Opinion ID: 2395552
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Impeachment of Partial Verdict

Text: Boykins argues that the trial court should have permitted the jury to reconsider its verdict of guilty on the second-degree murder charge, since the jury's notes clearly expressed lack of unanimity on the charge. He contends that the policies underlying the rule against impeachment of a jury's verdict are not impinged where the jury repudiates its partial verdict while still deliberating on the remaining charges. We review first the non-impeachment rule and the interests it protects and then its applicability to the circumstances presented in this case. It is well settled that a jury's final verdict may not be impeached by matters that inhere in the verdict. Sellars v. United States, 401 A.2d 974, 981 (D.C.1979) (citing Hyde v. United States, 225 U.S. 347, 32 S.Ct. 793, 56 L.Ed. 1114 (1912)); see also Wilson v. United States, 663 A.2d 558, 562 n. 5 (D.C. 1995); United States v. Stansfield, 101 F.3d 909, 913 (3rd Cir.1996). Under this nonimpeachment rule, even when information about the jury's decisional processes is volunteered by a juror, it is incompetent to impeach a final verdict on such matters as mistake of law, misapprehension of the testimony, and unsound reasoning by the jurors. Domeracki v. Humble Oil & Refining Co., 443 F.2d 1245, 1247-48 (3rd Cir.1971) (the failure of the jury to follow the court's instructions is not grounds for impeachment of jury's verdict); Sellars, supra, 401 A.2d at 982 (misunderstanding of instructions is not a basis for impeachment of jury verdict) (citations omitted); Queen v. D.C. Transit System, Inc., 364 A.2d 145, 149 (D.C.1976) (jury's erroneous reasoning not a basis for overturning its verdict). Such jury reasoning is regarded as inhering in a verdict, and for sound policy reasons may not be used to impeach a verdict duly rendered. Sellars, 401 A.2d at 981-82. Among the reasons for the rule are: (1) discouraging harassment of jurors by losing parties eager to have the verdict set aside; (2) encouraging free and open discussion among jurors; (3) reducing incentives for jury tampering; (4) promoting verdict finality; and (5) maintaining the viability of the jury as a judicial decision-making body. Id. (quoting Virgin Islands v. Gereau, 523 F.2d 140, 148 (3d Cir.1975), cert. denied, 424 U.S. 917, 96 S.Ct. 1119, 47 L.Ed.2d 323 (1976)). Boykins argues that these policy reasons are not implicated where the jury has returned only a partial verdict and has not been discharged finally. However, whether the jury has been discharged is not the critical factor in determining verdict finality. A verdict becomes immutable by the jury once announced in open court, or when it has been confirmed by a poll, if ordered. United States v. Dakins, 872 F.2d 1061, 1065 (D.C.Cir.1989); see also Queen, supra, 364 A.2d at 148-49. A similar argument was considered and rejected by the Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. See United States v. Hockridge, 573 F.2d 752 (2d.Cir.1978). In Hockridge, the jury returned a partial verdict of guilty on one count, which was confirmed by poll and recorded before the jury resumed deliberations on the unresolved counts. 573 F.2d at 756-57. Later, the court received notes from two jurors. One juror stated that the evidence was insufficient to convict Hockridge and a co-defendant, Charles Petri; the other juror stated that she was doubtful of co-defendant, Easton's guilt and felt that she had been railroaded to convict. Id. at 757. With a brief instruction to the two jurors at an in camera hearing, the court allowed the jury to resume deliberations on the remaining counts as to the three appellants as well as another defendant. Id. Subsequently, the jury acquitted appellants on two of the remaining counts, found them guilty of an additional count, and found another co-defendant not guilty on the count for which it had returned the partial verdict. The jury was discharged without reaching verdicts on other counts. Significant for the case before this court, the Hockridge court addressed whether the policy reasons for the non-impeachment rule apply to partial verdicts. The Hockridge court decided, and we agree, that at least two important policy objectives of the non-impeachment rule are furthered by the rule's application to partial verdicts, specifically, verdict finality and freedom in jury deliberations. [2] Id. at 759; accord, Dakins, 872 F.2d at 1065. While acknowledging that the freedom of jury deliberations is less threatened by impeachment of partial