Opinion ID: 1436322
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Prejudicial Juror Misconduct

Text: The Attorney General does not challenge, and we accept, the superior court's findings of historical fact, which resolved a credibility dispute. (2) The power to judge the credibility of witnesses and to resolve conflicts in the testimony is vested in the trial court, and its findings of fact, express or implied, must be upheld if supported by substantial evidence. ( People v. Leyba (1981) 29 Cal.3d 591, 596-597 [174 Cal. Rptr. 867, 629 P.2d 961].) Here the court expressly resolved the conflicts in the testimony in Carpenter's favor, and we find substantial evidence supports these factual findings. In essence, during the trial, the juror in question learned forbidden information but did not report it, then told some nonjurors at a party that the jurors were not supposed to know, but Carpenter had already been convicted and sentenced to death for the Santa Cruz crimes, and then lied about it when confronted after trial. The Attorney General also does not deny that these facts establish misconduct. They clearly do. It is improper for a juror to receive information outside of court about the pending case, and to discuss the case with nonjurors. (E.g., In re Hitchings (1993) 6 Cal.4th 97, 116-118 [24 Cal. Rptr.2d 74, 860 P.2d 466]; People v. Holloway (1990) 50 Cal.3d 1098, 1108 [269 Cal. Rptr. 530, 790 P.2d 1327].) But he argues the court erred in its finding that the misconduct was prejudicial. We agree. In considering this question, we first review the applicable law, then apply it to this case.
Carpenter relies heavily on a trio of recent decisions by this court which state the test for determining prejudice from juror misconduct. ( In re Hitchings, supra, 6 Cal.4th 97; People v. Holloway, supra, 50 Cal.3d 1098; People v. Marshall (1990) 50 Cal.3d 907 [269 Cal. Rptr. 269, 790 P.2d 676].) We will address these and other California cases in due course, but we begin by discussing some decisions of the United States Supreme Court that will help place this issue into context, and point the way to the proper application of the test we have established. The first, Smith v. Phillips (1982) 455 U.S. 209 [71 L.Ed.2d 78, 102 S.Ct. 940], involved facts that in some respects are more troubling than those here. The defendant was convicted by jury of crimes in state court. During the trial, one of the actual jurors applied for employment as a major felony investigator in the District Attorney's Office. ( Id. at p. 212 [71 L.Ed.2d at p. 83].) When the defendant learned of this after trial, he unsuccessfully moved to set aside the verdict. The trial court found that the employment application `was indeed an indiscretion,' but it did not indicate prejudice against the defendant or an inability to decide guilt or innocence `solely on the evidence.' ( Id. at pp. 213-214 [71 L.Ed.2d at p. 84].) The high court found no constitutional infirmity in the verdict despite the obvious inherent motivation the job applicant may have had to reach a verdict favorable to the prospective employer. It rejected the argument that the law must impute bias to jurors in that position, stating that the Court has long held that the remedy for allegations of juror partiality is a hearing in which the defendant has the opportunity to prove actual bias. ( Smith v. Phillips, supra, 455 U.S. at p. 215 [71 L.Ed.2d at p. 85], italics added.) The court reviewed prior decisions and concluded that they demonstrate that due process does not require a new trial every time a juror has been placed in a potentially compromising situation. Were that the rule, few trials would be constitutionally acceptable. The safeguards of juror impartiality, such as voir dire and protective instructions from the trial judge, are not infallible; it is virtually impossible to shield jurors from every contact or influence that might theoretically affect their vote. Due process means a jury capable and willing to decide the case solely on the evidence before it, and a trial judge ever watchful to prevent prejudicial occurrences and to determine the effect of such occurrences when they happen. ( Id. at p. 217 [71 L.Ed.2d at p. 86], italics added.) In Rushen v. Spain (1983) 464 U.S. 114 [78 L.Ed.2d 267, 104 S.Ct. 453], the court considered the effect on a verdict of improper ex parte communications between the trial court and jurors during a lengthy trial. It took a similarly pragmatic approach. Our cases recognize that the right to personal presence at all critical stages of the trial and the right to counsel are fundamental rights of each criminal defendant. [Fn. omitted.] `At the same time and without detracting from the fundamental importance of [these