Opinion ID: 2538155
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Admissibility of juror affidavits

Text: One of the issues at trial involved the source of the small bruises, marks, or bumps on Catrina's scalp. The State argued they were caused by Meyer's violent actions. Meyer contended they were caused by Catrina's medication, Accutane. Meyer filed a motion for a new trial based on juror misconduct involving, in part, this issue. Meyer submitted two juror affidavits and one affidavit from defense investigator Michael Johnson, concerning his conversations with a third juror. The affidavits established that one juror, who worked in a nursing capacity at Washoe Medical Center, opined that the small bumps found on Catrina's scalp were similar to those she had observed in domestic violence hair-pulling situations. In addition, another juror, who was employed in a dermatologist's office, consulted a Physicians' Desk Reference (PDR) on the side effects of Accutane and then advised the jury that Accutane only causes easy bruising in one percent of the population. Finally, one of the affidavits indicated that the jury had discussed penalties in its deliberations. The State opposed the motion and moved to strike portions of the affidavits that violated NRS 50.065. Attached to the State's opposition was an affidavit signed by the juror interviewed by investigator Johnson, who stated that she only consulted the PDR to insure that her memories regarding Accutane were correct. In a written order denying Meyer's motion for a new trial, the district court struck substantial portions of the juror affidavits, determining those portions to be statements reflecting the juror's mental process and deliberations, rather than statements of objective facts regarding whether jurors reviewed information not admitted into evidence in their deliberations. The deleted portions of the affidavits included references regarding the side effects of the Accutane and the effect that sentencing discussions had on the mental process of two of the jurors. Meyer contends that the district court erred by striking these portions of the juror affidavits. Meyer argues that the stricken portions of the affidavits were determinative of whether his trial was prejudiced by juror misconduct. We disagree. The record reveals that the stricken portions of the juror affidavits outline the effect that the alleged misconduct had upon some of the jurors, or how the jury conducted its deliberations. This information involved the jurors' or jury's thought processes. Thus, the district court did not abuse its discretion in striking those portions of the juror affidavits that violated NRS 50.065 and only considering objective facts of extrinsic information in the affidavits. We also note that the district court should not have considered those portions of the juror affidavits relating to the discussion of sentencing as this is also an intrinsic matter that is not subject to the exceptions for jury affidavits incorporated in NRS 50.065 or the rare case where sentencing discussions are accompanied by extrinsic information. [36] Accordingly, we conclude that Meyer's contention regarding the admissibility of the affidavits lacks merit.