Opinion ID: 1349791
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 6

Heading: Harmlessness of the Extrinsic Materials

Text: Once the defendant has met the burden of coming forward with competent evidence regarding prejudicial extraneous matters, the burden shifts to the state to prove that exposure to the extraneous influences was harmless error. Cases provide guidance regarding how the government may establish harmless error in this context. Exposure to extraneous prejudicial matters may be deemed harmless if the extraneous material is merely duplicative of evidence introduced in open court, or if the other evidence amassed at trial was so overwhelming that the jury would have reached the same result even without the extraneous material. Caro-Quintero, supra at 1574; Hughes v. Borg, 898 F.2d 695, 700 (C.A.9, 1990). The Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit has stated that such a determination of overwhelming evidence will rebut the presumption of prejudice in this context when the other evidence adduced at trial [is] `so overwhelming that we can say, with fair assurance, after pondering all that happened without stripping the erroneous action from the whole, that the judgment was not substantially swayed by the error.' Caro-Quintero, supra at 1575, quoting Hughes, supra at 701. We believe this standard is generally appropriate and essentially comports with the standard for harmless error applicable to errors of constitutional magnitude as adopted by this Court in People v. Anderson (After Remand), 446 Mich. 392, 521 N.W.2d 538 (1994). [9] Consequently, exposure to prejudicial extrinsic materials is harmless error if the reviewing court may conclude, beyond a reasonable doubt, that the other evidence adduced at trial is so overwhelming that there is no real and substantial possibility that the challenged evidence contributed to the conviction. Anderson, supra at 406, 521 N.W.2d 538. With these guiding principles in mind, I shall consider whether the extraneous influences asserted require reversal of the convictions.