Court Opinion

ID: 9647534
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-23 13:39:12.563756+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T15:23:49.499269
License: Public Domain

DIXON, Judge,
concurring.
I reluctantly concur with the disposition in this case of the issue of juror misconduct, and I write to express my reasons for that reluctance. The majority opinion *205reaches the issue and decides it by accepting the evidence from the jurors. In doing so, it relies upon an exception to the general rule arising from many decisions in the Courts of Appeal. My reluctance stems from two concerns. First, no Supreme Court decision holds in accord with the exception; and second, in my view, the exception rests upon a flawed rationale.
The following demonstrates my first concern.
The general rule in Missouri is that a juror’s testimony or affidavit may not be used to impeach the verdict. Davis v. Kansas City Public Service Co., 361 Mo. 168, 233 S.W.2d 669, 676 (1950); State v. Branstetter, 65 Mo. 149, 156-57 (1877). However, that rule “from which there is no variance in this jurisdiction,” Evans v. Klusmeyer, 301 Mo. 352, 363, 256 S.W. 1036, 1039 (1923), has undergone some qualification. Some opinions of the courts of appeal have stated that, if the juror’s testimony or affidavit is not objected to, the disqualification is waived. Thorn v. Cross, 201 S.W.2d 492 (Mo.App.1947).
The general rule was first stated in Pratte v. Coffman, 33 Mo. 71 (1862). There, the jurors looked at law books during their deliberations. After stating and adopting the rule, which has been called the Mansfield view, the court noted “that cases may arise, particularly when life and liberty are at stake, which may call for a departure from the rule.” Id. at 78. In those cases, the court said it would be proper to receive the jurors’ affidavits to explain extrinsic evidence showing juror misconduct.
The Pratte qualification was eliminated in State v. Branstetter, 65 Mo. 149 (1877). Relying on Sawyer v. Hann. & St. Jo. R.R. Co., 37 Mo. 240 (1866), State v. Coupenhaver, 39 Mo. 430 (1867), and State v. Underwood, 57 Mo. 40 (1874), the court adopted as the Missouri view the strict Mansfield rule, that jurors may not impeach the verdict. This perception of Missouri law was reiterated in: State v. Babb, 680 S.W.2d 150 (Mo. banc 1984); State ex rel. State Highway Comm’n v. Ballwin Plaza Corp., 474 S.W.2d 842, 848 (Mo.1971); McDaniel v. Lovelace, 439 S.W.2d 906, 909 (Mo.1969); Smugala v. Campana, 404 S.W.2d 713, 717 (Mo.1966); Romandel v. Kansas City Public Service Co., 254 S.W.2d 585, 595-96 (Mo.1953); Middleton v. Kansas City Public Service Co., 348 Mo. 107, 152 S.W.2d 154 (1941); Reich v. Thompson, 346 Mo. 577, 142 S.W.2d 486 (1940); State v. Westmoreland, 126 S.W.2d 202 (Mo.1939); Steffen v. Southwestern Bell Telephone Co., 331 Mo. 574, 56 S.W.2d 47 (1932); Evans v. Klusmeyer, 301 Mo. 352, 256 S.W. 1036, 1039 (1923); State v. Shields, 296 Mo. 389, 246 S.W. 932, 934 (1922).
Only in dictum, in Cook v. Kansas City, 358 Mo. 296, 214 S.W.2d 430 (1948), has the Supreme Court retreated from the Mansfield rule,
[I]t is a firmly established rule in this jurisdiction that a juror may not, by his own affidavit or testimony, impeach the jury’s verdict because of the misconduct of a juror (citations omitted) unless the respondents failed to timely and properly object to the juror doing so and thereby in turn waived the incompetency of the juror to impeach the verdict.
214 S.W.2d at 433-34, citing Thorn v. Cross, 201 S.W.2d 492 (Mo.App.1947); Milburn v. Robison, 132 Mo.App. 198, 110 S.W. 598 (1908).
This dictum was repeated in Mayberry v. Clarkson Const. Co., 482 S.W.2d 721 (Mo.1972). There, the court stated, “This evidence, relied upon by plaintiffs to support the court’s action, came from jurors over defendant’s objection. The evidence was inadmissible, because a juror may not, over objection, be heard to impeach his and the jury’s verdict.” Id. at 724 (emphasis added). The court then cited the appellate decisions (e.g., Thorn v. Cross) that state the exception to the general rule.
The exception to the Mansfield rule arises only from decisions of the various districts of the Court of Appeals. Judge Ellison first stated the exception to the general (Mansfield) rule in Winn v. Reed, 61 Mo.App. 621 (1895). He said, “the rule *206in this state is that a juror can not impeach his own verdict, though his evidence is competent to sustain it ... but ... the affidavit of the juror Martin was admitted without objection by plaintiff. It was, therefore, before the court, and, while it could have been rejected, it was not. The court, according to the record, received it in evidence. It had probative force, and, in the absence of objection, or rejection by the court, should be considered.” Id. at 626.
