Opinion ID: 559981
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 8

Heading: The Denial of Dr. Hooshmand's Post-Trial Request to Interview Jurors

Text: 45 Dr. Hooshmand argues that the district court violated his First and Sixth Amendment rights when it denied his motion to interview jurors after the trial about possible improper influences on their verdict. Local Rule 16 E of the Southern District of Florida provides that a lawyer is to avoid communicating with jurors on any subject unless, after the jury has been discharged and upon a showing of good cause, the district court grants the lawyer permission to interview jurors to determine whether the verdict is subject to legal challenge. Dr. Hooshmand contends that the rule operates as an unconstitutional prior restraint. 46 In a post-trial interview, juror Dorothy Roy stated, I voted for [the verdict], but it was not my verdict.... I had no choice. It was 11 to 1. It had to be unanimous.... They wanted to get on with other trials. Roy added that there were things that she did not want published until the trial judge made his decision, but she gave no indication what these were. 47 This Court has held that a district court's refusal to permit juror interviews will be reversed only upon a showing of abuse of discretion. See United States v. Cuthel, 903 F.2d 1381, 1382 (11th Cir.1990). In Cuthel, this Court upheld a district court's authority, under the very same rule at issue in this case, to refuse permission to defense counsel to interview jurors on grounds similar to these. Id. at 1382-83 (holding phone call to defendant from purported juror saying we were pressured into making our decision inadequate to permit juror interview); see also O'Rear v. Fruehauf Corp., 554 F.2d 1304 (5th Cir.1977); United States v. Riley, 544 F.2d 237, 242 (5th Cir.1976), cert. denied, 430 U.S. 932, 97 S.Ct. 1554, 51 L.Ed.2d 777 (1977). Dr. Hooshmand's allegation of improper extraneous influence is weaker than the allegations in these cases. Moreover, in United States v. Griek, 920 F.2d 840, 843 (11th Cir.1991), this Court held that Local Rule 16 E did not violate the First Amendment. Furthermore, the facts alleged by Hooshmand are insufficient to raise a Sixth Amendment claim. See id. at 844. Accordingly, the district court did not err when it refused to permit defense counsel to interview the jurors.