Opinion ID: 1697230
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: The jury improperly considered extraneous religious matters.

Text: ¶ 34. Here, Smith submits affidavits from two jurors and the statement of a social work intern, all of which claim that the jury said a prayer after deciding its sentencing verdict but before the verdict was read in court. Smith claims that the jurors improperly sought religious guidance during their deliberations, but the affidavits and statement all say that the prayer was held after the deliberations were complete. Smith fails to show how the jury could have been improperly influenced, when the deliberations were over and the jurors had agreed on the death penalty for Smith and his brother. ¶ 35. Smith cites no Mississippi cases regarding the issue of prayer by the jurors. However, defense attorneys in capital cases often invoke the scriptures and quote Biblical references, and this Court has held that such references in closing arguments are not prohibited to either side. Carr v. State, 655 So.2d 824, 853 (Miss.1995). See also Berry v. State, 703 So.2d 269, 281 (Miss.1997). The jurors are not required to strip away any moral or theological beliefs when they enter the jury room. They are entitled to rely on all of their experiences so long as they follow the law. There is no error here.