Court Opinion

ID: 9539114
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-07 07:47:06.552781+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T14:58:27.721070
License: Public Domain

ERICKSON, Justice,
specially concurring:
I agree with the majority’s conclusion that the juror misconduct in this case does not warrant a new trial. I write separately because I believe that the majority’s “reasonable possibility” test places a minimal burden on the moving party to demonstrate that juror misconduct prejudicially affected the jury’s verdict, and denigrates the sanctity that should be afforded a jury’s verdict.
This court has often held that the party moving for a new trial bears the burden of proving actual prejudice when asserting that juror misconduct or improper influences on the jury affected the verdict. People v. Mackey, 185 Colo. 24, 521 P.2d 910 (1974); People v. Peery, 180 Colo. 161, 503 P.2d 350 (1972); Milano v. People, 159 Colo. 419, 412 P.2d 225 (1966); Moore v. People, 125 Colo. 306, 243 P.2d 425 (1952). But see People v. Boulies, 690 P.2d 1253 (Colo.1984) (the presence of an alternate juror in the jury room during deliberations sufficiently impinges upon the defendant’s constitutional right to a jury trial to create a presumption of prejudice).
*1144In 1980, we adopted CRE 606(b), which codified the long-standing rule that jurors may not testify as to their own decision-making process or as to statements made during the course of deliberations. Because Rule 606(b) makes actual prejudice difficult to prove, some courts have held that prejudice is rebuttably presumed where extraneous juror contact occurs. See, e.g., United States v. Greer, 620 F.2d 1383 (10th Cir.1980). However, because Rule 606(b) makes it equally difficult to prove the absence of prejudice, a party opposing a motion for a new trial cannot effectively rebut the presumption of prejudice.
I agree with the majority that the court’s inquiry should focus on the effect that the juror misconduct would have on a typical jury. However, I believe that a “reasonable possibility” test is a threshold standard that may be met in many cases where the verdict should not be impeached. Even where it is probable that juror misconduct did not affect the verdict, there may exist a “reasonable possibility” that improper conduct of a juror prejudiced the movant. The movant need not establish that prejudice was certain or even likely; the movant must only prove that prejudice was reasonably possible. In my opinion, that minimal showing is not sufficient to impeach a jury’s verdict and to warrant a new trial. See United States v. Jones, 707 F.2d 1169 (10th Cir.) (something more than unverified conjecture is necessary to justify a new trial on the ground of juror misconduct where only potentially suspicious circumstances are shown), cert. denied, 464 U.S. 859, 104 S.Ct. 184, 78 L.Ed.2d 163 (1983); United States v. Mares, 383 F.2d 811 (10th Cir.1967) (mere showing of possibility of prejudice is insufficient to warrant a new trial), cert. denied, 390 U.S. 961, 88 S.Ct. 1060, 19 L.Ed.2d 1157 (1968). Jurors are presumed to have performed their duties faithfully. People v. Lesh, 668 P.2d 1362 (Colo.1983); United States v. Hendrix, 549 F.2d 1225 (9th Cir.), cert. denied, 434 U.S. 818, 98 S.Ct. 58, 54 L.Ed.2d 74 (1977).
In my view, a new trial should not be granted unless the movant proves that actual prejudice from juror misconduct or extraneous juror contact is more probable than not. That rule is consistent with the standard that must be applied by a trial court when ruling on a motion for new trial based upon newly discovered evidence. See Williams v. District Court, 700 P.2d 549 (Colo.1985) (a defendant seeking a new trial on the ground of newly discovered evidence must establish that the evidence was discovered after trial, that defendant and defense counsel exercised diligence to discover all possible evidence favorable to the defendant, that the newly discovered evidence is material, and that the newly discovered evidence probably will produce a different result); People v. Scheidt, 187 Colo. 20, 528 P.2d 232 (1974). By requiring the movant to prove that in the absence of juror misconduct a different verdict was more probable than not, the movant retains the burden of establishing that a new trial is necessary to protect his rights.1
I am authorized to say that Justice VOLLACK joins me in this special concurrence.

. I express no opinion on the standard that must be applied in a civil case where juror misconduct is shown. See Aldrich v. District Court, 714 P.2d 1321 (Colo.1986) (the test for determining whether a new trial will be granted because of the misconduct of jurors or the intrusion of irregular influences is whether such matters could have a tendency to influence the jury in arriving at its verdict in a manner inconsistent with the legal proofs and the court's charge); Butters v. Dee Wann, 147 Colo. 352, 363 P.2d 494 (1961).