Opinion ID: 772667
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Acceptance of Partial Verdicts

Text: 34 At the end of the first day of jury deliberations, the following colloquy occurred: 35 THE COURT: I called you in. Mr. [foreperson], have you, the jury, been able to complete any of its deliberations?FOREPERSON: We have completed part of our deliberations. 36 THE COURT: Are you ready -- 37 FOREPERSON: Can we report one charge or is that permitted? 38 THE COURT: If you have completed any deliberation, you may report it. 39 After further colloquy to advise the jury that any verdict had to be reported in writing, the foreperson retrieved the partially completed verdict form from the jury room and reported that the jury had found both defendants guilty on Count One. Judge Carter then polled the jury, determined that the partial verdicts were unanimous, and directed the jurors to resume deliberations in the morning. The next day, the jury returned guilty verdicts against both defendants on all remaining counts. 40 The Appellants contend that the receipt of the partial verdicts on Count One was error because Judge Carter prompt[ed] the jury to return them and did not caution the jury that any partial verdicts announced in open court could not later be revised. See Brief of Appellants at 34-35. We reject the Appellants' characterization of what occurred and conclude that the lack of cautionary advice was harmless in this case. 41 A jury is entitled to report partial verdicts as to less than all defendants, see Fed. R. Crim. P. 31(b), and as to less than all counts, see United States v. DiLapi, 651 F.2d 140, 146 (2d Cir. 1981). As we have noted, juries should be neither encouraged nor discouraged to return a partial verdict, but should understand their options, especially when they have reached a stage in their deliberations at which they may well wish to report a partial verdict as to some counts or some defendants. Id. at 147. An appropriate instruction should also advise the jurors that any verdicts they choose to report will not be subject to later revision. Id. 42 The Appellants' claim that Judge Carter prompt[ed] the return of the partial verdicts on Count One is unfounded. After he neutrally inquired whether the jury had completed any of its deliberations, the foreperson immediately asked whether verdicts on one charge could be reported and was informed that this could be done. It is evident that the verdicts had already been voted upon because the foreperson retrieved the partially completed verdict form from the jury room while the other jurors remained in the courtroom. 43 Although it would have been preferable for the Court to advise the jury explicitly that it had the option either to report partial verdicts or to wait until deliberations were concluded, and to caution that any partial verdicts reported could not be reconsidered, the omission of such guidance was harmless in this case. The jurors' volunteered preference to return partial verdicts was clearly expressed, and they gave no subsequent indication that they wished to reconsider their partial verdicts.