Opinion ID: 1779026
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 11

Heading: Error in requiring the jury to continue deliberations

Text: ¶ 40. The jury in this case retired to deliberate its verdict at 10:55 a.m. The jury returned to the courtroom at 2:02 p.m. At that point, the court asked for the numerical division of the jury and instructed the jury to not tell him which way it was divided. The jury announced that it was divided 8 to 4. The court asked, Is there a possibility that you all can reconcile your differences and resolve this matter if you had additional time? One juror responded, Yes, sir. The trial court then read verbatim to the jury the Sharplin charge, and the jury returned to deliberate at 2:05 p.m. Sharplin v. State, 330 So.2d 591, 596 (Miss.1976). At 3:10 p.m., the jury again returned to the courtroom and announced that it was divided by a vote of 9 to 3. The court again asked the jury, Is there any possibility of you reconciling your differences and reaching a decision in this case? All jurors responded with affirmative nods. The court then said, If you all feel that you can resolve it, I'm going to ask that you continue your deliberations. The jury returned to deliberate at 3:14 p.m. The jury returned to the courtroom at 4:43 p.m. and announced its verdict of guilty. ¶ 41. It appears that Turner is arguing that the court erred the second time he sent the jurors back to deliberate because he did not recharge the jury. ¶ 42. The trial court committed no error here. There is no error in asking the jury for its numerical division without reference to guilt or innocence. Sharplin, 330 So.2d at 596. Additionally, the first time the trial court sent the jury back to deliberate, he read the approved charge verbatim from Sharplin. The second time the trial court sent the jury back, he did not reread the Sharplin charge. However, this was not error. In Sharplin, this Court said, If the trial judge feels that there is a likelihood that the jury might reach a verdict, he may return the jury for further deliberations by simply stating to the jurors: `Please continue your deliberations,' or he may give the following instruction ... Id. at 596(emphasis added). Although the trial court did not recharge the jury with the Sharplin charge, he only asked them to continue their deliberations, which is sufficient under Sharplin. This assignment of error is meritless.