Court Opinion

ID: 9761564
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-29 01:45:47.364142+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T07:29:24.491788
License: Public Domain

MANDERINO, Justice,
dissenting.
I dissent. The trial court’s refusal to declare a mistrial when the jury received a fifteen foot piece of string from the tipstaff during its deliberations without the knowledge of the court or counsel was reversible error. The majority in affirming the trial court’s decision ignores the language of Pa.R.Crim.P. 1114 and prior cases of this Court.
The majority employs a hindsight test and concludes that the string was “in the jury’s presence for only five minutes and that no demonstration was ever conducted; [the foreman] also stated that the string was not a factor in the jury’s deliberations.” Rather, the guide to be used in determining whether the admission of the fifteen foot piece of string during the jury’s deliberations was reversible error is Pa.R.Crim.P. 1114. Rule 1114 provides:
“Upon retiring for deliberations, the jury shall not be permitted to have a transcript of any trial testimony, nor a copy of any written confession by the defendant, nor a copy of the information or indictment. Otherwise, upon retiring, the jury may take with it such exhibits as the trial judge deems proper.” (Emphasis added.)
In the case before us, the provisions of Rule 1114 were ignored. First of all, the trial judge did not decide that the jury could have taken the string with it “upon retiring.” Instead, the decision was made by an employee of the court, a tipstaff, after the jury had retired. The Rule does not delegate the judge’s decision to anyone else, and the timing of the decision should occur before the jury retires. Second, the piece of string was not an “exhibit” properly introduced into evidence during the trial. Neither defense counsel nor *529the prosecution had the opportunity to examine the accuracy, authenticity, or relevancy of the string. Third, neither defense nor the prosecution had the opportunity to challenge the admissibility of the piece of string into evidence. These factors outlined above are protections afforded to the defendant when the provisions of Rule 1114 are followed.
Additionally, this Court has said that the better procedure is “not to allow exhibits into the jury room which would require expert interpretation.” Commonwealth v. Pitts, 450 Pa. 359, 363, n.1, 301 A.2d 646, 650 n.1 (1973). Appellant argued at trial that the direction and angle of the shots supported the defendant’s version of the facts, and if the string was to be used to establish the direction and angle of the shots, appellant’s counsel could have presented an expert opinion on this issue. Even if we accept the foreman’s statement that no demonstration was conducted, how can it be said that some juror was not affected by seeing the string. After all, the jury asked for a fifteen foot piece of string. Why?
This Court has said that the propriety of the trial court’s decision to allow the jury to have exhibits with them during deliberations should be examined in relationship to the issues raised during trial. Commonwealth v. Riggins, 478 Pa. 222, 233, 386 A.2d 520, 525 (1978). When applying this standard, it is obvious that the piece of string could have affected a juror’s resolution of an important issue in the case. Accordingly, I must dissent from the trial court’s refusal to declare a mistrial. Judgment of sentence should be reversed and appellant is entitled to a new trial.