court abused its discretion in failing to grant Rayton's motion for a mistrial predicated on juror prejudice. The manner of the judge's contact with the jury is troubling. While a juror initiated the first communication with the judge, the judge improperly initiated the second contact to discover the specific concerns of the jurors. The judge did not inform the parties of the problem prior to inviting the jurors into his chambers. Although the third on-the-record communication was authorized by the parties, it included an unauthorized communication when, for an unknown reason, the judge went off the record. When the judge came back on the record, he failed to fully review the context of the communication with the two jurors that had occurred while off the record. Although the judge later summarized the context of the off-record communication to the attorneys and the defendant, that summary was out of the presence of the jurors so there was no verification or affirmance by the jurors of the judge's perception of the matters communicated. The defendant moved for a mistrial when the content of the off-record communications was disclosed. The judge refused to grant a mistrial. Therefore, a post-trial remedy was sought and denied.