Court Opinion

ID: 9447195
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-03 22:28:18.863871+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T17:30:56.152411
License: Public Domain

On Petition for Rehearing en banc.
Upon their petition for rehearing en banc appellants urge that the court, in the Memorandum accompanying its order of September 29, 1959, discussed one order from which they sought to appeal but did not mention another order from which they also sought to appeal. This latter order was a denial of a motion for judgment of acquittal upon the ground that the jury had been allowed to disperse after the case had been submitted to them for their verdict.
After the jury had retired and had been locked up for some nineteen hours, one juror was taken ill and was hospitalized. It appeared, however, that his indisposition would be temporary and he would shortly be able to resume his duties. The court permitted the remaining jurors to disperse and later reassemble and continue their deliberations, the sick juror having returned to duty. After some twenty-eight additional hours of deliberation the jury was unable to agree and was discharged. The argument of appellants is that the jury was illegally reassembled and that they were thereby twice put in jeopardy. From that premise they conclude that they are entitled to a judgment of acquittal.
We are of opinion that the foregoing argument lacks substance. Even if the premise were valid and the deliberations of the reassembled jurors were void, the most favorable result that could ensue would be a mistrial. A new trial would most certainly be ordered under those circumstances. A mistrial has in fact resulted from the disagreement of the jury. We see no error in the denial of the motion for judgment of acquittal.
Before Prettyman, Chief Judge, and Edgerton, Wilbur K. Miller, Bazelon, Fahy, Washington, Danaher, Bastían and Burger, Circuit Judges, in Chambers.
Order
PER CURIAM.
Upon consideration of appellants’ petition for a rehearing en banc, it is
Ordered by the court that the petition for rehearing en banc is denied.