Opinion ID: 1722059
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Was trial court right in refusing to examine the jurors to determine the possible prejudicial effect of a newspaper article published during trial?

Text: Trial of this case commenced Monday, February 2, 1976. Apparently no evidence was taken until Tuesday morning, February 3. On the morning of February 4, defendant made an in-chambers record, introducing into evidence a news article which had appeared in Tuesday night's February 3 issue of The Waterloo Daily Courier. Defendant argued this publication conveyed to the jury the impression defendant faced other criminal charges. Defendant moved for mistrial and, in support of that motion, requested the court to examine the jury based upon the following question: Have any of the jurors read the article concerning this matter which appeared in last night's Courier. The news release in question fairly summarized the evidence and trial progress to time of publication but in concluding, stated: In Monday's Courier, it was erroneously reported Burt is on trial in connection with the alleged theft of some record albums. That theft involves the theft of 10 record albums from Penney's department store at the Cross Roads shopping center and is not connected with the Black's department store case now being tried. The State resisted, arguing the article did not connect defendant with the other offense, the motion assumed the jury violated the court's admonition not to talk about the case with anybody or read any reports of the trial during progress of the trial, the requested interrogation would tempt the jury to read the article, and finally the unusual nature of such interrogation might influence the jury to make the connection feared by defendant between the two crimes. Trial court overruled the motion and declined to conduct the requested interrogation, observing such action might invite error. It found the February 3rd article was not prejudicial and did not connect defendant with the record album theft. The court observed if there was an erroneous publication on Monday, February 2nd, that article should have been the subject of a motion and brought to the court's attention prior to taking evidence in the case. We will not speculate whether the February 2nd news article was prejudicial. It is not before us because defendant did not elect to offer it in evidence nor make a timely motion based on its asserted prejudicial effect on the jury. See State v. Ware, 205 N.W.2d 700, 702 (Iowa 1973). But with respect to the second publication on February 3, defendant asserts trial court violated Standard 3.5(f), A.B.A. Standards Relating to Fair Trial and Free Press. We prospectively adopted that rule in State v. Bigley, 202 N.W.2d 56, 58 (Iowa 1972). A portion of Standard 3.5(f) relevantly provides: If it is determined that material disseminated during the trial goes beyond the record on which the case is to be submitted to the jury and raises serious questions of possible prejudice, the court may on its own motion or shall on motion of either party question each juror, out of the presence of the others, about his exposure to that material. (Emphasis supplied). It is apparent the procedure outlined in this standard may be mandatorily invoked by a party only where the material per se raises serious questions of possible prejudice. We concur in trial court's judgment the news article in evidence did not meet that test. Thus it devolved on defendant to demonstrate evidence of jury prejudice. It becomes significant here, as it was in Bigley, supra, 202 N.W.2d at 57, that no reason was advanced to believe jurors had violated trial court's admonition. Here, as in Bigley, defendant chose not to renew his claim in a new trial motion supported by juror's affidavits or testimony. The failure to prove prejudice was controlling in Bigley and, in these circumstances, is controlling here. See State v. Lunsford, 204 N.W.2d 613, 619 (Iowa 1973). Trial court committed no reversible error in refusing the request to examine the jury and in overruling the mistrial motion.