Opinion ID: 1680790
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: and III. Jury properly sworn.

Text: ¶ 16. Issues II and III are combined into one issue for purposes of this opinion. Dubose next argues that the jury was not properly sworn with the required capital petit jury oath as required by Mississippi statute and the Mississippi Constitution. This Court made an inquiry into whether the jury was sworn. The trial court's order was filed June 23, 2004, in response to this Court's inquiry. Despite the trial court's order, Dubose maintains that the order is insufficient to show that the jury was properly and legally sworn with the capital petit jurors oath or any type of petit jurors oath. Furthermore, Dubose claims that to allow a reconstruction of the record from memory which benefits the State and is unfavorable to the defendant violates due process. ¶ 17. In Jones v. State, 798 So.2d 1241, 1249 (Miss.2001), this Court set forth the standard of review when swearing jurors is in issue: Jones next contends that the trial court failed to properly swear in the jury members, and therefore, the verdict is null an?d void. This assignment of error is almost identical to that found in McFarland v. State, 707 So.2d 166 (Miss.1997). [T]he presumption is that the trial judge properly performed his duties.... Bell v. State, 360 So.2d 1206, 1215 (Miss.1978). As in McFarland, the verdict and sentencing orders contained language that the jury had been duly sworn and performed their duties accordingly. In his argument, Jones has failed to overcome the presumption of propriety. As such, we find this assignment without merit. ¶ 18. In Stewart v. State, 881 So.2d 919, 923-24 (Miss.Ct.App.2004), the Court of Appeals held: Stewart asserts that his conviction should be reversed because he was tried and convicted of capital murder by an unsworn jury. Stewart argues that the jurors in his case should have been sworn according to Mississippi Code Annotated Section 13-5-71 (Rev.2002), the petit juror oath, and Section 13-5-73 (Rev.2002), the jurors' oath for capital murder cases. A review of the record does not reveal that an oath was given to the jury; however, the sentencing order states that the jury was duly sworn. In Bell v. State, 360 So.2d 1206, 1215 (Miss.1978), the supreme court found no reversible error where the record did not reflect that the jury was specially sworn. The court held, in such a situation, there exists a rebuttable presumption that the trial judge properly performed his duties. Id. Also, when the judgment states that the jury was properly sworn it is presumed that the trial judge performed his duties. Woulard v. State, 832 So.2d 561, 567 (¶ 24) (Miss.Ct.App.2002). The failure of the court to specifically swear the jury in a capital case is waived where no objection is made by the defendant until the verdict is rendered. This issue cannot be raised for the first time on appeal. McMillan v. State, 191 Miss. 59, 61, 2 So.2d 823, 824 (1941) (citing Hill v. State, 112 Miss. 375, 383, 73 So. 66, 67 (1916)). Stewart did not object to the issue of the unsworn jury until his trial was completed and a verdict was rendered. Therefore, Stewart has procedurally waived his claim. His claim also fails on the merits because the sentencing order clearly states that the jury was duly sworn. Stewart did not present sufficient evidence to overcome the presumption that the trial judge properly performed his duties. Stewart, 881 So.2d at 923-24. ¶ 19. The record reflects that the August 8, 2003, sentencing order from the circuit court references the fact that the jury was duly sworn according to the law. This Court also remanded to the trial court ordering it to make determination of whether Dubose's jury had been sworn. In response, the trial court entered an order dated June 23, 2004. The trial court order confirmed that the jury was sworn and stated in part the jury panels in the Dubose case were properly sworn and the sentencing order of August 11, 2003, although a form order, accurately reflects that the jury panels were properly sworn. Following the submittal of the trial court's order to this Court, counsel for Dubose filed a motion to strike the trial court order of June 23, 2004, and to remand for an evidentiary hearing on the jury swearing issue. This Court denied Dubose's motion. In addition, the record reflects a number of instances in which either the attorneys or the trial court acknowledged that the jury had been sworn. ¶ 20. We find that Dubose has not overcome the presumption that the trial court properly performed its duty to have the jury sworn. Accordingly, we find that this issue is without merit.