Opinion ID: 791199
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Erroneous Submission of Documents During Jury Deliberations — Nichols

Text: 16 After deliberations commenced, one juror notified the district court that the jury had erroneously been given a box of investigation reports prepared by an agent of the California Division of Gaming Control. 3 Attached to some of the reports were search warrant affidavits and probable cause declarations. When Nichols's defense counsel learned of the error, a motion for mistrial was immediately made. At that point, the district court conducted a voir dire of the jury to determine whether any of the jurors had actually read the documents. All jurors denied reading the documents. Satisfied that there had been no prejudice by the erroneous submission of the documents, the district court denied Nichols's motion for mistrial. The jurors were allowed to deliberate and then returned a guilty verdict. The court, again, confirmed that none of the jurors considered the erroneously submitted documents. 17 We have held that a denial of mistrial based on the erroneous submission of evidence to the jury will be reviewed for an abuse of discretion. United States v. Rhodenizer, 106 F.3d 222, 225 (8th Cir.1997). For reversal, the appellant must show that an abuse of discretion resulted in clear prejudice. Id. 4 Nichols's claim of prejudice supposes that the jury actually read the documents and considered them in deliberations. The district court's jury poll, which showed no juror read the disputed documentation, contradicts Nichols's claim of prejudice, which amounts to no more than speculation. Even where the trial court errs, it can often avert any undue prejudice by giving a curative instruction. Id. Nichols has failed to show that the mistake in submitting these documents affected the jury deliberations in any way. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial, not a perfect one. Id. (citation omitted). We cannot say that the district court abused its discretion in denying the mistrial motion. Furthermore, based on the district court's careful polling and admonition of the jurors, we hold that any error in erroneously submitting the documents to the jury was harmless.