Opinion ID: 1196239
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: statements directed to the jury outside the trial

Text: In the middle of the trial, while leaving the courthouse for the night, one of the jurors heard an unidentified male say, We know who they are now, and they better find him innocent. The juror was certain that the statement was not made by Ryan, his father, or his brother. She told another juror about the incident immediately thereafter, and the next morning she told the other jurors in an effort to ascertain whether it was something that ought to be brought to the bailiff's attention. Upon learning of the comment, the trial judge and counsel asked the juror whether she felt any animosity toward the defendant, whether she could continue to be fair, and whether she felt intimidated by the comment. She indicated that she did not blame Ryan for the comments of others, that the incident would not affect her ability to be fair, and that she did not feel intimidated. Defense counsel immediately moved for a mistrial. The trial judge instead brought each juror into chambers and asked them what they knew about the incident, whether it would affect their ability to be fair, and whether they felt intimidated. Each responded that they could continue to be fair and that they did not feel intimidated. Additionally, the judge made sure that each juror was aware that the statement was not made by Ryan, his father, or his brother. Given these assurances, the motion for mistrial was denied. During deliberations, members of the jury who smoked were permitted to go to a common area outside of the courthouse. While one of the jurors was in this common area, in the company of a bailiff, a courthouse security guard approached the juror and asked, [I]f they were even close, and he said no, and that was it. Defense counsel moved for a mistrial, asserting that, [I]mplicit in that communication is, `Hey, you know, the guy's guilty as hell, and let's just get this over with so we can all go home.' The district judge disagreed and denied the motion, finding that such an innocuous comment was not prejudicial. As early as 1910 we made known that communications between jurors and third parties were improper. In Nicholson v. State, 18 Wyo. 298, 106 P. 929 (1910), we said, that when a defendant in a capital case has shown a separation of the jury, or an opportunity for other parties, and especially witnesses, to communicate with them in violation of the statute, and it appears that defendant was prejudiced, or that it does not appear that he was not prejudiced thereby, a new trial should be granted. Id. at 932. This rule has generally been viewed as establishing that improper communications are presumptively prejudicial to the defendant. Romo v. State, 500 P.2d 678, 681-82 (Wyo.1972). Of course, where the content of the improper communications can be proven, measurement of its prejudicial effect lies within the sound discretion of the district court. See State v. Goettina, 61 Wyo. 420, 158 P.2d 865, 886 (1945) (   The trial court had the right, we think, to conclude from the affidavits that Tom Lavery [the deputy sheriff] did not discuss with the jurors anything relating to the case, and, hence, we must conclude that no ground for a new trial has been shown.). Here, the district court found that the first comment, although potentially troubling, was generally ignored by the jurors, and he was assured that it would not have any bearing on their verdict. The court found the second comment to be improper but harmless small talk. Without further evidence establishing actual prejudice, we cannot say that the district court improperly denied the motions for mistrial.