Opinion ID: 1058506
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Bias/Prejudice

Text: During voir dire, Boyd stated she worked intake as a deputy jailer in Shelby County. She denied knowing the defendant or anything about the case. Boyd stated she would be able to be fair and impartial in hearing all the evidence. During the motion for new trial, Boyd testified that although there were times when she was in different areas of the jail, she did not recall seeing the defendant in the jail. Boyd stated that during the trial, she noticed an arm band on the defendant's wrist and realized he was an inmate, although she still did not know where he was housed. She did not return to the jail until after the conclusion of the trial. Boyd maintained she never had supervisory authority over the defendant at the Shelby County Jail. Defense counsel subsequently presented jail records which established that on October 8, 1998, Boyd was temporarily assigned to work in the pod where the defendant was housed for a period of three hours. Although the duty log sheet reflects that a head count may have been taken while Boyd was working in the pod, there is no indication as to who took the head count. The burden is on the defendant to establish a prima facie case of juror bias. State v. Akins, 867 S.W.2d 350, 355 (Tenn.Crim. App.1993). If a juror intentionally fails to disclose information on voir dire which might indicate partiality, a presumption of prejudice arises. Id. The trial court found there was no nexus shown to exist between the defendant and the juror. The trial court further found there was no indication Boyd recognized the defendant. We conclude that the trial court's ruling is supported by the evidence. This issue is without merit.