Opinion ID: 1135115
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 10

Heading: Improper influence

Text: Elvik contends that the district court prejudiced him by rushing the jury's deliberation in order to complete the proceedings before Nevada Day. On the day before the jury's verdict, two days before Nevada Day, the district court informed the members of the jury that they might have to deliberate into the evening of the following day and that, if a verdict was not reached, the jury might have to deliberate on Nevada Day as well. After these remarks, the court asked the jurors if deliberating on Nevada Day would interfere with their Nevada Day commitments, and was advised by two of the jurors that it would be a problem. The court then asked the attorneys if they wanted to have the deliberations start and then take Nevada Day off. Elvik's counsel responded, I leave it to your discretion, Your Honor. On the following day, October 30, 1996, the jury commenced deliberation at 4:05 p.m., without objection by Elvik's counsel, and returned a guilty verdict at 9:50 p.m. The State claims that the jurors enjoyed a lengthy recess that day between a brief examination of a witness at 9:00 a.m. and the time that the jury reconvened at 1:30 p.m. We conclude that the district court's statements to the jury, coupled with the jury's deliberation until 9:50 p.m. after a partial day of trial, are not sufficient to demonstrate that the court was biased or otherwise rushed the jury's verdict. Although the jurors' own plans for Nevada Day could conceivably have influenced the duration of the deliberation, the district court did not force Elvik to accept the possibility of jury deliberation on Nevada Day. Instead, the district court gave Elvik the opportunity to have the deliberations start and then take Nevada Day off. Elvik's counsel chose to leave the matter to the district court's discretion, rather than to raise concerns about possible bias or influence, and did not object to the jury's commencement of deliberation at 4:05 p.m. on the evening before Nevada Day. Thus, Elvik's argument is without merit.