rights], we have implicitly recognized the necessity for preserving society's interest in the administration of criminal justice. Cases involving [such constitutional] deprivations are [therefore] subject to the general rule that remedies should be tailored to the injury suffered ... and should not unnecessarily infringe on competing interests.' [Citations.] ( Id. at pp. 117-118 [78 L.Ed.2d at pp. 272-273].) The high court stated, There is scarcely a lengthy trial in which one or more jurors do not have occasion to speak to the trial judge about something, whether it relates to a matter of personal comfort or to some aspect of the trial. The ... conclusion that an unrecorded ex parte communication between trial judge and juror can never be harmless error ignores these day-to-day realities of courtroom life and undermines society's interest in the administration of criminal justice. ( Rushen v. Spain, supra, 464 U.S. at pp. 118-119 [78 L.Ed.2d at p. 273], quoted with approval in People v. Wright (1990) 52 Cal.3d 367, 402-403 [276 Cal. Rptr. 731, 802 P.2d 221], italics added.) As an example, the court noted that we have refused, on facts more troublesome than these, to find inherent bias in a verdict when a state trial court determined `beyond a reasonable doubt' that a juror's out-of-court action did not influence the verdict. ( Rushen v. Spain, supra, 464 U.S. at p. 119, fn. 3 [78 L.Ed.2d at p. 273], citing Smith v. Phillips, supra, 455 U.S. 209.) McDonough Power Equipment, Inc. v. Greenwood (1984) 464 U.S. 548 [78 L.Ed.2d 663, 104 S.Ct. 845] involved a juror who failed to disclose certain information during voir dire. In holding that a new trial is not required unless the juror's failure to disclose denied respondents their right to an impartial jury ( id. at p. 549 [78 L.Ed.2d at p. 667]), the high court noted, Trials are costly, not only for the parties, but also for the jurors performing their civic duty and for society which pays the judges and support personnel who manage the trials. It seems doubtful that our judicial system would have the resources to provide litigants with perfect trials, were they possible, and still keep abreast of its constantly increasing caseload. ( Id. at p. 553 [78 L.Ed.2d at p. 669].) [1] A decision last term, Romano v. Oklahoma (1994) 512 U.S. ___ [129 L.Ed.2d 1, 114 S.Ct. 2004], is significant given the trial court's characterization of the misconduct here as error under Caldwell v. Mississippi, supra, 472 U.S. 320. In Romano, the petitioner, like Carpenter, was charged and tried separately for separate capital offenses. In the first trial, the jury found the petitioner guilty of murder and sentenced him to death. A different jury then convicted him of a second murder and also sentenced him to death. During the sentencing phase of the second trial, evidence of the first murder was presented. Additionally, evidence of the first conviction and death sentence was also presented to the jury  erroneously but harmlessly, the state appellate court later held. While appeal of the second judgment was pending, the first conviction was reversed on direct appeal. After the state court affirmed the second judgment, the high court granted certiorari and then affirmed. Distinguishing and limiting Caldwell v. Mississippi, supra, 472 U.S. 320, the court did not believe that the admission of evidence regarding petitioner's prior death sentence affirmatively misled the jury regarding its role in the sentencing process so as to diminish its sense of responsibility. The admission of this evidence, therefore, did not contravene the principle established in Caldwell. ( Romano v. Oklahoma, supra, 512 U.S. at p. ___ [129 L.Ed.2d at p. 11].) The court also rejected other constitutional challenges to the evidence. Regarding a due process challenge under the Fourteenth Amendment, the court stated that the relevant question in this case ... is whether the admission of evidence regarding petitioner's prior death sentence so infected the sentencing proceeding with unfairness as to render the jury's imposition of the death penalty a denial of due process. ( Romano v. Oklahoma, supra, 512 U.S. at p. ___ [129 L.Ed.2d at p. 13].) It found no such unfairness. [I]f the jurors followed the trial court's instructions, which we presume they did [citation], this evidence should have had little  if any  effect on their deliberations. Those instructions clearly and properly described the jurors' paramount role in determining petitioner's sentence, and they also explicitly limited the jurors' consideration of aggravating factors to the four which the State sought to prove. Regardless of the evidence as to petitioner's death sentence in the [first] case, the jury had sufficient evidence to justify