Opinion ID: 1790220
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Was Wiley Prejudiced Because Some of the Jurors Saw Him in Shackles?

Text: Wiley contends that his right to a fair trial by an impartial jury was prejudiced when the jurors who saw him brought to the court room in shackles were allowed to sit on the jury and decide his case. The State argues that the occurrence was inadvertent, a mere happenstance, and does not provide a ground for reversal. In Rush v. State, 301 So.2d 297 (Miss. 1974), this Court stated that: [i]t is a common-law right of a person being tried for the commission of a crime to be free form all manner of shackles or bonds, whether of hands or feet, when in court in the presence of the jury, unless in exceptional cases where there is evident danger of his escape or in order to protect others from an attack by the prisoner. Whether that ought to be done is in the discretion of the court based upon reasonable grounds for apprehension. But, if the right of the accused is violated, it may be ground for reversal of a judgment of conviction. Marion v. Commonwealth, 269 Ky. 729, 108 S.W.2d 721 (1937). However, the failure, through an oversight, to remove handcuffs from a prisoner for a short time or any technical violation of the rule prohibiting shackling, not prejudicial to him, is not a ground for reversal. Marion, supra . Rush, 301 So.2d at 300; See also Hickson v. State, 472 So.2d 379 (Miss. 1985). In Lockett v. State, 517 So.2d 1317 (Miss. 1987), this Court applied the analysis in Rush to a situation very similar to that in this case. In Lockett, the defendant was brought about three feet into the courtroom, with handcuffs on, for only a few minutes. The trial judge noticed the handcuffs, and instructed that the defendant be returned to the corridor to have the handcuffs removed. The defendant was then escorted into the courtroom by the Sheriff and two other deputies. Because of the position of the jury panel and the defendant it was impossible for them to see what occurred. There was no evidence that the incident occurred intentionally. In Lockett, the incident was not viewed as prejudicial by this Court. Lockett, 517 So.2d at 1329-30. Where there is no evidence presented that any of the jury actually saw the defendant in shackles or handcuffs, then such a technical violation is harmless. Fisher v. State, 532 So.2d 992, 999 (Miss. 1988). In this case, Wiley was brought shackled into the hallway outside the courtroom, while some of the jurors were outside in the hallway. The court clerk instructed that the shackles be removed. Wiley was not brought into the courtroom until the shackles were removed. The incident was not intentional, but was coincidental to the jury being out in the hallway. Counsel for Wiley moved that the jurors out in the hallway, who might have seen Wiley shackled, be removed from the jury. Counsel offered to voir dire the jurors to find out if any of them saw Wiley, but after a brief bench conference, no evidence was presented. The trial judge overruled the motion due to the previous reference to Wiley being held in jail. Though counsel for Wiley offered to present evidence that he was seen shackled by some of the jury members, for some reason, which is not disclosed in the record, he did not present any such evidence. The circumstances of the case establish that the incident was purely coincidental. This technical violation could no more have prejudiced the jury than defense counsel's reference to Wiley being in jail. This assignment is without merit. The conviction is affirmed. AFFIRMED. ROY NOBLE LEE, C.J., HAWKINS and DAN M. LEE, P.JJ., and ROBERTSON, SULLIVAN, PITTMAN, BANKS and McRAE, JJ., concur.