Opinion ID: 344498
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: competence of the juror

Text: 17 During the week following the defendant's trial, a juror who served in the defendant's case appeared as a member of the panel of prospective jurors in another matter. On voir dire examination in the later case, the individual stated that she had served as a juror in a civil case the preceding week. She was evidently referring to defendant's trial. Defendant brought this incident to the attention of the court in his motion for a new trial, but the court declined further inquiry. Defendant contends that this statement reveals that the juror had been incompetent to serve in defendant's case. The argument is that she must not have realized, or perhaps was not capable of realizing, the extent of the government's burden of proof in defendant's case. Perhaps the juror misspoke or recalled the case inaccurately. Her reference to this case as a civil case does not demonstrate that she failed to follow, or was incapable of following the instructions with respect to reasonable doubt and the like. 18 In any event, a juror will not be heard to impeach the verdict by testimony concerning his misconception of the court's instructions. United States v. Stacey, 475 F.2d 1119, 1121 (9th Cir. 1973). Defendant's position that this juror's statement was the kind of clear and incontrovertible evidence of incompetence permitting further inquiry is untenable. See United States v. Dioguardi, 492 F.2d 70 (2d Cir. 1974), cert. den., 419 U.S. 829, 95 S.Ct. 49, 42 L.Ed.2d 53. 19