Court Opinion

ID: 9610921
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-22 03:48:59.243365+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:03:06.519064
License: Public Domain

BIRD, C. J.
I must respectfully dissent from an opinion which lets stand a conviction for a crime of which the jury found the accused not guilty.
I.
In the courts of virtually all of our sister states and the federal circuits, juror affidavits are admissible to prove that a recorded verdict does not conform to the actual verdict agreed to by the jury after deliberations. This doctrine is so well settled that a complete listing of the *697cases so holding would fill a page.1 The legal writers are in accord with these decisions. (See, e.g., 8 Wigmore, Evidence (McNaughton rev.ed. 1961) § 2355, pp. 718-721; Model Code of Evid., rule 301, com. a, p. 175.)
As articulated by the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals, the rule regarding correction of such clerical errors is that “jurors are competent witnesses for the purpose of showing that through oversight, inadvertence, or mistake respecting the substance of the verdict returned into court, [it] was not the verdict on which agreement was actually reached in the jury room.” (Young v. United States (10th Cir. 1947) 163 F.2d 187, 189, cert, den., 332 U.S. 770 [92 L.Ed. 355, 68 S.Ct. 83].)
In Drainage Dist. No. 2 v. Extension Ditch Co. (1919) 32 Idaho 314 [182 P. 847, 850-851], the court commented similarly: “[A] court may permit the jury to fortify its verdict or to show by the affidavits of the jurors the verdict which they found and intended to return, and this may be done after they have been discharged. [Citations.]”
The rationale for this doctrine was cogently explained in an early opinion by the Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts. “[T]he mistake which is proved by the testimony of the jurors ... is not one connected with the consultations of the jury, or the mode in which the verdicts were arrived at or made up. No fact or circumstance is offered to be proved, which occurred prior to the determination of the case by the jury and their final agreement on the verdict which was to be rendered by them. But the evidence of the jurors is offered only to show a mistake, in the nature of a clerical error, which happened after the deliberations of the jury had ceased, and they had actually agreed on their verdict. The error consisted, not in making up their verdict on wrong principles or on a mistake of facts, but in an omission to state correctly in writing the verdict to which they had, by a due and regular course *698of proceeding, honestly and fairly arrived. ... [1Í] ... No considerations of public policy require that the uncontradicted testimony of jurors to establish an error of this nature should be excluded.” (Capen &. others v. Inhabitants of Stoughton (1860) 82 Mass. (16 Gray) 364, 367-368, italics added.)
Thus, the Capen court distinguished between deliberative error, involving the decision-making processes which lead to the jury verdict, and mere clerical error, involving a mistake in the reporting of the verdict to the court. Where only a clerical error has occurred, the policy considerations which may weigh against the impeachment of jury verdicts in other contexts are not applicable. Admitting juror affidavits to prove a clerical error does not infringe upon the sanctity with which jury verdicts are cloaked; (See People v. Hutchinson (1969) 71 Cal.2d 342, 349-350 [78 Cal.Rptr. 196, 455 P.2d 132].) On the contrary, the purpose of considering the affidavits is to ensure thát the true decision of the jury is given effect.
Here, appellant soughtj to prove through introduction of the juror affidavits that the jury foreperson inadvertently erred in recording the verdict of guilty, rather than not guilty, on the first burglary count. The affidavits stated that in the jury room no juror raised a hand to vote guilty on count one, and that each juror raised a hand to vote not guilty on that count. No aspect ¡of the jurors’ subjective reasoning processes in reaching their decision was discussed in the affidavits. Thus, this case clearly falls within the long-established rule allowing jurors to prove clerical error through affidavits.
The majority opinion fails to grasp the crucial distinction between clerical errors in recording a verdict and deliberative errors in reaching a verdict. Instead, it attempts to rely on People v. Hutchinson, supra, 71 Cal.2d 342, a case which does not even involve clerical error, for the proposition that juror affidavits cannot be used to establish that a reported verdict does not represent the actual verdict. (See maj. opn., at pp. 694-695.)
Hutchinson is inapposite for two basic reasons. First, Hutchinson does not deal with clerical errors in recording jury verdicts. In Hutchinson, this court’s sole concern was the admissibility of a juror affidavit to prove a deliberative error, i.e., that the jury had been improperly influenced in rendering a verdict convicting the accused of possession of marijuana. (People v. Hutchinson, supra, 71 Cal.2d at pp. 346-351.) *699The affidavit, submitted in support of the accused’s motion for new trial, alleged that the bailiff made threatening statements to the jurors which compelled them to reach a hurried verdict.
