Opinion ID: 1898260
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: did the trial court err in improperly excusing jurors prior to their appearance in open court?

Text: The fourth assignment of error is not supported by citation of authorities and need not be considered by this Court. Because we are remanding the case for a new trial however, we address the assignment only to point out that non-compliance with Section 13-5-23, Mississippi Code Annotated (Supp. 1985), on exemption of jurors does not warrant the quashing of the venire unless there is a showing of actual fraud, prejudice, or such a flagrant violation of duty as to amount to fraud. Parker v. State, 201 Miss. 579, 586-87, 29 So.2d 910 (1947). We find no such showing present here. Furthermore, Mississippi Code Annotated, Section 13-5-87 (1972), provides, All provisions of law in relation to the listing, drawing, summoning and empaneling juries are directory merely... . In Griffin v. State, 494 So.2d 376, 379 (Miss. 1986), we addressed a similar assignment and found there was compliance with the statute by the circuit clerk, or certainly a substantial compliance; that there was no indication of prejudice or fraud in the method used; and that there is no merit in the assignment of error. Griffin, at 379, citing Harris v. State, 406 So.2d 823 (Miss. 1981). Such is the case here. This assignment is without merit. We are of the opinion that the trial judge abused his discretion in limiting the cross-examination of the State's witness Self and further, that it was error for the trial court to accept the verdict as unanimous in the face of the questions raised by a juror during the polling that expressed uncertainty and raised inferences that the verdict was itself not unanimous. REVERSED AND REMANDED FOR A NEW TRIAL. ROY NOBLE LEE, C.J., HAWKINS and DAN M. LEE, P.JJ., and PRATHER, ROBERTSON, ANDERSON, GRIFFIN and ZUCCARO, JJ., concur.