its conclusion that these four aggravating circumstances existed.... In short, the instructions did not offer the jurors any means by which to give effect to the evidence of petitioner's sentence in the [first] murder, and the other relevant evidence presented by the State was sufficient to justify the imposition of the death sentence in this case. ( Id. at p. ___ [129 L.Ed.2d at pp. 13-14].) In a discussion particularly pertinent here, the high court concluded, Even assuming that the jury disregarded the trial court's instructions and allowed the evidence of petitioner's prior death sentence to influence its decision, it is impossible to know how this evidence might have affected the jury. It seems equally plausible that the evidence could have made the jurors more inclined to impose a death sentence, or it could have made them less inclined to do so. Either conclusion necessarily rests upon one's intuition. To hold on the basis of this record that the admission of evidence relating to petitioner's sentence in the [first] case rendered petitioner's sentencing proceeding for the [second] murder fundamentally unfair would thus be an exercise in speculation, rather than reasoned judgment. ( Romano v. Oklahoma, supra, 512 U.S. at p. ___ [129 L.Ed.2d at p. 14].) With these decisions as a backdrop, we now consider the cases on which Carpenter relies. In People v. Marshall, supra, 50 Cal.3d at pages 949-950, one juror told the other jurors during deliberations that he had a law enforcement background, and stated legal principles that were both extraneous and erroneous. We found this to be misconduct giving rise to a presumption of prejudice, but also stated, The jury system is an institution that is legally fundamental but also fundamentally human. Jurors bring to their deliberations knowledge and beliefs about general matters of law and fact that find their source in everyday life and experience. That they do so is one of the strengths of the jury system. It is also one of its weaknesses: it has the potential to undermine determinations that should be made exclusively on the evidence introduced by the parties and the instructions given by the court. Such a weakness, however, must be tolerated. `[I]t is an impossible standard to require ... [the jury] to be a laboratory, completely sterilized and freed from any external factors.' [Citation.] Moreover, under that `standard' few verdicts would be proof against challenge. ( Id. at p. 950.) We then stated the test to apply in determining whether juror misconduct requires the judgment be set aside: A judgment adverse to a defendant in a criminal case must be reversed or vacated `whenever ... the court finds a substantial likelihood that the vote of one or more jurors was influenced by exposure to prejudicial matter relating to the defendant or to the case itself that was not part of the trial record on which the case was submitted to the jury.' [Citations.] ... [¶] `The ultimate issue of influence on the juror is resolved by reference to the substantial likelihood test, an objective standard. In effect, the court must examine the extrajudicial material and then judge whether it is inherently likely to have influenced the juror.' [Citation.] ( People v. Marshall, supra, 50 Cal.3d at pp. 950-951, italics added.) We noted that this prejudice analysis is different from, and indeed less tolerant than, `harmless-error analysis' for ordinary error at trial. The reason is as follows. Any deficiency that undermines the integrity of a trial  which requires a proceeding at which the defendant, represented by counsel, may present evidence and argument before an impartial judge and jury  introduces the taint of fundamental unfairness and calls for reversal without consideration of actual prejudice. [Citation.] Such a deficiency is threatened by jury misconduct. When the misconduct in question supports a finding that there is a substantial likelihood that at least one juror was impermissibly influenced to the defendant's detriment, we are compelled to conclude that the integrity of the trial was undermined: under such circumstances, we cannot conclude that the jury was impartial. By contrast, when the misconduct does not support such a finding, we must hold it nonprejudicial. ( Id. at p. 951.) Applying this test, we found the misconduct harmless. ( People v. Marshall, supra, 50 Cal.3d at pp. 951-952.) In People v. Holloway, supra, 50 Cal.3d 1098, one juror improperly read a newspaper article during trial stating that the defendant had been on parole from prison for assaulting a woman with a hammer. This impropriety was not discovered until after the guilt phase verdicts. We noted that such misconduct gives rise to a presumption of prejudice, and discussed the