Opinion ID: 2082795
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Improper Prejudicial Juror Contacts

Text: In the fifth week of Flonnory's capital murder trial, juror Number Six reported that she had been approached by an unknown woman on the previous day and also that morning regarding her jury service. The two encounters occurred while juror Number Six waited with other jurors in a remote designated parking area and while she was en route by bus with other jurors to the courthouse. Juror Number Six was concerned that the unknown woman knew her name. She told the bailiff of the matter, who in turn informed the trial judge. The trial judge met with the attorneys and juror Number Six. Juror Number Six told the trial judge that she did not know the woman who had approached her. According to juror Number Six, in the first interaction, the unknown woman asked if juror Number Six was serving on a jury. Juror Number Six replied that she was serving on a jury but could not discuss the case. The next day, the unknown woman again approached Juror Number Six as she exited her car. By then, the unknown woman had ascertained juror Number Six's name and that she was a juror in Flonnory's case. The unknown woman told juror Number Six that her roommate worked at the prison. The unknown woman asked if juror Number Six knew about Freddy's childhood and all that stuff and that Flonnory had been incarcerated as a juvenile at Ferris. Most significantly, the unknown woman told juror Number Six that Flonnory had killed more than two people and they're not allowed to let [the jury] know. During this interview with the trial judge, juror Number Six was apparently concerned about her safety because the unknown woman knew her name. The trial judge did juror Number Six that he would provide security from the bus stop to the courthouse. The trial judge never instructed juror Number Six that the prejudicial statement about Flonnory's involvement in a prior murder was false. Instead, the trial judge simply asked juror Number Six whether this incident would affect her impartiality. Juror Number Six told the trial judge that this exchange with the unknown woman had not caused her to form any opinions and that she had no reservations about continuing to serve as a juror in Flonnory's case. Juror Number Six also told the trial judge that the unknown woman had also approached two other jurors. The trial judge then interviewed those two other jurors in the presence of the attorneys. Those individuals were juror Number Four and juror Number Nine. In an interview with the trial judge, juror Number Four confirmed that she was questioned by the unknown woman but tried not to pay attention to her. Juror Number Four stated that before reporting the contact to the bailiff, juror Number Six had told all of the other jurors about what had happened. According to juror Number Four, juror Number Six kind of blew things out of proportion when she went into the jury room and started talking to everybody about it. Juror Number Four told juror Number Six that she should not have discussed the matter in the jury room but should have brought the matter to the trial judge's attention. Juror Number Four was asked by the trial judge whether this incident with the unknown woman would affect her impartiality. She said it would not. The third juror, juror Number Nine, confirmed that the unknown woman was questioning him and the other two jurors. He said that he had tried not to pay attention to her and did not remember what she said. He told the unknown woman that they could not talk about the case. The trial judge inquired about whether juror Number Nine could remain impartial. He responded that he could. At the conclusion of the inquiry with the three jurors, none of the attorneys asked for additional action by the trial judge. Accordingly, the trial judge did not ask any of the other jurors what they had been told by juror Number Six, even though juror Number Four had related that juror Number Six started talking to everybody about it, and even though he had sought assurance of their ability to remain impartial from juror Number Six, Number Four, and Number Nine. When the full Flonnory jury panel was assembled in the courtroom, the trial judge issued a general admonition that the jurors should not discuss the case with others. He also advised the jurors to contact the bailiff immediately if anyone approached them. The following morning, the trial judge advised counsel that the unknown woman who had been speaking with the three members of Flonnory's jury had been identified as a juror in another case. In the courtroom, the trial judge then advised the entire Flonnory jury that the unknown woman, who had been speaking with three of them during the previous two days, was a juror in another case. The trial judge assured Flonnory's jury that no one had reason to be concerned for their safety. Accordingly, the record reflects that the trial judge was obviously certain that all of the Flonnory jurors knew about the unknown woman's contacts with the three jurors. The unknown woman's status as a juror in another case may have assuaged the Flonnory jurors' safety concerns. Unfortunately, it may have also given credence to her prejudicial remarks, in particular, that Flonnory had committed murder before. Flonnory's trial concluded the following day. Two days later, on a Saturday, the jury returned a verdict of guilty on all charges. The jurors were then excused for a few days before the penalty phase of Flonnory's capital murder trial.