Opinion ID: 1135115
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Restraint during trial

Text: Elvik claims that he was physically restrained in the jury's presence during the guilt and penalty phase of his trial, in violation of his constitutional rights. A defendant's rights are violated when he is made to appear before a jury in shackles during the guilt phase of a trial, and, when such error has occurred, it is our duty to reverse a conviction unless it is clear that the defendant was not prejudiced thereby. Grooms v. State, 96 Nev. 142, 144, 605 P.2d 1145, 1146 (1980) (citations omitted) (emphasis added). However, constitutional protection is diminished during the penalty phase because the defendant is no longer entitled to a presumption of innocence. See Canape v. State, 109 Nev. 864, 872, 859 P.2d 1023, 1028 (1993). A defendant may be shackled at sentencing, but only when used as a last resort to protect an essential state interestsuch as maintaining public safety or assuring the decorum of the proceedings. Duckett v. Godinez, 67 F.3d 734, 747 (9th Cir.1995). As an initial matter, the parties disagree about whether Elvik was shackled for the entire duration of the trial, or only during the penalty phase. [5] This distinction is important because, although the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit applies the same standard to both the guilt and penalty phases of a trial, see Duckett, 67 F.3d at 748, this court in Grooms set forth a rule against shackling during the guilt phase in the absence of exceptional circumstances. Grooms, 96 Nev. at 144, 605 P.2d at 1146. As evidence that he was shackled during the guilt phase of his trial, Elvik offers only a portion of the guilt phase trial transcript in which the parties discussed, outside the presence of the jury, the State's request to have Elvik step down from the witness stand to participate in a reenactment of the shooting incident. The court stated: Mr. Elvik has got to be taken out of restraints and put out there. And I'll let you do this, but you will do itwhen you're done with that, I won't have him wandering around again. Although the district court did use the term restraints in reference to Elvik, we also note that Elvik's counsel did not object to Elvik's alleged restraint during the guilt phase, and offers no other evidence that Elvik was restrained at this time. Elvik discusses the rules for penalty phase shackling in his opening brief, and does not discuss the evidence that he was shackled during the guilt phase until his reply brief. [6] Accordingly, the State had no opportunity to address Elvik's contention with specificity. In light of the paucity of evidence on this issue, we are particularly mindful of the State's motion to strike selected portions of Elvik's opening brief, which included affidavits from the court bailiff and a deputy sheriff who were present at Elvik's trial. The bailiff and the deputy sheriff, who supervised Elvik as he entered and exited the courthouse, each signed a sworn affidavit stating that Elvik was not shackled or otherwise restrained while in the courthouse during the guilt phase of his trial. Based on these affidavits, Elvik's counsel's failure to object to the alleged guilt phase shackling, and the lack of clear evidence supporting Elvik's allegation, we believe that the district court's reference merely reflected an error or a poor choice of words, and that Elvik was not shackled during the guilt phase of his trial. Elvik next argues that the district court erred in allowing an armed guard to stand near him during the reenactment of the shooting incident. Elvik cites no authority suggesting that a guard positioned in close proximity to a defendant violates the constitutional protections discussed above. Moreover, the district court apparently sought to minimize any potential prejudice to Elvik, as it instructed counsel to control Elvik's movement around the courtroom in order to minimize [the guard] being anyplace close. Accordingly, we conclude that this argument is meritless. Finally, Elvik argues that the district court erred in allowing heavily armed police officers to be posted around the courthouse, in view of the jury, during the penalty phase. Elvik's counsel informed the district court that he had witnessed the jurors walking past police officers armed with automatic weapons, and moved for a mistrial on the basis of potential prejudice to Elvik. The district court advised counsel that high security was necessary because police officers had informed the court that they had monitored Elvik's telephone calls placed from the jail, and that Elvik had conveyed to a friend a plan to escape from the courtroom, and had solicited his help. Elvik had hidden a piece of wire with which he hoped to pick the lock of his handcuffs during a bathroom visit. He then planned to jump from the window of the courthouse and escape in a car driven by one of his friends. Police later located and confiscated the wire, but the district court was still concerned that Elvik, with aid from his friends, might attempt to escape. As a deterrent to any such attempt, the district court requested the heavily armed police officers' presence, and warned Elvik that neither he nor his friends should attempt to effect an escape. The district court later explained to the jury that high security was frequently used in emotionally-charged cases, and that it did not mean anything as it relates to [Elvik's] sentencing. Although Elvik provides no authority directly concerning the use of armed guards during a penalty phase proceeding, we conclude that, even under the analysis for shackling a defendant during such proceedings, Elvik's constitutional rights were not violated. The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals held in Duckett that shackling is permissible during penalty phase proceedings if two requirements are satisfied. First, the court must be persuaded by compelling circumstances that some measure is needed to maintain security in the courtroom. Duckett, 67 F.3d at 748. Second, the court must pursue less restrictive alternatives. Id. Elvik's escape plans and prior lethal action, albeit in claimed self-defense, constituted compelling circumstances. We are aware of no apparent less restrictive alternative, and note that Elvik fails to suggest one. Accordingly, we conclude that the district court complied with the requirements set forth in Duckett.