Court Opinion

ID: 9604888
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-22 02:27:58.817627+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T12:07:27.390558
License: Public Domain

Beasley, Judge,
concurring specially.
Although I concur in Division 2, I do not fully concur in Division
1.
Defendant’s counsel attempted to sit in on the jury orientation conducted by the judge at the beginning of the trial in the room which was being used as a jury assembly room. He simply wanted to listen to the proceedings, as out of this group the defendant’s jurors would be chosen. The judge advised counsel that the juror orientation session was not open to the general public and precluded him from remaining. There is no explanation of why this very important and influential part of jurors’ service, when they meet the judge and are given general instructions which will guide their service, is or should be closed.
Considering the matter from the perspective of the public and of the persons who are to be tried, as well as the effect on fairness which open proceedings serve to achieve, jury orientation should not be conducted behind closed doors. The concern that court communications with juries be open has been expressed by both of our appellate courts. See, e.g., Forehand v. State, 188 Ga. App. 527 (1) (373 SE2d 382) (1988); Berryhill v. State, 235 Ga. 549, 554 (12) (221 SE2d 185) (1975).
In this case the orientation was reported, so defendant was able to ascertain whether anything occurred which he thought was prejudicial to him. He asserts that he has the sheer right to have his counsel (not himself) present during this proceeding, but we find no precedent for this proposition as it has not been regarded as a critical stage of the proceedings against him.
He also asserts that the transcript, which he was provided with in lieu of his counsel’s presence, shows that the court infected the jurors by putting a premium on speed superior to the values of correctness and justice. The court told the jurors that there were 26 cases to be called during this criminal trial week and that “[i]t’s my duty and job to try and dispose of as many of these 26 cases during this five-day period which is available to us as possible, so we will, I assure you, try *805to call and dispose of as many of these cases as we possibly can.”
Decided February 12, 1992.
David W. Griffeth, for appellant.
Kenneth W. Mauldin, Solicitor, for appellee.
Although, out of context, one could paint the court’s statement with a connotation of lopsided values, one must consider not only the entire tenor of the orientation but more importantly the manner in which the court conducted defendant’s trial later that week. The record reflects that it was done with due deliberation and all the procedural safeguards to which defendant was entitled, including a careful and complete charge on the jury’s duty with respect to the finding of guilt or innocence.
Moreover, although the words “dispose of” may not be the most neutral expression to convey the idea,1 the court was merely referring to the constitutional mandate underlying the philosophy of case management in our state, which is the achievement of “the speedy, efficient, and inexpensive resolution of disputes and prosecutions.” 1983 Ga. Const., Art. VI, Sec. IX, Par. I.
Where no harm is shown, the conviction must be affirmed. Robinson v. State, 176 Ga. App. 18 (335 SE2d 303) (1985).

 One meaning is “to get rid of, throw away, discard.” Webster’s Third New Intl. Dictionary, unabridged.