Opinion ID: 2017767
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 7

Heading: Trial Publicity

Text: On the final morning of trial, counsel for appellant informed the trial judge that a news broadcast on WNDU-TV in South Bend had contained information prejudicial to Micinski, including a faulty re-enactment of the accident and the fact that he had been convicted for drunk driving subsequent to the events for which he was being tried. The trial judge inquired of the jury as follows: Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. Before we begin this morning, I would like to ask all of you whether there were any of you who had any problems last evening avoiding press accounts of the trial. Is there anyone who was exposed to any press accounts of the trial? Okay. Good. We thank you for being cautious about that. Transcript, p. 322. This Court has suggested a procedure for trial judges faced with this situation: Upon a suggestion of improper and prejudicial publicity, the trial court should make a determination as to the likelihood of resulting prejudice, both upon the basis of the content of the publication and the likelihood of its having come to the attention of any juror. If the risk of prejudice appears substantial, as opposed to imaginary or remote only, the court should interrogate the jury collectively to determine who, if any, has been exposed. Lindsey v. State (1973), 260 Ind. 351, 358, 295 N.E.2d 819, 824. Counsel for appellant suggests that the trial judge erred by failing to ask jurors in a direct way whether they had watched television reports on WNDU. We conclude that the trial judge's approach was entirely proper and that the appellant does not have a basis for reversal on this issue. Appellant's conviction on Count III, Leaving the Scene is reversed and the matter is remanded to the trial court for retrial. Appellant's convictions on Count I and II, Driving While Intoxicated Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury are affirmed. DeBRULER and PRENTICE, JJ., concur. GIVAN, C.J., and PIVARNIK, J., join in affirming the convictions on Counts I and II but dissent from the reversal of the conviction on Count III.