Opinion ID: 1717677
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 6

Heading: the sleeping juror

Text: Appellants allege that the removal of an eighty-year-old juror at the conclusion of the evidence was improper because the removal was based solely on the juror's advanced age. The trial judge had found that the juror had slept through different intervals throughout the trial. He noted at least twelve distinct times when she closed her eyes for periods of several minutes or more and noted at least five times when she had both closed her eyes and dropped her head to her chest. On plaintiffs' motion, the juror was removed from the panel and replaced with an alternate juror. Defendants contend that the juror had shown during voir dire that she could listen with her eyes closed and that the trial court should have held a hearing before dismissing her. It is within the discretion of the trial court to dismiss a juror who has slept through the presentation of evidence. State v. Whitman, 788 S.W.2d 328, 337 (Mo.App.1990); State v. Youngblood, 648 S.W.2d 182, 188 (Mo.App.1983). The trial court is in the best position to determine whether a juror will be able to effectively discharge her duties. State v. Cook, 782 S.W.2d 762, 763 (Mo.App.1989). There is no requirement that the trial court should have held a hearing to determine whether to dismiss the juror. Because it is clear from the record that the trial court dismissed the juror for napping, there is no substance to defendants' allegation that the trial court dismissed the juror solely on account of her age.