Opinion ID: 1316820
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 6

Heading: Passion and Prejudice of Jury

Text: Guzman asserts three separate instances in which the jury was inflamed and impassioned. He cites no authority, but claims that the death penalty could not be imposed because the jury acted under the influence of passion or prejudice which would result in the imposition of the death penalty under arbitrary facts. After reviewing the record, we disagree. The three instances Guzman asserts are: 1) at the conclusion of the trial evidence, the court reporter informed the trial judge and parties that a juror had seen Guzman's younger brother and a friend in the jury lounge more than once; 2) an affidavit of an attorney who was not involved in this case, stating that she was informed by the husband of a juror that he and his wife were terrified regarding their personal safety and that the husband was taking a pistol to work; and 3) a note from the jury that requested the trial judge provide an escort after the verdict at sentencing. Concerning the first incident, after being advised that Guzman's brother and a friend were in the jury room to use vending machines, both were admonished to stay away from the jury room. At that point, Guzman requested a mistrial. The State requested the trial court to question and admonish the jury. The trial judge agreed to question and admonish the jury, but denied the mistrial motion. Guzman decided he wanted the matter ignored and did not want the jury either questioned or admonished. Concerning the second incident, the record shows that this affidavit was filed June 18, 1982, a month after the trial was over. The affidavit stated that the attorney was informed during the recess of the trial, after verdict and before sentencing, that the juror and her husband were frightened for their personal safety and that the juror's husband was carrying a gun to work because of this case. Counsel does not cite any authority for the proposition that somehow this shows that the jury acted under passion and prejudice. Finally, counsel again claims, without citing authority to support the proposition, that the jury's request to be escorted out of the courthouse in a manner to avoid the television cameras and other news media showed that the jury decided the case under the influence of passion and prejudice. We have reviewed the record of these incidents and determine that none of them, either together or individually, shows any passion or prejudice on behalf of the jury.