Opinion ID: 1039978
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: First OCCA Decision

Text: Howell alleged numerous errors in this appeal, including juror misconduct; the trial court’s admission of Watson’s preliminary hearing transcript; its admission without a limiting instruction of testimony from Watson’s former attorneys, whom the prosecution called to rebut Watson’s claim that the State had coerced her preliminary hearing testimony; and the failure of one juror to reveal his employment history with the CIA during his voir dire. We discuss these allegations in more detail below. The OCCA affirmed the guilty verdict, finding no prejudicial error. See Howell v. State, 882 P.2d 1086 (Okla. Crim. App. 1994) (Howell I). First, the OCCA concluded that the admission of Watson’s preliminary hearing transcript did not violate the Confrontation Clause, in part because the preliminary hearing testimony “was given in circumstances closely approximating those of a typical trial,” thereby satisfying the criteria articulated in California v. Green, 399 U.S. 149 (1970), “to adequately safeguard [Howell]’s right of confrontation.” Howell I, 882 P.2d at 1091 (citing Green, 399 U.S. at 165). Further, the court observed that “cross examination at a preliminary hearing can . . . satisfy the confrontation requirement.” Id. (citing Ohio v. Roberts, 448 U.S. 56, 72 (1980)). Second, Howell claimed that the trial court had “an affirmative duty to instruct the jury sua sponte that [the testimony of Watson’s former attorneys] could be used only for impeachment purposes and not for substantive purposes.” -7- Id. at 1094. The OCCA rejected that claim, saying the trial court’s failure to give a limiting instruction sua sponte “does not automatically constitute reversible error,” and that the failure did not rise to the level of “plain error” in Howell’s case. Id. Third, citing a prior OCCA decision, Tibbetts v. State, 698 P.2d 942 (Okla. Crim. App. 1985), Howell argued that a juror’s “deliberate” withholding of his full employment history was inconsistent with fundamental fairness. Howell I, 882 P.2d at 1089. The OCCA summarily rejected this argument, saying only, “[Howell]’s reliance on Tibbetts is misplaced, and the proposition is denied.” Id. But based on the alleged juror misconduct during the penalty phase, the OCCA reversed Howell’s death sentence and remanded for resentencing. The court described the alleged misconduct in some detail, including that the juror met with the deputies in their motel room during the penalty phase, that they discussed her guilt-stage deliberations, that they drank alcoholic beverages together, and that, on at least one night, they engaged in “some form of sexual activity.” Id. at 1094. Acknowledging the “impermissive, unauthorized and improper contacts by the deputies with” the juror, the court concluded that it “must remand this case for resentencing.” Id. at 1095 (emphasis in original). -8-