Opinion ID: 1112237
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 18

Heading: entering the jury room: ex parte communications.

Text: Estrada next asserts Judge Mossman improperly communicated with the jury by personally entering the jury room without the presence or consent of Bettencourt. Estrada urges the adoption of a per se rule that it is reversible error for a judge to enter the jury room. See State v. Hilliard, 133 Ariz. 364, 651 P.2d 892 (Ct.App. 1982). State replies Bettencourt had known of Judge Mossman's practice of entering the jury room to answer questions, yet failed to object until after the guilty verdict was rendered. [9] Judge Mossman's usual practice is unusual to say the least. Though the proceedings within the jury room were fully transcribed, there was no chance for Bettencourt to object to what Judge Mossman said or whether any special verbal emphasis or facial expressions were given to certain terms which could have improperly influenced the jurors. HRPP Rule 43(a) guarantees defendants and their counsel the right to be present at all stages of trial. Ex parte jury communications are strictly prohibited. State v. Irebaria, 55 Haw. 353, 519 P.2d 1246 (1974). Only if the error is harmless beyond a reasonable doubt will the ex parte communication not require reversal. Pokini, 55 Haw. at 657, 526 P.2d at 108. This is not a single instance of ex parte conduct: Judge Mossman personally delivered extended answers to jury questions three separate times during deliberations. See State v. Miyahira, 6 Haw. App. ___, 721 P.2d 718 (1986) (single unauthorized communication to the jury after the deliberations and the trial had ended was harmless). Customarily invading the jury room without the parties' or their counsels' presence must not be tolerated: the potential for prejudicial communication is too great. Otherwise, the rule against ex parte jury communication would be meaningless. This appeal presents us with an urgent reason to invoke our supervisory jurisdiction over all courts of inferior jurisdiction pursuant to HRS § 602-4 [1985]. [10] State v. Swafford, 68 Haw. ___, ___, 729 P.2d 385, 388 (1986) (footnote omitted). We therefore exercise our supervisory powers to declare Judge Mossman's usual practice of personally entering the jury room to answer the jurors' questions improper and prejudicial. In either a criminal or civil context, defendants are entitled to a fair and impartial jury trial free from prejudicial ex parte influences. See Kaowili v. Raymark Industries, Inc., 68 Haw. ___, 727 P.2d 67 (1986). On this matter of grave public concern, we admonish all trial judges not to invade the jury room during deliberations. See Gannett Pacific Corp. v. Richardson, 59 Haw. 224, 580 P.2d 49 (1978). We decline to adopt the per se rule advocated by Estrada, however.