Thus, the factual situation facing the court in Hutchinson was completely different from that of the present case. Here, appellant makes no allegation of a deliberative error involving improper influences on the jury. Rather, he seeks to prove that the jury foreperson made a clerical error in transcribing the verdict. Thus, the majority’s use of Hutchinson to analyze the admissibility of the juror affidavits is inappropriate at best.
Even if the erroneous assumption were made that the alleged error in this case could somehow be characterized as deliberative rather than clerical, Hutchinson would not preclude the admission of the juror affidavits. Under the Hutchinson rule, juror affidavits impeaching an improperly influenced verdict are not per se inadmissible. (Id., at p. 351.) Consistent with Evidence Code section 1150, juror affidavits which allege objective facts “open to sight, hearing, and the other senses and thus subject to corroboration” are admissible to prove deliberative error. (Id., at p. 350.) However, affidavits which deal with the subjective reasoning processes of the jurors are not admissible. (Id., at pp. 349-350.)
Here, the “handraising votes” described by the affidavits are objectively verifiable events. They are subject to corroboration. Consequently, the juror affidavits cannot be excluded even under Hutchinson. (See, e.g., Krouse v. Graham (1977) 19 Cal.3d 59, 80-81 [137 Cal.Rptr. 863, 562 P.2d 1022] [discussion and agreement among jurors constitute matters which are objectively verifiable and, therefore, may be proven by juror affidavits].)
Thus, the majority not only rely on an inapplicable case, but they compound their error and misconstrue the rule of the case as well.
In excluding the affidavits, the majority assert that “the purported error alleged here involved the subjective mental processes of the jurors.” (Maj. opn., at p. 695.) However, this misses the point. The critical factor under the Hutchinson rule is how the alleged error is sought to be proved, not what the error “involves.” In Hutchinson, the accused’s claim of error — that the jury deliberations had been improperly influenced by the bailiff’s statements — “involved the subjective mental processes of the jurors.” Yet, the court held that the error could be *700proved by means of juror affidavits which set forth objectively verifiable events. (Hutchinson, supra, 71 Cal.2d at pp. 346-351.)2 Clearly, the result reached in today’s majority opinion directly contradicts the very authority it cites.
II.
If the juror affidavits conclusively establish appellant’s claim of clerical error, this error may not be deemed harmless and disregarded. How can this court hold that, although all 12 jurors acquitted appellant of the crime for which he stands convicted, the error was not prejudicial? A greater miscarriage of justice is scarcely imaginable. Do we really want this rule to be the law in California?
Consider the logic of the majority opinion. By finding that no miscarriage of justice resulted, a rule is established that essentially states that it makes no difference whiph count the jury convicts on since separate instances of the same crime are fungible. Perhaps the majority subscribe to the idea that if you’ve seen one redwood you’ve seen them all. (See maj. opn., at p. 696.)
It is contended that an error that causes a wrongful conviction of one count can be ignored if the person could conceivably be guilty of another offense. This horse-trading approach advanced by the majority distorts the trial process and makes a mockery of the appellate process. Under the majority’s rule, errors made on counts of which a defendant is acquitted, although nonappealable by the prosecution, can now be offset by prejudicial errors found in other counts which charge separate offenses. This entire procedure distorts the purpose behind the consolidation of different offenses for trial. (Pen. Code, § 954.) Efficiency and economy, not the denial of an accused’s right to a fair trial on each separate charge, are the reasons why section 954 was adopted.
It has long been the law that “each count in an accusatory pleading which charges a separate and distinct offense must stand on its own merit and the disposition of one count has no effect or bearing on the other counts in the accusatjion. [Citations.]” (People v. Ham (1970) 7 Cal.App.3d 768, 776 [86 Cal.Rptr. 906], italics added.) Disregarding the rule that “each count [is] entitled to be severally and finally dis*701posed of on its own merits ...” (ibid., italics added), the majority opinion lets a wrongful conviction stand because it feels the appellant should have been convicted of another count. This new principle of law — allowing a wrongful conviction to stand because it is believed that an appellant is guilty of something else for which he was acquitted— turns the concept of due process of law on its head.
If each count were considered separately, the verdict of guilt on count one would be amended by the trial court to reflect the jury’s actual decision to acquit appellant. The power of the trial court to correct a clerical error made by the jury foreman in recording or announcing the verdict is well established in the law. As Wigmore notes, “When the verdict as announced ... is different ... from the verdict as assented to in the jury room at the time of voting .. . [the] verdict may be corrected to represent the verdict actually agreed upon by the jury as a whole.” (8 Wigmore, Evidence, supra, § 2355, pp. 718-719; accord Freid v. McGrath, supra, 135 F.2d at p. 834; Burlingame v. Central R. of Minn. (C.C.E.D.N.Y. 1885) 23 F. 706, 707; Molton v. Staats, supra, 27 P.2d at p. 459; Glennon v. Fisher (1932) 51 Idaho 732 [10 P.2d 294, 295]; P. M. Lattner Mfg. Co. v. Higgins (1923) 196 Iowa 920 [195 N.W. 746, 747-749]; Wirt v. Reid (1910) 138 App.Div. 760 [123 N.Y.S. 706, 714]; Capen & others v. Inhabitants of Stoughton, supra, 82 Mass. (16 Gray) at p. 368.)
