Opinion ID: 2052595
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: whether the defendant was denied a fair trial as the result of publicity generated before and during his trial

Text: The defendant argues that he was denied a fair trial by the combined effect of pretrial publicity, the fact that the trial was televised, and the circuit court's refusal to sequester the jury. The defendant notes that the prosecution itself was promoted by a radio news director's request that the investigation of Donald Miller's death be reopened and, presumably, because of this fact and the age of the case, the local press followed every step of the case, with the major newspapers of Milwaukee and Chicago also covering the trial. In addition, over the defendant's objection, the entire trial was televised by a cable television station. Beyond the general prejudicial impact of this media coverage, the defendant maintains that he suffered a very specific intrusion upon his right to counsel as the result of the television coverage. The defendant contends that a microphone was located on the defense table which broadcast his conversations with his counsel. During the trial, defense counsel asked the court to order the removal of the microphone from the table; however, the court refused to so order and suggested that defense counsel switch the microphone off when not making public statements. [19] The sixth amendment of the United States Constitution guarantees the right to a public trial. This constitutional right, however, is not one exclusively held by the defendant. Public access to courts in Wisconsin is provided for in Wis. Const. art. I, sec. 7, and is further guaranteed by sec. 757.14, Stats. Broadcasting court proceedings is an extension of admitting the public into the courtroom and has been permitted in Wisconsin by supreme court rule since 1979, after a fifteen-month experimental period. SCR 61.01, et. seq. [20, 21] A defendant's allegation that publicity prevented him or her from receiving a fair trial must be supported by evidence. Garcia v. State, 73 Wis. 2d 174, 190, 242 N.W.2d 919 (1976). In weighing the possibility of prejudice, recognized factors are the inflammatory nature of the publicity, the extent to which it permeated the community and the jury panel, its timing, and the verdict returned. Id. at 189. [22] We conclude, after reviewing the record and the defendant's contentions, that he has failed to demonstrate that the extensive publicity surrounding this case prevented him from receiving a fair trial. The circuit court invoked numerous measures to shield the effects of publicity in order to ensure the defendant a fair trial. Extensive jury voir dire was permitted, including individual questioning and interrogation on prior knowledge of the case. The circuit court stated that it would bring in jurors from another county if it could not find a panel locally, in lieu of a change of place of trial. The latter measure was not necessary, however, because most prospective jurors had little or no previous knowledge of the case. In fact, a jury was impaneled in less than one-half day. During the trial, the jury was cautioned several times not to read, listen to, or view accounts of the proceedings. At the end of the trial, the jurors were questioned by the circuit court as to whether they had been subjected to media accounts or influences concerning the trial. All the jurors stated that they had not. In regard to the defendant's claim that the jury should have been sequestered, we note that the circuit court, pursuant to sec. 972.12(1), Stats., has discretion in the matter of sequestration at trial, and we hold, on the basis of the record before us, that the circuit court did not abuse its discretion in refusing to sequester the jury. Finally, in regard to the microphone which was placed at the defense table, we hold that in the event of objection by a party to placement of such a microphone, the circuit court is better advised to order the removal of the microphone. However, because we cannot find any specific instances in the record where the microphone actually interfered with the defendant's right to counsel, we hold that the circuit court's refusal to remove the microphone was harmless error. In conclusion, we hold that the evidence produced at trial was sufficient for the jury to find the defendant guilty of second-degree murder under sec. 940.02, Stats. 1967. In addition, we find that the circuit court did not err in failing to instruct the jury on the lesser-included offense of homicide by reckless conduct, sec. 940.06, Stats. 1967. We also find that the sixteen-year delay between the date of the offense and the filing of the criminal complaint did not violate the defendant's right to due process. Finally, we hold that the defendant was not denied a fair trial as a result of the publicity generated before and during his trial. By the Court. The decision of the court of appeals is reversed, and the cause is remanded to the circuit court with directions to reinstate the judgment of conviction.