significance of that presumption: `[W]hen misconduct of jurors is shown, it is presumed to be injurious to defendant, unless the contrary appears.' [Citation.] We have long recognized the reason for this rule: `A juror is not allowed to say: I acknowledge to grave misconduct. I received evidence without the presence of the court, but those matters had no influence upon my mind when casting my vote in the jury-room. The law, in its wisdom, does not allow a juror to purge himself in that way.... But, where ... without any fault of either party ..., a paper was communicated to the jury which might have influenced their minds, the testimony of the jurors is [not admissible] to show whether it did or did not influence their deliberations and decision. A juryman may testify to any facts bearing upon the question of the existence of the disturbing influence, but he cannot be permitted to testify how far that influence operated upon his mind.' ( People v. Stokes [(1894) 103 Cal. 193, 196-197 (37 P. 207)].) That principle is now embodied in Evidence Code section 1150. ( People v. Holloway, supra, 50 Cal.3d at pp. 1108-1109, italics added; see also People v. Cooper (1991) 53 Cal.3d 771, 835-836 [281 Cal. Rptr. 90, 809 P.2d 865] [When a person violates his oath as a juror, doubt is cast on that person's ability to otherwise perform his duties.].) The defendant need not affirmatively prove the jury's deliberations were improperly affected by the misconduct, for that cannot be done under Evidence Code section 1150 and the authority cited in People v. Holloway, supra, 50 Cal.3d at pages 1108-1109. Therefore, `The presumption of prejudice is an evidentiary aid to those parties who are able to establish serious misconduct of a type likely to have had an effect on the verdict or which deprived the complaining party of thorough consideration of his case, yet who are unable to establish by a preponderance of the evidence that actual prejudice occurred. The law thus recognizes the substantial barrier to proof of prejudice which Evidence Code section 1150 erects, and it seeks to lower that barrier somewhat.' ( Hasson v. Ford Motor Co. (1982) 32 Cal.3d 388, 416 [185 Cal. Rptr. 654, 650 P.2d 1171].) ( Id. at p. 1109.) We then applied the test of People v. Marshall, supra, 50 Cal.3d 907, and found the misconduct prejudicial. The content of the article was extremely prejudicial; it revealed information about defendant's prior criminal conduct that the court had ruled inadmissible because of its potential for prejudice. The court and counsel had gone to great lengths to avoid having the jury learn of defendant's prior conviction for having assaulted a woman with a hammer. Their efforts were to no avail as to one juror  a fact that they did not learn until after it was too late to take any curative steps. [¶] ... [¶] ... [T]he defense went through the entire guilt phase thinking that the jury was unaware of defendant's prior record when in fact one juror had such knowledge. We cannot say at this point that [the juror's] improper knowledge had no impact.... [¶] Under the circumstances, we are unable to conclude that the presumption of prejudice has been rebutted. ( People v. Holloway, supra, 50 Cal.3d at pp. 1110-1111.) We also made clear that even one biased juror requires overturning the verdict. Defendant was entitled to be tried by 12, not 11, impartial and unprejudiced jurors. (3) `Because a defendant charged with crime has a right to the unanimous verdict of 12 impartial jurors [citation], it is settled that a conviction cannot stand if even a single juror has been improperly influenced.' [Citations.] ( People v. Holloway, supra, 50 Cal.3d at p. 1112.) We did not hold, however, that the improper receipt of any potentially prejudicial information required reversal. Our conclusion might have been different ... if the information improperly obtained ... had been less prejudicial. ( People v. Holloway, supra, 50 Cal.3d at pp. 1111-1112.) Our most recent decision involving juror misconduct was In re Hitchings, supra, 6 Cal.4th 97. There, during voir dire, a juror intentionally concealed knowledge she had about the case and, during the guilt trial, she made statements to a nonjuror indicating that she already believed the defendant was guilty. ( Id. at pp. 116, 117.) This was clearly misconduct giving rise to the presumption of prejudice. This presumption of prejudice `may be rebutted by an affirmative evidentiary showing that prejudice does not exist or by a reviewing court's examination of the entire record to determine whether there is a reasonable probability of actual harm to the complaining party [resulting from the misconduct]....' ( Id. at p. 119, quoting People v. Miranda (1987) 44 Cal.3d 57, 117 [241 Cal. Rptr. 