Prior decisions of this state have also recognized that trial courts have the power to correct clerical errors made by jury forepersons in rendering criminal verdicts. In People v. Harders (1962) 201 Cal.App. 2d 795 [20 Cal.Rptr. 595], the jury returned a verdict convicting the accused of counts one and two of the indictment. However, counts two and three had been dismissed during trial, leaving only counts one and four to be tried. The Court of Appeal upheld the trial court’s authority to correct the verdict to conform with the jury’s intent to convict the accused of all of the remaining counts. (Id., at p. 798.) The court reasoned that “[t]he form of the verdict is unimportant where as here the jury has unmistakably expressed its intention ... .” (Ibid.; see also People v. Camarillo (1964) 225 Cal.App.2d 127, 133-135 [37 Cal.Rptr. 178] [trial court could correct typographical error in verdict form which resulted in the accused being convicted of a crime different from that with which he was charged].)
Here, if the affidavits conclusively establish that the jury intended to acquit appellant of count one, but the jury foreperson inadvertently re*702ported a finding of guilt, the verdict should be corrected so it reflects the true decision of the jurors.
With respect to count two, the constitutional restraints embodied in the double jeopardy clause! prevent this or any court from reforming a jury verdict of acquittal once it has been rendered and the jury has been discharged. The United States Supreme Court recently stated that “[pjerhaps the most fundamental rule in the history of double jeopardy jurisprudence has been that ‘[a] verdict of acquittal . . . could not be reviewed, on error or otherwise, without putting [an accused] twice in jeopardy, and thereby violating the Constitution.’ United States v. Ball, 163 U.S. 662, 671 (1896).” (United States v. Martin Linen Supply Co. (1977) 430 U.S. 564, 571 [51 L.Ed.2d 642, 651, 97 S.Ct. 1349], italics added.)
Thus, only one question need be answered with respect to count two: did the jury render a verdict of not guilty? Quite clearly, the jury did render such, a verdict. The ¡verdict was announced, the jury was polled and discharged. Therefore, under the Constitution “absolute finality [must be given] to a jury’s verdict of acquittal — no matter how erroneous its decision . . . .” (Burks v. United States (1978) 437 U.S. 1, 16 [57 L.Ed.2d 1, 13, 98 S.Ct; 2141], italics in original.) This principle is bedrock constitutional law,1 nearly a century old. I would not discard this constitutional principle so cavalierly.
Appellant’s petition for¡ a rehearing was denied July 22, 1982. Reynoso, J., did not participate therein. Bird, C. J., was of the opinion that the petition should be granted.

See, inter alia, Continental Baking Co. v. Old Homestead Bread Co. (10th Cir. 1973) 476 F.2d 97, 109-110; Fox v. United States (5th Cir. 1969) 417 F.2d 84, 85-89; Freid v. McGrath (D.C. Cir. 1943) 135 F.2d 833, 834; Hamburg-Bremen Fire Ins. Co. v. Pelzer Manuf'g. Co. (4th Cir. 1896) 76 F. 479, 481-482; Rose v. Thau (1974) 45 App.Div.2d 182 [357 N.Y.S.2d 201, 203-204]; Moulton v. Staats (1933) 83 Utah 197 [27 P.2d 455, 459]; McCabe Lumber Co. v. Beaufort County Lumber Co. (1924) 187 N.C. 417 [121 S.E. 755, 755-756]; Carlson v. Adix (1909) 144 Iowa 653 [123 N.W. 321, 321-322]; Peters v. Fogarty (1893) 55 N.J.L. 386 [26 A. 855, 855-856]. See also 76 American Jurisprudence Second, Trial, section 1225, page 179; Annotation (1968) 18 A.L.R.3d 1132, 1137-1138, section 3 and cases cited.
The majority inexplicably ignore these authorities for the admissibility of juror affidavits to prove clerical error in the rendering of a verdict.

Indeed, it is hard to imagine a| claim of juror misconduct that does not “involve the subjective mental processes of the jurors” in reaching a verdict. Under the approach of the majority, a party will never be entitled to relief for such an error.