verdicts, the Second Circuit concluded that such freedom is encroached upon nevertheless. Id. An inquiry into the reservations expressed by the jurors, the court concluded, would require delving into the jurors' mental processes, an action inconsistent with Fed.R.Evid. 606(b). Id. Protection of the jury's decisional processes is precisely what the non-impeachment rule is intended to achieve. Domeracki, supra, 443 F.2d at 1248. If evidence [obtained from jurors] could be thus used, the result would be to make what was intended to be a private deliberation, the constant subject of public investigationto the destruction of all frankness and freedom of discussion and conference. Id. (quoting McDonald v. Pless, 238 U.S. 264, 267-68, 35 S.Ct. 783, 784-85, 59 L.Ed. 1300 (1915)). The policy against such intrusions into the deliberative process are of like concern when the jury returns a partial verdict. Hockridge, supra, 573 F.2d at 759. Delving into the intrinsic influences which shaped the jury's decision would expose thoughts of the jury which were intended to remain private. Therefore, we are persuaded that encouraging open discussions among jurors is a sound policy reason for precluding impeachment of partial verdicts. Boykins seeks to distinguish this case from Hockridge, contending that no inquiry of any particular juror was required when the jury attempted to reconsider or impeach its partial verdict. He contends that it would have been sufficient for the court to instruct the jury at that point simply to continue deliberations on unresolved counts. Essentially, this is an argument to treat a partial verdict as a tentative one until the jury is discharged finally. Such an approach would eviscerate Super. Ct.Crim. R. 31(b), which allows the jury to return a verdict on any count or counts to which it has agreed. [3] If a partial verdict remained open for further consideration by the jury, there would be no incentive for obtaining a partial verdict, and it would serve no useful purpose to the court or the parties. Partial verdicts, which are final, provide a hedge against the possibility of juror illness or death or prejudice by publicity, particularly where there has been a lengthy trial. Hockridge, supra, 573 F.2d at 759. In this case, there had been a concern that one of the jurors might have to be excused because of a death in the family. That potential is always present, particularly for a lengthy trial, including deliberations, after the alternates have been excused. It is desirable that a case be decided once heard, and the partial verdict serves that end. Another policy reason clearly implicated for application of the non-impeachment rule to partial verdicts is verdict finality. Hockridge, supra, 573 F.2d at 759; see Sellars, supra, 401 A.2d at 981-82. Boykins' argument ignores the rule that a verdict is final once announced in open court and confirmed by poll, when requested. Queen, supra, 364 A.2d at 149; Dakins, supra, 872 F.2d at 1065. Given the verdict's finality, there is no reason that it should be set aside for reasons other than those for which any other final verdict is subject to challenge. See Hockridge, 573 F.2d at 759-60. The important interest of verdict finality is maintained by the rule against impeachment of verdicts, partial and complete. Hockridge, supra, 573 F.2d at 759. Finality is jeopardized where a verdict once rendered remains subject to reconsideration. See Dakins, supra, 872 F.2d at 1065. Boykins argues that it is fundamentally unfair for a criminal conviction to stand where the jury makes known that it is no longer unanimous. This competing consideration has been analyzed in the context of complete final verdicts and rejected as a basis for overturning the jury's final verdict. After the final verdict, there is no fundamental right to the jury's subsequent vacillations. Hockridge, 573 F.2d at 759-60 (quoting United States v. Cotter, 60 F.2d 689, 690 (2d. Cir.), cert. denied, 287 U.S. 666, 53 S.Ct. 291, 77 L.Ed. 575 (1932)). In this case, the jury reached a unanimous verdict of conviction on the second-degree murder count. The trial court went to exceptional lengths to assure that the verdict was unanimous, providing the jury with three opportunities to reconsider, and the jury confirmed its unanimity before the verdict was taken finally. Once the verdict had been rendered and each of the jurors assented to it during the poll, it became a final verdict. Dakins, supra, 872 F.2d at 1065. Therefore, the court properly declined to allow the jury to reconsider the verdict. Id.; see also Queen, supra, 364 A.2d at 149.