594, 744 P.2d 1127], which itself quoted Hasson v. Ford Motor Co. (1982) 32 Cal.3d 388, 417 [185 Cal. Rptr. 654, 650 P.2d 1171], italics added.) We found the presumption had not been rebutted because the evidence showed it to be `reasonably probable' [the juror] had prejudged the case. ( In re Hitchings, supra, 6 Cal.4th at p. 121.) (4a) To summarize, when misconduct involves the receipt of information from extraneous sources, the effect of such receipt is judged by a review of the entire record, and may be found to be nonprejudicial. The verdict will be set aside only if there appears a substantial likelihood of juror bias. Such bias can appear in two different ways. First, we will find bias if the extraneous material, judged objectively, is inherently and substantially likely to have influenced the juror. (E.g., People v. Holloway, supra, 50 Cal.3d at pp. 1110-1112; People v. Marshall, supra, 50 Cal.3d at pp. 951-952.) Second, we look to the nature of the misconduct and the surrounding circumstances to determine whether it is substantially likely the juror was actually biased against the defendant. (E.g., In re Hitchings, supra, 6 Cal.4th at p. 121.) The judgment must be set aside if the court finds prejudice under either test. The first of these tests is analogous to the general standard for harmless-error analysis under California law. Under this standard, a finding of inherently likely bias is required when, but only when, the extraneous information was so prejudicial in context that its erroneous introduction in the trial itself would have warranted reversal of the judgment. (5a) Application of this inherent prejudice test obviously depends upon a review of the trial record to determine the prejudicial effect of the extraneous information. (4b) But a finding that the information was harmless by appellate standards, and thus not inherently biasing, does not end the inquiry. Ultimately, the test for determining whether juror misconduct likely resulted in actual bias is different from, and indeed less tolerant than, normal harmless error analysis, for if it appears substantially likely that a juror is actually biased, we must set aside the verdict, no matter how convinced we might be that an unbiased jury would have reached the same verdict. ( People v. Marshall, supra, 50 Cal.3d at p. 951.) A biased adjudicator is one of the few structural defects in the constitution of the trial mechanism, which defy analysis by `harmless-error' standards. ( Arizona v. Fulminante (1991) 499 U.S. 279, 309 [113 L.Ed.2d 302, 331, 111 S.Ct. 1246]; see also Rose v. Clark (1986) 478 U.S. 570, 577-578 [92 L.Ed.2d 460, 470-471, 106 S.Ct. 3101]; Morgan v. Illinois (1992) 504 U.S. 719, 729 [119 L.Ed.2d 492, 502-503, 112 S.Ct. 2222, 2229-2230]; People v. Cahill (1993) 5 Cal.4th 478, 501-502 [20 Cal. Rptr.2d 582, 853 P.2d 1037].) Thus, even if the extraneous information was not so prejudicial, in and of itself, as to cause inherent bias under the first test, the totality of the circumstances surrounding the misconduct must still be examined to determine objectively whether a substantial likelihood of actual bias nonetheless arose. (5b) Under this second, or circumstantial, test, the trial record is not a dispositive consideration, but neither is it irrelevant. All pertinent portions of the entire record, including the trial record, must be considered. The presumption of prejudice may be rebutted, inter alia, by a reviewing court's determination, upon examining the entire record, that there is no substantial likelihood that the complaining party suffered actual harm. ( People v. Hardy (1992) 2 Cal.4th 86, 174 [5 Cal. Rptr.2d 796, 825 P.2d 781], italics added.) In an extraneous-information case, the entire record logically bearing on a circumstantial finding of likely bias includes the nature of the juror's conduct, the circumstances under which the information was obtained, the instructions the jury received, the nature of the evidence and issues at trial, and the strength of the evidence against the defendant. For example, the stronger the evidence, the less likely it is that the extraneous information itself influenced the verdict. An example is provided in Hasson v. Ford Motor Co., supra, 32 Cal.3d at page 417, where we found the presumption of prejudice had been rebutted, in part because [t]here was overwhelming proof in support of the verdict. (3c) We emphasize that before a unanimous verdict is set aside, the likelihood of bias under either test must be substantial. As indicated in the high court decisions discussed above, the criminal justice system must not be rendered impotent in quest of an ever-elusive perfection. The jury system is fundamentally human, which is both a strength and a weakness. ( People