Court Opinion

ID: 9582594
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-21 22:29:11.045572+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T13:38:00.918356
License: Public Domain

Taylor, Justice
(dissenting in part).
I do not agree with that portion of the Majority Opinion which permits the taking of notes by a juror upon the charge.
In all testimony there are salient and important points and some testimony more or less cumulative or of lesser importance; and a juror being the judge of the facts is the sole judge of the weight to be accorded such testimony. He may accept such portions as he sees fit and completely reject others. He is not permitted to do so, however, with respect to the charge. He must accept the charge as given by the trial Judge as a whole. No portion thereof is more or less important than any other, and he will not be permitted to disregard any portion thereof. It is, therefore, incumbent upon the Court to see that a juror’s attention is not distracted from any portion of the charge by taking notes or otherwise.
Further, I know of no person, untrained in the legal profession, capable of correctly making notes on a proposition of law as it is given by the trial Judge in his charge. It is true that a juror may get an erroneous concept of the law applicable to the case, but such erroneous idea would be less persuasive if he is not permitted to put it in writing.
I would, therefore, permit the taking of notes, within the discretion of the trial Judge, on the testimony but not permit the taking of notes on the charge.