Opinion ID: 8487230
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Potential for Coercion

Text: Turning first to the “inherent coercive potential” of the situation revealed by the juror’s note, we conclude that the potential for coercion was low. As wé explained in Leake, in determining the potential for coercion: [W]e look to a series of indicators, including: (1) the extent of isolation of a dissenting juror; (2) whether the identity of a dissenting juror is revealed in open court; (3) whether the exact division of the jury’s verdict is disclosed; (4) whether the judge is aware of the identity of the dissenting juror; (5) whether the dissenting juror knows of the judge’s awareness; . (6) whether other jurors feel ‘bound’ by a verdict they announced; and (7) whether the trial court issues an ‘anti-deadlock’ instruction. 77 A.3d at 976 (citing (Robert) Harris v. United States, 622 A.2d 697, 705 (D.C. 1993)). We apply each factor to the situation here. Factor one, the extent of the juror’s isolation, weighs in favor of low potential coercion^ The note came from one juror who indicated that the juror felt pressure from some of the other jurors regarding “particular counts” in which they disagreed. The juror did not say that the juror felt pressure from the entire remainder of the jury, or that they disagreed on all counts. See id. (less coercion when the “precise numerical division of thé jury” has not been revealed) (citation omitted). Factor two, the identity of the juror, was not revealed in open court as the note was passed to the trial court during jury deliberations, rather than during the announcement of the verdict, making it less, likely that the juror felt undue pressure from the rest ,of the jury. Factor three, the exact division of the jury, was also unknown as the court addressed the jury regarding the note without referencing any particular juror, omitting the possibility that they would feel “bound” by any decision that they had made up to that point during deliberations. Factors four and five weigh in favor of coercive potential, because the court knew the juror’s identity. Factors six and seven weigh in favor of low coercive potential. No verdict was announced at the time the court instructed the jury, and the court expressly refused to give an anti-deadlock instruction. Lastly, as the trial court observed, the juror’s note does not reveal any impropriety. on the part of the other jurors, only that deliberations were spirited, which is natural given this high-profile murder case involving five co-defendants. “The persuasive impetus inherent in the requirement of unanimity does not constitute coercion; such an impetus exists any time twelve persons are sent into a jury room to deliberate.” (Robert) Harris, supra, 622 A.2d at 701 (citation omitted).