Opinion ID: 76034
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Juror Misconduct Claim

Text: 215 Finally, we turn to Crawford's claim that he is entitled to relief from his conviction because of alleged juror misconduct. This claim is based entirely on affidavits, submitted to the state habeas court, from two of the jurors from his trial. In the first affidavit, Juror Melinda Adams, who was finishing her first year of nursing school at the time of trial, stated: 216 A lot of the evidence presented at trial consisted of physical evidence like hair and blood samples. Other jurors asked me questions about the evidence and what tests and results meant. I answered what I could but told them I was only a nursing student. 217 A second juror, Howard Crowder, submitted an affidavit which stated: 218 The physical evidence at trial was particularly important in helping to persuade me of Eddie Crawford's guilt. There was evidence of hair and blood samples, including body hair, fibers, and a bloody shirt stuffed behind some furniture. 219 During our sentencing deliberations, two jurors did not want to sentence Eddie Crawford to death. One believed the hair and blood samples could have come from anyone, and did not understand that the tests done on the samples proved it was Eddie Crawford who committed the crime. This person finally understood when a nurse on the jury helped explain the scientific tests could prove the blood and hair belonged to Eddie Crawford. Hairs were found on the little girl. 220 Crawford argued to the state habeas court, based on these affidavits, that Juror Adams essentially became a witness whom he was unable to cross-examine, and that this constituted juror misconduct. The state habeas court rejected the juror misconduct claim on three bases, stating: These affidavits were not allowed into evidence at the habeas corpus hearing because affidavits of jurors may be taken to sustain but not to impeach their verdict. O.C.G.A. § 17-9-41. Moreover, the affidavits are irrelevant because they do not tend to show that anything improper took place in the jury room. 221 Nothing in the affidavits indicate [sic] that Juror Adams was relying upon her own training and experience to explain the significance of the blood and hair samples and scientific tests performed by the state. Rather, the affidavits are entirely consistent with a situation where one juror was merely reminding other jurors of the testimony and exhibits that were presented to them in court and discussing her understanding of the significance of the evidence. Petitioner has not presented any evidence to show that the events took place any other way. Besides, juries are supposed to examine the evidence in light of their own backgrounds and experiences, and by relying upon their collective backgrounds and experiences, arrive at a verdict that speaks the truth. The evidence does not tend to show that Juror Adams became an unsworn witness against the petitioner. 222 Furthermore, this court concludes that the instant claim is procedurally defaulted pursuant to Georgia law due to the failure of the petitioner to have raised his claim both at trial and on direct appeal, and that the petitioner has failed to show both adequate cause and actual prejudice to excuse the procedural default. 223 State Habeas Order at 19. 224 In support of his juror misconduct claim, Crawford relies on several Supreme Court opinions. First, Crawford points to the Supreme Court's decision in Turner v. Louisiana, 379 U.S. 466, 85 S.Ct. 546, 13 L.Ed.2d 424 (1965). In that case, a defendant was convicted and sentenced to death, based in large part on the testimony of two deputy sheriffs whose credibility was challenged by the defendant. Pursuant to Louisiana law, however, the jury was placed in the charge of these same two deputies during the course of the trial, during which time the deputies ate with them, conversed with them, and did errands for them. Id. at 468, 85 S.Ct. at 547. The Court concluded that this interaction between the deputies and the jurors violated the defendant's rights, stating: 225 In the constitutional sense, trial by jury in a criminal case necessarily implies at the very least that the evidence developed against a defendant shall come from the witness stand in a public courtroom where there is full judicial protection of the defendant's right of confrontation, of cross-examination, and of counsel. What happened in this case operated to subvert these basic guarantees of trial by jury. It is to be emphasized that the testimony of [the defendants] was not confined to some uncontroverted or merely formal aspect of the case for the prosecution. On the contrary, the credibility which the jury attached to the testimony of these two key witnesses must inevitably have determined whether [the defendant] was to be sent to his death. To be sure, their credibility was assailed by Turner's counsel through cross-examination in open court. But the potentialities of what went on outside the courtroom during the three days of the trial may well have made these courtroom proceedings little more than a hollow formality. 226 Id. at 472-72, 85 S.Ct. at 550. Therefore, the Court recognized that it may violate a defendant's rights to allow a jury's verdict to be affected by evidence or other influences external to the court proceedings. 227 In Remmer v. United States, 347 U.S. 227, 74 S.Ct. 450, 98 L.Ed. 654 (1954), a juror was approached by an unknown person during the course of a trial and informed that he could profit from bringing in a verdict favorable to the defendant. The juror informed the judge of this event, and the judge had the FBI investigate the issue, but concluded, without informing the defendant, that the comment was made in jest and nothing further needed to be done. Id. at 228, 74 S.Ct. at 451. The Court noted that [i]n a criminal case, any private communication, contact, or tampering directly or indirectly, with a juror during a trial about the matter pending before the jury is, for obvious reasons, deemed presumptively prejudicial, if not made in pursuance of known rules of the court and the instructions and directions of the court made during the trial, with full knowledge of the parties. Id. at 229, 74 S.Ct. at 451. The Court vacated the judgment and remanded for a hearing concerning the effect of the FBI investigation on the juror, noting: 228 The sending of an F.B.I. agent in the midst of a trial to investigate a juror as to his conduct is bound to impress the juror and is very apt to do so unduly. A juror must feel free to exercise his functions without the F.B.I. or anyone else looking over his shoulder. The integrity of jury proceedings must not be jeopardized by unauthorized invasions. 229 Id. 230 Finally, in Smith v. Phillips, 455 U.S. 209, 102 S.Ct. 940, 71 L.Ed.2d 78 (1982), the Supreme Court considered a defendant's juror misconduct claim based on the fact that a juror at his trial submitted an employment application with the district attorney's office during the course of the trial. After learning of the incident, the state court held a hearing concerning the juror's actions, and held that the defendant was not prejudiced. Id. at 213-14, 102 S.Ct. at 944. The lower federal courts granted the defendant habeas relief, however, based on this claim, holding that prejudice should presumed and/or that the information should have been disclosed to the defendant during the trial by the prosecution. Id. at 214, 102 S.Ct. at 944. The Supreme Court disagreed, holding that the hearing conducted by the state court was sufficient to protect the defendant's rights, but stating: 231 These cases demonstrate that due process does not require a new trial every time a juror has been placed in a potentially compromising situation. Were that the rule, few trials would be constitutionally acceptable. The safeguards of juror impartiality, such as voir dire and protective instructions from the trial judge, are not infallible; it is virtually impossible to shield jurors from every contact or influence that might theoretically affect their vote. Due process means a jury capable and willing to decide the case solely on the evidence before it, and a trial judge ever watchful to prevent prejudicial occurrences and to determine the effect of such occurrences when they happen. Such determinations may properly be made at a hearing like that ordered in Remmer and held in this case. 232 Id. at 217, 102 S.Ct. at 946. Therefore, while a defendant is entitled to be judged by an impartial jury based on evidence adduced at trial, not every external influence on a juror results in prejudice or entitles a defendant to relief. 233 In light of these cases, all of which are far removed from the facts underlying Crawford's juror misconduct claim, we conclude that the state habeas court did not act contrary to, or unreasonably apply, clearly established federal law in rejecting the instant claim. As the court noted, the affidavits submitted by Crawford do not show that any juror introduced external evidence into the jury deliberations or unduly influenced other jurors. Instead the evidence is consistent with jurors bringing their experiences to bear while reviewing the evidence properly before them. Therefore, we conclude that Crawford is not entitled to relief on his juror misconduct claim. 9