Opinion ID: 2202566
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: opinion in support of remand

Text: SPAETH, President Judge: The issue in this case is whether a new trial should be granted as to the defendant, Pennsylvania Electric Company (PECO), where the attorney for the additional defendant, Cardamone, initiated a communication with a juror. [1] In my view this issue cannot be resolved without findings of fact by the trial court. Since the trial court made no findings, I should remand for further proceedings. This case is difficult because the trial court granted a new trial as to PECO despite the fact that PECO's attorney did nothing wrong. I think, however, that we may dissolve this difficulty if we put it aside for the moment, and approach it step by step. Suppose a case involving only two parties  plaintiff and defendant. If it appears that during the trial there was a communication between the defendant's attorney and a juror, and if the jury finds for the defendant, is the plaintiff entitled to a new trial? In answering this question, the first inquiry should be, What were the contents of the communication? In the very unusual case the contents of the communication will not be known. That was the case in Printed Terry Finishing Co. v. City of Lebanon, 247 Pa.Super. 277, 372 A.2d 460 (1977), because there, while the trial judge received testimony showing that there had been a communication, he refused to receive testimony regarding the contents of the communication. We held that in these circumstances a new trial was required. [2] I agree with my colleagues that much that we said in Printed Terry Finishing Co. is relevant to our consideration here, but it was nevertheless dictum, and to decide this case we must look further. Suppose then that we know the contents of the communication, and that they concerned the law suit. [3] The question should be, Who initiated the communication? If the defendant's attorney did, then in my opinion the plaintiff should be granted a new trial. The defendant's attorney may argue that he did not intend to influence the jury by, or that anyway the jury was not influenced by, the communication, but I should regard those arguments as without merit. The attorney knew, or should have known, that his communication might influence the jury, and that in initiating the communication he was doing wrong. Code of Professional Responsibility, DR7-108(B)(1) (a lawyer connected with the trial of a case shall not communicate with or cause another to communicate with any member of the jury). He should not be permitted to try to gain a favorable verdict, by unprofessional conduct, and then when he does gain it, be heard to say that his unprofessional conduct was of no consequence. [4] Those cases not requiring a new trial are distinguishable on their facts. See, e.g., California Fruit Exchange v. Henry, 89 F.Supp. 580 (W.D.Pa.) (attorney inquired of a juror about the jury's verdict, but no new trial granted because jury had already agreed upon and sealed verdict), aff'd on other grounds, 184 F.2d 517 (3d Cir. 1950); Wise & Hanslip v. Bosley, 32 Iowa 34 (1871) (no new trial granted where defendant approached juror and asked what he thought of the case, or if it was not a singular case because evidence showed defendant did not remember person was a juror and that he promptly stopped talking upon learning person was juror); Paustenbaugh v. Ward Baking Co., 374 Pa. 418, 97 A.2d 816 (1953) (no new trial granted in a suit where only damages were being litigated where plaintiff's wife complained to three jurors about her husband's health and the jurors did not respond and reported the incident to the court and court cautioned the jurors not to say anything to the other jurors). Suppose, however, that the defendant's attorney did not initiate the communication. Perhaps, for example, a juror or a journalist or a tipstaff initiated an inquiry or made some observation about some aspect of the suit. In such a case the defendant's attorney has done nothing wrong, and before deciding whether to grant the plaintiff a new trial the trial court should inquire further. If the court finds that the plaintiff was prejudiced, then a new trial should be awarded. For even though the defendant's attorney, which is to say, the defendant, did nothing wrong, still, the plaintiff has because of the communication not had a fair trial. See Mattox v. United States, 146 U.S. 140, 13 S.Ct. 50, 36 L.Ed. 917 (1892) (where bailiff conversed with jurors about defendant's prior criminal record and where jurors were read editorial comments unfavorable to defendant from a newspaper, judgment reversed because these contacts were prejudicial to defendant); Lindsey v. Watts, 273 Ark. 478, 621 S.W.2d 679 (1981) (trial court properly denied motion for new trial where juror remarked to attorney that exhibit had not been shown to jury and attorney said that jury could take exhibits); Safeway Trails, Inc. v. Smith, 222 Md. 206, 159 A.2d 823 (1960) (where juror had a general conversation about suit with person not related to suit, court found conversation innocuous); Mix v. North American Co., 209 Pa. 636, 59 A. 272 (1904) (defendant entitled to new trial in part because third party discussed case with juror and attempted to influence the juror's verdict); Brancato v. Kroger Co., 312 Pa.Super. 