Judge Ellison further articulated this new exception in Milburn v. Robison, 132 Mo.App. 198, 110 S.W. 598 (1908). There he stated, “it is said that the rule establishing the incompetency of a juror to impeach the verdict is a rule of public policy, and on that ground he should not be heard ... It does not follow that because a rule is founded on public policy it ... cannot be waived ... But where the rule is equally for the protection of the individual affected there is no reason why he should be compelled to take its benefit in spite of his desire not to invoke it.” 110 S.W. at 600.
The case upon which the majority opinion relies is Thorn v. Cross, 201 S.W.2d 492 (Mo.App.1947). The court, basing its holding on Judge Ellison’s Milburn case, stated, “the rule is that, although a verdict cannot be impeached by evidence or testimony of a juror, nevertheless, where such evidence is received without objection, the party who should have objected but fails to do so waives all right to complain against the court’s consideration of such evidence and it is to be given its natural probative value.” Id. at 497.
More recent decisions have followed the Thom holding, that when no objection is timely made, the juror’s evidence will be admitted. Among these are: State ex rel. State Highway Comm’n of Mo. v. Lock, 643 S.W.2d 46, 49-50 (Mo.App.1982); Norwood v. Lazarus, 634 S.W.2d 584, 589 (Mo.App.1982); State v. Suschank, 595 S.W.2d 295, 298 (Mo.App.1979); State v. Zweifel, 570 S.W.2d 792, 795 (Mo.App.1978); Gantz v. Leibovich, 569 S.W.2d 373, 374 (Mo.App.1978); Bailey v. Hilleman, 566 S.W.2d 504, 506 (Mo.App.1978).
This review convinces me that the Supreme Court has never really considered the issue of the validity of the exception.
As to my second concern, I do not believe the rationale, offered in Milburn as justifying the exception, is sound. The Mansfield rule is undoubtedly based upon public policy considerations. See generally J. Wigmore, Wigmore on Evidence, p. 676 et seq. (McNaughton Rev.1961).
The rationale offered in Milburn was that since the privileges of lawyers and physicians were based upon policy considerations and waiver was permitted, this should permit the waiver in the instance of the juror implying that the privilege was a one personal to the juror.
The rule of privileged communications applies to communications among jurors during retirement. Wigmore, supra, Section 2346, p. 678. The waiver principle might apply when this principle alone is the basis for the exclusion of the evidence. However, the principle to which our cases adhere, the Mansfield rule, is not based upon the doctrine of privileged communications but upon the doctrine that no witness shall be heard to allege his own turpitude. Mansfield first enunciated this rule regarding the testimony of jurors as to misconduct in the jury room in Vaise v. Delaval, 1 Term R. 11 KB 1785. In that case, the affidavits of jurors admitting their decision was based upon chance were rejected. Under this doctrine, the issue of waiver is immaterial because the exclusion does not rest upon a privilege but upon a disability of the witness founded upon a basis of public policy.
The rationale of Milburn is flawed when it finds that the exclusion is based upon a privileged communication arising from public policy (such as attorney-client and doctor-patient privileges), and therefore subject to waiver by the possessor of the privilege. The Mansfield rule is upon a different footing and waiver has no place in its application.
Despite Wigmore’s vehement criticism, the Mansfield rule has prevailed in most *207American jurisdictions, including our own. 8 J. Wigmore, Wigmore on Evidence, pp. 695-702 (McNaughton Rev.1961).
One thing seems certain, the door to the jury room can be shut, as the Mansfield rule requires, or it can be opened, as Wig-more suggests. It is not so certain that it can be left ajar with an exception that has no proper rationale. The exception as it presently exists simply leads to interrogation and even harassment of the jurors and to endless disputes over the validity of verdicts.
State v. Babb, supra, has now made inquiry of the jurors necessary when a separation after submission occurs. The majority opinion in Babb limits the inquiry to support of the verdict and expressly recognizes the Mansfield rule that jurors may not impeach their verdict. This will raise a difficult issue on the limits of cross-examination when evidence is offered to support the verdict. On the other hand, the concurring opinion seems to suggest that the defendant may elicit from the jurors evidence of communications to them during separation, which would violate the rule the majority announces for the limitation of the jury person’s testimony.
The issues in the instant case and those certain to arise under Babb demonstrate to me that the law of Missouri in this area is uncertain. That uncertainty will translate into further attempts by litigants to present issues in the general area of inquiry into jury deliberations and can only lead to further harassment and interrogation of jurors, which will cause jury service to be viewed as a greater burden by the general public.