v. Marshall, supra, 50 Cal.3d at p. 950.) Jurors are not automatons. They are imbued with human frailties as well as virtues. If the system is to function at all, we must tolerate a certain amount of imperfection short of actual bias. To demand theoretical perfection from every juror during the course of a trial is unrealistic. If the court concludes it is substantially likely the outside information affected the verdict, or that the juror was actually biased, the verdict must be set aside. If not, society's interest in the administration of criminal justice ( Rushen v. Spain, supra, 464 U.S. at p. 119 [78 L.Ed.2d at pp. 273-274]) must be vindicated, and the judgment preserved. It is not enough that the juror was placed in a potentially compromising situation, for then few trials would be constitutionally acceptable. ( Smith v. Phillips, supra, 455 U.S. at p. 217 [71 L.Ed.2d at p. 86].)
(6) In finding penalty phase prejudice, the trial court analogized the misconduct and resultant extraneous information to error under Caldwell v. Mississippi, supra, 472 U.S. 320. For the reasons stated in Romano v. Oklahoma, supra, 512 U.S. ___ [129 L.Ed.2d 1], this is incorrect, at least without considering the instructions the jury was given and other relevant information from the trial. (In fairness to the trial court, we note that Romano long postdates its decision.) (7) The court also erred in the rest of its determination and in its finding of guilt phase prejudice. As discussed in part II, ante, the court found that the extraneous information was inherently prejudicial in and of itself without reference to the rest of the record. It stated the evidence of guilt (as well as that supporting the penalty determination) was overwhelming, but felt legally precluded from considering this evidence. This is incorrect. To be sure, once actual bias is found, the strength of the evidence is irrelevant; the verdict must be set aside. But such evidence is relevant in determining bias in the first place. Contrary to the dispositive finding of the court below, if the evidence was truly overwhelming, the extraneous information cannot be considered inherently prejudicial. This is especially true since evidence of most of the Santa Cruz County crimes was presented to the jury. All the juror learned out of court was the verdict of the first jury. [2] (8) We also find that the surrounding circumstances do not necessarily reveal a substantial likelihood the juror actually was impermissibly influenced by the outside information. The trial court did not make any credibility-based finding that this specific juror was biased, only that the information would have improperly influenced any juror. Without minimizing the seriousness of the misconduct here, and `without detracting from the fundamental importance' of the rights at stake ( Rushen v. Spain, supra, 464 U.S. at pp. 117-118 [78 L.Ed.2d at p. 273]), on the basis of the habeas corpus record alone, we do not find a substantial likelihood the juror was biased or that the extraneous information impermissibly influenced her to the defendant's detriment. During a long and highly publicized trial, the court and parties attempted to prevent the jury from learning of the verdict in the previous trial (although not from hearing evidence of most of the other crimes themselves). Despite these efforts, one juror learned the truth. Although unfortunate, this is hardly shocking, and does not itself show bias. Just as there is scarcely a lengthy trial in which one or more jurors do not have occasion to speak to the trial judge ( Rushen v. Spain, supra, 464 U.S. at p. 118 [78 L.Ed.2d at p. 273]), so too it is virtually inevitable that in a trial such as this some secrets cannot be kept. The safeguards of juror impartiality ... are not infallible; it is virtually impossible to shield jurors from every contact or influence that might theoretically affect their vote. ( Smith v. Phillips, supra, 455 U.S. at p. 217 [71 L.Ed.2d at p. 86].) The juror also failed to report what she had learned, as she should have. But to the extent this was misconduct, it was also passive. Having learned what she should not, she chose  improperly to be sure  to keep it to herself. But this alone does not show bias. Many jurors, in the middle of a long and notorious trial, might, for many reasons unrelated to bias, be reluctant to go forward and actively inject themselves into the proceedings. For example, a juror might not attach the same importance to a particular piece of information as do the parties. The juror also told nonjurors both what she knew and that she knew it was forbidden, and later, after the verdict, denied the misconduct. But it does not follow that she thereby failed to base her verdict