Opinion ID: 1330634
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 7

Heading: Refusal to Sequester the Jury.

Text: Justus argues that the trial court should have sequestered the jury during his retrial to prevent prejudicial publicity reaching the jurors. We encountered the identical argument in Turner v. Commonwealth, supra , a capital murder prosecution in which the venue was changed from Southampton to Northampton County. We said: [A] judge has discretion in determining whether to sequester a jury. The mere fact of media coverage does not require a judge to sequester a jury. Thompson v. Commonwealth, 219 Va. 498, 247 S.E.2d 707 (1978). A trial judge's discretion regarding sequestration extends to cases involving capital punishment. 221 Va. at 525, 273 S.E.2d at 43. The trial judge cautioned the jurors not to discuss the case or expose themselves to extra-judicial influence. Nothing in the record suggests that the jury ignored this admonition, and we uphold the ruling.