Opinion ID: 1928239
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: the action of the trial court in allowing additional questioning of a juror.

Text: Following selection of the jury, but prior to the beginning of the trial, the district attorney discovered that the son of one of the jurors was under an indictment for burglary. A request was made that in the light of that information, an inquiry be made as to the juror's competency by additional voir dire. The trial judge, noting that no testimony had been taken and that the juror's competency should be determined prior to the beginning of the trial, proceeded to question the juror upon the matter. The juror informed the judge that his son had been convicted of armed robbery and charged with other crimes but stated that nothing in these circumstances would cause him to favor the defense or be prejudiced against the State. He assured the court that he was not prejudiced against the judicial system or law enforcement officers and expected no benefit by voting for or against the State. The juror assured the district attorney that his son's charges and convictions would not influence his verdict. At the conclusion of this voir dire of the juror, appellant moved for a mistrial based upon the overruling of his objection. The motion for a mistrial was denied. There was no motion by the defense to excuse the juror or to strike him for cause. Reopening under similar circumstances has been dealt with by this Court and the rule has been laid down that the reopening for further voir dire is a matter resting within the sound judicial discretion  of the trial judge. This Court will not interfere unless there has been an abuse of that discretion. Sullivan v. State, 155 Miss. 629, 125 So. 115 (1929), Moser v. Brown, 249 N.W.2d 612 (Iowa 1977), State v. Kirkman, 293 N.C. 447, 238 S.E.2d 456 (1977), Foley v. Revlon, Inc., 200 So.2d 627 (Fla.App. 1967). In Sullivan v. State, supra , relied upon by appellant on this point, this Court said: The power to stand jurors aside after they have been accepted should be exercised with due caution, but whenever there is adequate reason for so doing, and where there is no error or harm apparent from the record resulting therefrom, this court will not interfere with the discretion of the trial judge in his rulings. (155 Miss. at 637, 125 So. at 117). The proper procedure under the circumstances related, if appellant considered that the juror was prejudiced or had been intimidated, was to move the trial judge to strike or excuse the juror for cause, as was done in Walls v. State, 371 So.2d 411 (Miss. 1979). This was not done, however. Moreover, we cannot say from the record that appellant was prejudiced by the action of the trial court in refusing to order a mistrial.