Court Opinion

ID: 9655558
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-23 19:15:25.85419+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:13:19.975083
License: Public Domain

MOTION FOR REHEARING
In conjunction with his Motion for Rehearing, Copple has filed a motion to supplement the record on appeal. In our original opinion we noted that the original record on appeal did not indicate either the time the instruction was given or the time the jury returned with its verdict. We could not, therefore, determine the elapsed time between the giving of the hammer instruction and the jury’s verdict. Given that missing information, we could not fully consider whether the jury was coerced or the trial court abused its discretion to Copple’s prejudice. Copple’s motion to supplement indicates that in copy*18ing the court’s docket sheet for inclusion in the Legal File the clerk apparently did not copy the back of one of the pages. The omitted page indicates that the hammer instruction was given at 4:20 p.m. and the jury returned its verdict at 4:40 p.m. This situation well illustrates the importance of counsel carefully reviewing the legal file and not depending upon the clerk or counsel’s own staff to correctly include all items necessary for consideration of an appeal. In the interests of justice we sustained the motion to supplement the record on appeal.
We nevertheless find that Copple has not shown that the trial court abused its discretion or that the jury was coerced into finding him guilty because of the hammer instruction. Although significant, mere shortness of time between giving a hammer instruction and returning the verdict does not demonstrate a coercive effect. We observe that some 20 minutes expired between the jury’s note and the giving of the instruction. We will not assume that the jury continued to discuss the case after the note. In addition, the record now reflects that the jury had the case under submission for approximately an hour and 12 minutes before rendering a verdict. In considering whether the jury was coerced, we have considered that Cop-ple was charged with only one count. He did not deny being present with the victim at the time of the offense and in bed with her. She testified that they had intercourse. He testified that they were interrupted before the act was consummated. The central issue was consequently a resolution of the credibility of Copple and the victim. We cannot say that 20 minutes between giving the hammer instruction and returning a verdict was insufficient to resolve that issue and indicative of coercion. Although the trial court may have been too quick to utilize the hammer under the facts of this case, we do not find it abused its discretion or that Copple was prejudiced. The motion for rehearing is therefore denied.
HAROLD L. LOWENSTEIN, Presiding Judge, and THOMAS H. NEWTON, Judge, concur.