Opinion ID: 2056298
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 7

Heading: Reconvening of Jury

Text: Appellant next contends that he is entitled to a new penalty phase hearing because the trial court erred in reconvening the jury to continue deliberating after they had been discharged. Appellant's Brief at 29. When the jury returned from its deliberations, the jury foreperson announced the verdict and the jurors were individually polled as to the recommended sentence of death for each defendant. The verdict was recorded, and the court thanked the jurors for their service and excused them, at which time they returned to the jury room to collect their belongings. Almost immediately, defense counsel asserted that the jury allegedly had left a portion of the verdict slip blank, namely, the portion relating to mitigating circumstances. Counsel also argued that the jury failed to complete the final page of the verdict sheet that referred to life imprisonment. By this time, the jurors had been in the jury room for approximately one minute, with no outside contact or intervention. Over defense counsel's objection, the trial judge called the jurors back into the courtroom and advised them that they needed to return to the jury room to complete the verdict slip, specifically indicating whether or not any mitigating circumstances had been found by any individual juror. The jury completed the form, indicating that there were no mitigating circumstances. The jury also indicated N/A on the final page of the verdict sheet referring to life imprisonment. When the jurors were recalled to the courtroom, they were individually polled, and each juror agreed no mitigating circumstances were found. Appellant alleges that the failure of the jury to set forth in writing the findings upon which its sentence is based resulted in a complete break-down of the statutory obligations of the jury at a penalty phase trial. Appellant's Brief at 31. Appellant additionally contends that the trial court erred in calling the jury back approximately one minute after it announced its verdict because, once the jury was discharged, it ceased to exist. Id. at 32. We need not reach the question of whether the trial court's act of reassembling the jury was proper, as we conclude that the verdict sheet was completed properly in the first instance. Section 9711(f) of the Sentencing Code provides: (1) After hearing all the evidence and receiving the instructions from the court, the jury shall deliberate and render a sentencing verdict. In rendering the verdict, if the sentence is death, the jury shall set forth in such form as designated by the court the findings upon which the sentence is based. (2) Based upon these findings, the jury shall set forth in writing whether the sentence is death or life imprisonment. 42 Pa.C.S.A. § 9711(f). In the instant case, Part II of the sentencing verdict sheet provided as follows: II. SENTENCING VERDICT AND FINDINGS If you have reached a unanimous verdict, complete this part of the form. In Section A, indicate whether the sentencing verdict is death or life imprisonment. If the sentence is death, indicate the basis for that verdict by competing [sic] Section B. If the sentence is life imprisonment, indicate the basis for that verdict by completing Section C. A. We, the jury, unanimously sentence the defendant to (check one): ____ Death ____ Life Imprisonment B. The findings on which the sentence of death is based are (check one): ____ 1. At least one aggravating circumstance and no mitigating circumstance. The aggravating circumstances(s) unanimously found (is)(are): _____________________________ _____________________________ _____________________________ ____ 2. One or more aggravating circumstances which outweigh(s) any mitigating circumstances (s). The aggravating circumstance(s) unanimously found (is)(are): _____________________________ _____________________________ _____________________________ The mitigating circumstance(s) found by one or more of us (is)(are): _____________________________ _____________________________ _____________________________ _____________________________ C. The findings on which the sentence of life imprisonment is based are (check one): ____ 1. No aggravating circumstance exists. ____ 2. The mitigating circumstance(s)(is)(are) not outweighed by the aggravating circumstance(s) The mitigating circumstance(s) found by one or more of us (is)(are): _____________________________ _____________________________ _____________________________ _____________________________ The aggravating circumstance(s) unanimously found (is)(are): _____________________________ _____________________________ _____________________________ _____________________________ ____ Date ____ Jury Foreperson Initially, the jury placed a checkmark beside Death under Section A of the Sentencing Verdict and Findings form. The jury also placed a checkmark beside B.1, indicating that its sentence was based on at least one aggravating circumstance and no mitigating circumstance. In the space provided under B.1 for specification of the aggravating circumstance(s) unanimously found by the jury, the jury wrote In the commission of the offense the defendant knowingly created a grave risk of death to another person in addition to the victim of the offense. Under B.2, although the jury did not place a checkmark beside B.2, the jury wrote Refer to B-1 in the space provided for description of the aggravating circumstance(s) unanimously found by the jury. After being recalled from the jury room and instructed by the trial court to complete the Sentencing Verdict and Findings form, the jury wrote the word NONE on the line provided for the description of mitigating circumstances under B.2, and wrote N/A on the lines provided for the description of mitigating and aggravating circumstances under C.2. In addition to the form entitled Sentencing Verdict and Findings, [13] the trial court provided the jury with a separate sheet entitled DIRECTIONS FOR COMPLETING SENTENCING VERDICT SLIP, which provided as follows: (a) Look at part II of the verdict slip entitled Sentencing Verdict and Findings. I shall now give you specific directions about how to complete this part of the verdict slip. (b) Before you can sentence the defendant to death you must all agree on the general finding in either B.1 or B.2 If you all agree on one or more aggravating circumstances and all agree that there are no mitigating circumstances, then check B.1 At that point, copy all of the aggravating circumstances listed in part I on which you all agree. If you all agree on one or more aggravating circumstances, and although one or more of you find mitigating circumstances, you all agree that the aggravating outweighs the mitigating circumstances, then check B.2 Then, copy from Part I the aggravating circumstances on which you all agree and the mitigating circumstances that one or more of you find are present. (c) Remember you can stop deliberating and sentence the defendant to life imprisonment only if you all agree to do so. If your sentence is life imprisonment, you should check the finding, either C.1 or C.2, which explains why you are not imposing the death penalty and imposing a life sentence. If the reason for not imposing the death penalty is that one or more [of] you find no aggravating circumstances, check C.1. If the reason for not imposing death is that although all of you agree on at least one aggravating circumstance, one or more of you find that mitigating are not outweighed by aggravating circumstances, then check C.2 At that point, copy the part I mitigating circumstances that one or more of you find are present in [sic] the aggravating circumstances on which you all agree. Directions for Completing Sentencing Verdict Slip (italics added). A review of the trial court's Directions for Completing Sentencing Verdict Slip and Part II of the Sentencing Verdict Slip, i.e., the Sentencing Verdict and Findings, as originally completed by the jury, reveals that the jury completed the form in accordance with the trial court's written instructions. The court's written instructions advised the jury If you all agree on one or more aggravating circumstances and all agree that there are no mitigating circumstances, then check B.1. By checking B.1, the jury expressly indicated that all jurors agreed there were no mitigating circumstances. As instructed, the jury then described the aggravated circumstances on which all jurors agreed. There was nothing more required of the jury under Section B. Additionally, with regard to Section C., the jurors were instructed: If your sentence is life imprisonment, you should check the finding, either C.1 or C.2, which explains why you are not imposing the death penalty and imposing a life sentence. As the jury did not sentence Appellant to life imprisonment, it was not required to check either C.1 or C.2 on the Sentencing Verdict Slip. Nor was the jury required to explain its reasons for not imposing the death penalty. Thus, despite Appellant's assertion that the verdict slip was improperly completed, and the trial court's understandable efforts to alleviate any concern, we hold that that the Sentencing Verdict and Findings form was proper and valid as originally completed by the jury. Accordingly, any supplementation of the form by the jury after the trial court reconvened the jury was gratuitous and legally irrelevant, and Appellant is not entitled to relief on the basis thereof.