Opinion ID: 1359258
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 8

Heading: Unanimous Verdict Instruction

Text: Appellant asserts that reversible error occurred when the district court failed to instruct the jury that its verdict must be unanimous. Article 1, Section 9 of the Wyoming Constitution recognizes the right of an accused to receive a unanimous verdict by twelve impartial jurors. Brown v. State, 817 P.2d 429, 439 (Wyo.1991). W.R.Cr.P. 31 states in part: (a) Return. The verdict shall be unanimous. It shall be returned by the jury to the judge in open court. .... (d) Poll of jury. When a verdict is returned and before it is recorded the jury shall be polled at the request of any party or upon the court's own motion. If upon the poll there is not unanimous concurrence, the jury may be directed to retire for further deliberations or may be discharged. `Polling is one means of ensuring unanimity.' United States v. Hernandez-Garcia, 901 F.2d 875, 877 (10th Cir.) (quoting United States v. Morris, 612 F.2d 483, 489 (10th Cir.1979)), cert. denied, 498 U.S. 844, 111 S.Ct. 125, 112 L.Ed.2d 94 (1990). In this case, after the jury's verdict had been announced, defense counsel requested that the jury be polled. The district court polled the jury, and all the jurors concurred in the verdict. The poll of the jury ensured that the verdict was unanimous; therefore, no error occurred.