Opinion ID: 1614942
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 52

Heading: Right to be Present and Right to Counsel

Text: In his second assignment of error, Bjorklund argues that the ex parte communication violated his right to be present as guaranteed by the 5th, 6th, and 14th Amendments to the U.S. Constitution, by article I, ง 11, of the Nebraska Constitution, and by ง 29-2001 and that this violation is not subject to harmless error analysis under the authority of Strasheim v. State, 138 Neb. 651, 294 N.W. 433 (1940). In his third assignment of error, Bjorklund argues that the ex parte communication violated his right to counsel as guaranteed by the 6th and 14th Amendments to the U.S. Constitution and by article I, ง 11, of the Nebraska Constitution and that this violation is not subject to harmless error analysis for the reason that deprivation of the right to counsel during a critical stage of a criminal prosecution which pervades the entire proceeding can never be considered harmless. Because we determine that the same analysis disposes of both of these assignments of error, we will address them together. Bjorklund argues that both he and his attorney had a right to be present during the ex parte communications between the trial judge and the jury. Bjorklund is correct, and it was error to conduct this communication without the presence of Bjorklund and his counsel. A violation of the right to be present in the context of ex parte communications is subject to a harmless error analysis as set forth in Rushen v. Spain, 464 U.S. 114, 104 S.Ct. 453, 78 L.Ed.2d 267 (1983). In Rushen, a prospective juror stated that she had no personal knowledge of violent crimes and did not associate the Black Panther Party with any form of violence. At trial, evidence was adduced about an unrelated murder by a member of the Black Panther Party, and this triggered the juror's memory that in the unrelated murder the victim had been the juror's childhood friend. The juror went to the trial judge's chambers to tell him of this. No record was made of this contact, and the trial judge did not inform the attorneys of this contact. The U.S. Supreme Court upheld the lower court's finding that the unreported ex parte contact between the trial judge and the juror was erroneous, but reversed the lower court's finding that it could never be harmless error. The Supreme Court determined that the communication and its effect on juror impartiality are questions of historical fact and entitled to a presumption of correctness in the absence of `convincing evidence' to the contrary. 464 U.S. at 120, 104 S.Ct. 453. The Supreme Court went on to determine that the contact in this case was harmless error beyond a reasonable doubt. Id. Bjorklund argues that the case Strasheim v. State, 138 Neb. 651, 294 N.W. 433 (1940), precludes harmless error analysis of the state constitutional violations alleged in these assignments of error. In Strasheim, the judge engaged in a prolonged discourse with jurors who had reported to the courtroom during their deliberations and without the defendant or counsel present. This court found that the defendant had a right to be present and to have his counsel present and that it was the trial court's duty not to resume the proceedings of the trial in their absence. Id. In finding that the error was not harmless and remanding the cause, we stated that [o]ur task is to determine whether or not a fair trial has been had and whether or not prejudicial error has been committed. It [is] manifest that a substantial invasion of defendant's rights has occurred, and that prejudicial error was committed.... 138 Neb. at 656, 294 N.W. at 436. However, contrary to Bjorklund's position, Strasheim undoubtedly stands for the proposition that such errors are subject to harmless error analysis, a result that has been affirmed in our more recent decisions. See, State v. Jacob, 253 Neb. 950, 574 N.W.2d 117 (1998); State v. Mahlin, 236 Neb. 818, 464 N.W.2d 312 (1991). Thus, we determine that any violation of Bjorklund's right to counsel or presence at the ex parte communication is properly subject to harmless error analysis. The merits of the harmless error analysis performed by the reviewing court in this case will be discussed below.