solely on the evidence. Telling nonjurors what she knew could not itself have prejudiced defendant. Learning the secret during the long and publicized trial (and then not reporting it) is one thing. Actually using the forbidden information  rather than basing the verdict on the evidence  is quite different. The juror did not suggest that she would consider the extraneous information in reaching her verdict, or that the verdict would be based on anything other than what the trial court characterized as the overwhelming evidence. Moreover, the juror did not discuss the defendant's guilt or innocence, and said nothing suggesting she had prejudged the case. Her statement that she was not supposed to know the information she had obtained, although revealing a consciousness of guilt in one sense, also showed that she was aware the knowledge was not supposed to influence her verdict. It does not indicate that she did what she knew was not allowed. Similarly, the fact the juror covered up after the verdict when she was challenged in order to protect herself, although certainly improper, does not show bias during the trial, deliberations, and verdict. We also note the lack of evidence that the juror told any fellow jurors, as distinct from nonjurors, what she had learned. Carpenter argues that because prejudice is presumed, we must assume she did tell the other jurors absent affirmative evidence that she did not. That is incorrect. Although prejudice is presumed once misconduct has been established, the initial burden is on defendant to prove the misconduct. ( People v. Marshall, supra, 50 Cal.3d at p. 949.) We will not presume greater misconduct than the evidence shows. On this record, we must assume the misconduct extended to learning the information and revealing it to nonjurors, but not to revealing it to other jurors. Carpenter argues this does not matter because even one improperly influenced juror is enough to overturn the verdict. This is correct once bias is established, but the exact nature of the misconduct is highly relevant to the initial determination of bias, which is based on all the surrounding circumstances. Indeed, in In re Stankewitz (1985) 40 Cal.3d 391, 399-400 [220 Cal. Rptr. 382, 708 P.2d 1260], we relied heavily on the fact a juror told others what he (erroneously) thought he knew in finding prejudicial misconduct. The fact the juror here did not reveal her knowledge to the rest of the jury is not alone dispositive, but it is also not irrelevant. Rather, it is probative in two important respects. First, it tends to negate the inference the juror was biased; a biased juror would likely have told other jurors what she had learned. Second, it tends to show the juror intended the forbidden information not to influence the verdict. (9) The fact that the respondent below did not present affirmative evidence showing there was no prejudice also is not dispositive. The presumption of prejudice may be rebutted by an affirmative evidentiary showing  or by a reviewing court's examination of the entire record to determine whether there is a reasonable probability of actual harm to the complaining party resulting from the misconduct. ( Hasson v. Ford Motor Co., supra, 32 Cal.3d at p. 417, italics added; see also People v. Hardy, supra, 2 Cal.4th at p. 176 [the presumption of prejudice was rebutted by the evidence of the trial itself].) As discussed in People v. Holloway, supra, 50 Cal.3d at pages 1108-1109, the presumption of prejudice merely excuses the defendant from affirmatively proving prejudice when that cannot be done. The presumption prevails `unless the contrary appears.' ( Id. at p. 1108.) If a juror applying for employment with the office of one of the attorneys in a case does not compel a finding of bias, as in Smith v. Phillips, supra, 455 U.S. 209, so too the evidence of the habeas corpus evidentiary hearing of this case does not itself compel a finding of bias. Our recent trio of cases is distinguishable. We found the misconduct harmless in People v. Marshall, supra, 50 Cal.3d 907. In In re Hitchings, supra, 6 Cal.4th 97, the juror had concealed information during jury selection, which did not occur here. We also found a reasonable probability that the juror had prejudged the case. ( Id. at p. 121.) There was no evidence of prejudging in this case. People v. Holloway, supra, 50 Cal.3d 1098, is factually more similar, but also distinguishable. There, evidence of the other crimes was not presented at all, and the extrinsic information was particularly prejudicial. As we noted there, the outcome might have been different had the information been less prejudicial. ( Id. at p. 1112.) Here, a review of the entire record may show the extrinsic information was not prejudicial.