448, 458 A.2d 1377 (1983) (where juror questioned party about her physical condition and party replied she couldn't discuss it, no proof of prejudice requiring a new trial). Now suppose a case in which the communication did not concern the law suit. See, e.g., Happoldt v. Guardian Life Ins. Co., 90 Cal.App.2d 386, 203 P.2d 55 (1949) (juror talked with attorney, remarking that he looked like a motion picture actor and a few bantering remarks were made); Rudolph v. Gleason, 339 So.2d 298 (Fla.Dist.Ct.App. 1976) (juror remarked to defendant in elevator that she was reluctant to give her age upon voir dire examination and defendant answered that it was the woman's prerogative not to reveal her age); Sunset Acres Motel, Inc. v. Jacobs, 336 S.W.2d 473 (Mo. 1960) (one juror talked with plaintiff's wife about juror's small son and showed her pictures of the boy; another juror stopped and discussed weather and fishing with plaintiff and his wife); Gross v. Moore, 166 Pa.Super. 575, 73 A.2d 221 (1950) (adjuster for defendant insurance company talked with juror who was his niece about family matters); O'Berry v. Perry, 266 N.C. 77, 145 S.E.2d 321 (1965) (juror encountered plaintiff and witness and asked witness what office he was running for; all three walked to lunch together talking about fishing and corned herring); Schoenrock v. Eib, 75 S.D. 613, 71 N.W.2d 82 (1955) (in a wrongful death suit brought by plaintiff, jurors initiated conversation with defendant regarding farming conditions in Kansas, defendant's home state, and South Dakota). Generally speaking, in such cases the courts have inquired as to the party's or the party's attorney's intent, and whether the jury was influenced by the communication, without making clear the relationship of these inquiries. See Pessin v. Keeneland Association, 298 F.Supp. 593 (E.D.Ky. 1969) (merely concluding that the contact did not influence the verdict and was not made with any improper design); Atwood v. Lever, 274 So.2d 146 (Miss. 1973) (mistrial or new trial should not be granted unless the circumstances indicate some prejudice, wrongful intent, or unfairness); Shew v. Bailey, 37 Tenn.App. 40, 260 S.W.2d 362 (1951) (concluding that the contact did not influence the verdict and was not made with any improper design). See also California Fruit Exchange v. Henry, supra (stating rule that if the communication was not about the case and nothing done for purpose of influencing the mind of the jury, and that the communication had no influence on the verdict, then there is no ground to set aside verdict). I believe the trial court should proceed in the same way as in cases that involve communications that concern the law suit, with one difference. I do not believe that the fact that the defendant's attorney initiated the communication should by itself require a new trial. For, given that the communication did not concern the law suit, it may be unfair to impute to the attorney an intention to influence the jury. The court should therefore inquire whether the defendant's attorney did intend to influence the jury. For even though the communication did not concern the law suit, still, by engaging in it the defendant's attorney may have intended to influence the jury, by indirection. If the court finds intent to influence the jury, then the plaintiff should be granted a new trial. If the court finds no intent, then it should inquire whether even so, the jury was influenced in the defendant's favor. [5] If it was, then the plaintiff should be granted a new trial. While the cases are not uniform, I believe this is the view of the better reasoned ones. See Gall v. New York and New Brunswick Auto Express Company, 132 N.J.L. 466, 40 A.2d 643 (1945) (new trial granted because plaintiff had attempted to gain advantage and even though success of this attempt not known); Baker v. Ohio Ferro-Alloys Corp., 23 Ohio App.2d 25, 261 N.E.2d 157 (1970) (new trial granted where attorney complimented defense witness on unrelated matter in presence of jurors; no specific prejudice need be shown). See also United States v. Harry Barfield Co., 359 F.2d 120 (5th Cir. 1966) (where president of taxpayer corporation deliberately and intentionally engaged juror in conversation about family and business matters and although juror testified that he was not influenced by the contact, case must be reversed for a new trial); Pekar v. United States, 315 F.2d 319 (5th Cir. 1963) (where Assistant United States Attorney sat down and engaged juror in long conversation relating to juror's business, new trial necessary); State v. Jones, 363 Mo. 998, 255 S.W.2d 801 (1953) (judgment reversed where sheriff, who was a material witness against the state, related to juror his experience with some unspecified burglary); Noble v. McAllister Dairy Farms, Inc., 52 Ohio Op. 52, 114 N.E.2d 540 (C.P. 1952) (new trial granted where treasurer of the prevailing plaintiff company fraternized with member of the jury; no need to show effect on verdict where there is misconduct by prevailing party). But see Ryan v. United States, 191 F.2d 779 (D.C.Cir. 1951) (where prosecuting attorney talked with several jurors about matters not related to the case, new trial not granted because conversation had not been prejudicial), cert. denied sub. nom. Duncan v. United States, 342 U.S. 928, 72 S.Ct. 368, 96 L.Ed. 691 (1952); Nyberg v. State, 75 Wis.2d 400, 249 N.W.2d 524 (1977) (no new trial awarded where witness attempted to ingratiate himself with two jurors because court found no prejudice and jurors did not know he was a witness). Now we may turn to the case at hand. The way to dissolve the complication introduced by the fact that PECO's attorney did nothing wrong, I suggest, is to consider the verdicts separately, first, the verdict in favor of the additional defendant, Cardamone, and then the verdict in favor of PECO. I shall start by stating the