Opinion ID: 1597411
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: Juror Cody's Alleged Recantation of Her Guilty Verdicts Issues 1 through 4

Text: On January 29, 2007, the jury returned its verdict finding Simpson guilty of the first-degree murders of Crook and Kimbler. The jury was polled and each juror indicated that the verdict was his or hers. Over a week later, on February 6, 2007, before any evidence was presented in the penalty phase, the trial judge informed the parties that juror Colleen Cody notified his judicial assistant that she would like to speak with the judge. The judge called juror Cody into the courtroom, at which time she stated that there were some questions that were unanswered before the verdict was made. The judge conferred with the attorneys and defense counsel moved for a mistrial. The judge deferred ruling on the motion and the parties decided to question juror Cody. Defense counsel requested that the judge clear the courtroom for the questioning asserting that the victim's family and the press were present and juror Cody was obviously uncomfortable. The judge denied the request. During the questioning, juror Cody expressed that the guilty verdict was not her verdict because some of the other jurors told her to weigh the physical evidence more heavily than the other evidence. Nonetheless, juror Cody confirmed that based upon that weighing process, the jury as a whole reached a unanimous verdict that Simpson was in fact guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. After the questioning, defense counsel renewed his motion for a mistrial, which the trial court denied. The parties proceeded to present their penalty phase evidence. While the jurors were engaged in penalty phase deliberations, defense counsel again renewed his motion for a mistrial and moved to individually question each juror after they entered their penalty phase verdicts, but before they were discharged. The judge reserved ruling pending the answers juror Cody provided to the judge's additional questions. The jury returned with its verdict, recommending that Simpson be sentenced to death by a vote of eight to four as to Crook and nine to three as to Kimbler, and the jurors were polled. All jurors, including juror Cody, replied yes when asked whether they agreed that a majority of the jury joined in the advisory sentence. Thereafter, the judge asked the jury, with the exception of juror Cody, to return to the jury room. The judge then asked juror Cody whether she in fact voted to find Simpson guilty of the two counts of murder. Juror Cody replied, I did. Juror Cody then confirmed that when the jury was polled after the verdicts were entered in the guilt phase, she in fact answered that the guilty verdicts were hers. Finally, juror Cody agreed that the confusion concerning weighing the evidence arose because of conversations with fellow jurors or other matters that occurred during the deliberations. At sidebar, defense counsel asked to further inquire of juror Cody, but the judge denied the request concluding that the matters discussed by juror Cody inhered in the verdict. Defense counsel then asked to interview the other jurors. The judge similarly denied this request. After trial, Simpson filed a motion for new trial arguing that the trial court erred in denying his motion for a mistrial and a motion for individual and sequestered jury interviews. The trial court denied both motions.