Opinion ID: 1383224
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Denial of Request for Adjournment

Text: Ferguson claims that the trial court erred in denying his request to adjourn after the guilt phase verdict was returned at 5:10 p.m. on October 23, 1995, and in proceeding with the penalty phase case until 10:00 or 10:30 that night. He also claims the trial court erred in denying his subsequent motion for mistrial, which was based on the same grounds. In determining whether to grant a recess or temporary adjournment during a trial, the trial court has considerable discretion and will not be found to have abused its discretion in the absence of a very strong showing of prejudice. State v. Middleton, 995 S.W.2d 443, 464-65 (Mo. banc 1999). Here, Ferguson contends that the members of the jury, having had a full day in court, were too tired and aggravated to be attentive during the evening session, and further, that trial counsel was too tired to proceed and was unprepared to present the testimony of Ferguson's two penalty phase expert witnesses. These charges, however, are refuted by the record. About 10:30 p.m., the trial court informed the jury that it was going to save final argument for the next morning, and later made a record that the jurors were disappointed because they wanted to finish the case that night, which indicates, at the least, that the jurors were not too tired or aggravated to listen to evidence up to that time. The trial court's determination is also supported by the fact that the jurors were sequestered and could not return home, which explains why they were able and willing to proceed beyond the usual working hours. In addition, trial counsel made no mention in her request for adjournment or in the motion for mistrial that she, herself, was too tired to proceed or unprepared to proceed, and her focus was solely on her perceived adverse effect on the jurors. Even if counsel had based the motion on her own fatigue and lack of preparation, there was no prejudice. The record shows that counsel was able to elicit a wealth of testimony in mitigation from the two experts, both psychologists, that included the results of extensive psychological testing and the diagnoses that Ferguson suffered from depression and substance dependence. Their testimony supported, in particular, the statutory mitigating circumstance that Ferguson's capacity to appreciate the criminality of his conduct or to conform his conduct to the requirements of law was substantially impaired. The claim has no merit.