facts, somewhat more fully than have my colleagues, and then I shall apply to those facts the principles just discussed. The juror and the additional defendant's attorney had an on-going attorney-client relationship. They had conducted business in the past and at the time of the trial the attorney was representing the estate of the juror's mother. The juror was the executor of the estate. This relationship was fully disclosed at the beginning of trial. The trial court emphasized at different times that there was to be no contact between any of the jurors and the attorneys and parties. Despite this admonition and in direct violation of the Code of Professional Responsibility, DR7-108(B)(1), the attorney for the additional defendant Cardamone asked his secretary to call the client/juror to ask him to come into the attorney's office, if necessary while the trial was in progress. R. 37a. The attorney did not request permission from the court to conduct this business and did not inform the court during the trial of this contact. Consequently, during the trial the trial court did not examine the client/juror or the attorney about the contact or provide any remedial instructions to ameliorate the effects of the contact. When the client/juror came to the attorney's office, one day during the trial, he and the attorney briefly met and discussed business associated with the estate administration. When the client/juror expressed concern about the meeting, the attorney reassured him. R. 76a-77a. The client/juror in his deposition testified that the attorney even said that everything had been cleared. R. 85a. The purpose of the meeting was to facilitate the filing of the estate papers to take advantage of a 5 percent discount in the inheritance tax  a discount given if filing occurred within 90 days of death. The papers were filed on the day of the meeting and the estate of the client/juror's mother did get the benefit. The attorney and executor fees were set at 6 and 5 percent, respectively, of the estate. At this meeting the client/juror paid the attorney $1,990.54 in partial payment of the total fee of $3,670.54. Thus, both the client/juror and the attorney received economic benefits from their meeting. These facts disclose that the communication was initiated by the attorney, through his secretary, but that the contents of the communication did not concern the law suit. Accordingly, under the principles discussed above, in considering whether to grant the plaintiff a new trial as to the additional defendant, the trial court should have inquired whether in initiating the communication the additional defendant's attorney intended to influence the jury, by indirection. In my opinion, given the intimacy and importance of the communication, the evidence would have supported a finding of intent to influence, although the court also might have found no intent. If the court found intent to influence, then the verdict in favor of the additional defendant should have been set aside, and as to the additional defendant the plaintiff should have been granted a new trial. The additional defendant's attorney would have tried, by unprofessional conduct, to gain a favorable verdict, and he should not be permitted to keep the verdict. This finding, however, would not dispose of the plaintiff's motion that the verdict in favor of PECO should also be set aside, for the facts disclose that PECO's attorney did nothing wrong. The trial court should therefore have inquired further. Whatever its finding regarding the additional defendant's attorney's intent  whether he did or did not intend to influence the jury  the court should have determined whether the additional defendant's attorney's communication to the juror did influence the jury in PECO's favor. If it did, then as to PECO, the plaintiff should have been granted a new trial. Thus, had the trial court proceeded under the principles I believe applicable, it might have denied the plaintiff's motion for new trial entirely, or have granted it only as to the additional defendant, or have granted it as to both the additional defendant and the defendant. However, the court did not proceed in this fashion. Instead, without making any findings of fact, either as to intent or prejudice, it granted a new trial as to both the defendant and additional defendant on the ground that the communication to the juror had created an appearance of injustice. Slip op. at 6. [6] In my opinion, this was too general a test, and to that extent, I agree with Judge POPOVICH and Judge WIEAND and disagree with Judge CIRILLO, although, as I hope my discussion of the importance of determining the additional defendant's attorney's intent shows, I share Judge CIRILLO's concern that the jury's deliberations not be intruded upon. However, I disagree with Judge POPOVICH's and Judge WIEAND's view that we can decide this case now. Apparently they are satisfied that the additional defendant's attorney's communication to the juror could not have influenced the jury in PECO's favor. They may be right that it did not so influence the jury, but it is not evident to me that it could not have. What effect the communication had is a question of fact that should be resolved by the trial court, not by this court. This is particularly so since, once the trial court were instructed that it should resolve the question, it might wish to receive further testimony. [7] Judge CIRILLO may be too quick to deny PECO relief, but Judge POPOVICH and Judge WIEAND, I submit, are too quick to grant it. The case should be remanded for further proceedings consistent with this opinion.