Court Opinion

ID: 9884429
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-10-06 02:56:27.746547+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T07:38:17.575911
License: Public Domain

Mr. Justice Daiey, dissenting: While it is to be admitted that the reading of a newspaper article by a juror in the course of a criminal proceeding presents a question going to the fundamental fairness and constitutional integrity of a defendant’s trial, I find myself in complete disagreement with the result of the majority opinion and the rule innovated therein. In my opinion its effect is to make a mistrial a matter of course whenever a juror reads an article derogatory to a defendant and thus, in contrast to the earlier procedures established by the decisions of this court, forecloses completely any inquiry or exercise of discretion by the trial court to ascertain if the reading of the article* in fact made for an impartial trial. It is my feeling that such an inflexible rule is one whereby the speedy and efficient administration of justice will be unduly hampered and delayed, either innocently or intentionally, and that it is one which reflects a certain amount of unwarranted suspicion of persons chosen as jurors. When the question has arisen in this jurisdiction, this court has always adhered to the rule that the reading of a prejudicial newspaper account warranted a mistrial only if it appeared that it actually had the effect of influencing the juror’s decision and a trial court was vested with discretion in determining if such was the case. This appears to be the prevailing view in the majority of our Federal and State courts. (See: 31 A.L.R. 2d 430, sec. 17.) Thus, in People v. Herbert, 340 Ill. 320, described by some as the leading case in Illinois, it was held the court did not abuse its discretion in refusing to grant a mistrial when there was nothing in the record, save the allegations in defendant’s motion, to show that any of the jurors had read the newspaper article. The trial court, however, gave a cautionary instruction to the jurors that they were to ignore newspaper accounts and were to consider only evidence adduced in the case. In finding that the court had not abused its discretion, this court commented that the instruction was given “fully to protect” the defendant’s rights and I think it reasonable to assume the language employed meant that the instruction had the effect of removing any prejudice created if the jurors had in fact read the accounts. The same rule was applied in People v. Mangano, 354 Ill. 329, where the procedural situation presented exactly parallels that of this case. There a juror admitted reading a prejudicial newspaper article during the course of the trial but stated he had formed no opinion from such reading and, in view of his disavowal that he would be influenced, we held the trial court did not abuse its discretion in refusing to grant a mistrial. People v. Murawski, 394 Ill. 236, which is commented upon at length in the majority opinion, applied the same rule but reached a different result because of the facts presented. There the chief issue was whether there was any proof that the jurors had in fact read the newspaper article. We concluded that they had but held that the court had abused its discretion in refusing a mistrial when it appeared that the jurors had not been admonished, either by instruction or otherwise, that they could not properly consider what the newspaper had said about the defendant in the case. I construe the language to mean that the effect of the prejudicial articles could have been overcome had proper cautionary measures been taken. A kindred case is People v. Dolgin, 415 Ill. 434, where an unknown person attempted to bribe a juror during the course of a trial. We held that the attempt did not automatically require a mistrial to be declared and found, in view of the repeated assurances by the juror she had not been prejudiced, her full and frank disclosures of the occurrence, the opportunity given to all counsel to examine her, the admonitions given by court and counsel and the assurance of the juror she would follow those admonitions, that the court did not abuse its discretion in denying a motion for a mistrial. Thus in the Dolgin case there was an overt act that would most likely be accredited to the defendant, or someone acting for him, yet the trial court was given discretion to determine if the prejudicial act would influence the trial and our decision admits to the concept that proper cautionary measures may overcome circumstances otherwise prejudicial. In the present case the trial court did no more than to exercise its discretion within the limits fixed by the cases discussed. All the jurors were questioned and all stated that they would not be influenced by the newspaper accounts. Further, the court instructed the jury that it was to ignore the newspaper articles, to regard them as false and unfair and to consider only the evidence introduced in the case. It is my opinion that such cautionary steps should be given the same effect this court has always accorded them and that a trial court should not be deprived of the discretion of determining if the prejudicial accounts in fact influenced the trial. The soundness of our former rule, which vested the court with discretion in the matter, is supported for reasons I have found to be best expressed in Marrin v. United States, 167 Fed. 951, (certiorari denied, 223 U.S. 719, 56 L. ed. 629,) where the court had this to say in dealing with the problem: “As already stated, the newspaper articles complained of were outrageous in character, and the indignation of counsel with regard to them was fully justified. But the action of the court must nevertheless be sustained in overruling the motion. While it was within the discretion of the trial judge to withdraw a juror and continue the case, he was certainly not required to do so in the face of the declaration by the jurors who had read the articles that they would have no influence with them in arriving at a verdict. Even where a juror on his voir dire, in a homicide case, where the rules are held the strictest, admits to having formed an opinion as to the guilt or innocence of the accused from reading newspaper accounts of the transaction, and that opinion is so fixed that it would take evidence to remove it, yet, if the juror, at the same time, is able to say, and the court is so convinced, that if sworn as a juror he can discard this opinion and decide the case solely on the evidence as it is given by the witnesses, he is qualified to act, and a challenge for cause will not be sustained. (17 Am. & Eng. Cyc. Law, 2d ed., 1147; Commonwealth v. Spahr, 211 Pa. 542, 60 Atl. 1084.) This being the rule in selecting a jury before trial, much more is it to prevail afterwards, when the evidence is all in, and the case is about to go to the jury, and the complaint is that they have been exposed to improper newspaper influence, the effect of which upon them they explicitly deny. It is true that it may be a question how far a person is able to measure or dispel the bias to which he has been subjected, particularly in the case of articles so virulent and persistent as here. But, there being no other test, the matter has largely to be submitted- to his own judgment; and, where attention has been called to it by an investigation such as was conducted here, even the ordinary juror, and much more the conscientious one, would be careful to try and exclude any suspicion of influence, with a reasonable chance of success. It was therefore a matter for the court in its discretion on the showing made to grant or refuse the motion to withdraw a juror. It was not bound to do so, so as to make a refusal of it an abuse of discretion of which we can lay hold.” As I interpret it, the majority opinion in the present case establishes for the first time a rule which will cause a mistrial to follow as a matter of course whenever some prejudicial knowledge of the defendant comes to a juror during the course of trial and which denies the court any discretion to inquire if the juror was in fact influenced and the defendant in fact prejudiced. This is true despite the fact that the opinion says “The vital question to be determined * * * is whether the jurors, or any of them, have been influenced and prejudiced to the extent that they would not, or could not, be fair and impartial jurors.” In meeting the vital question, however, the opinion all but forecloses any inquiry aimed at actually determinirig if the juror would, or would not, be impartial, by stating that the juror’s denial of influence should not be considered conclusive and that it is for the court to decide whether the publication has left the juror’s sub-conscious mind in such a state that bias and prejudice will result. As I see it, this is but another way of saying the court knows the juror’s mind better than the juror himself. Such a test evades the very real issue presented, namely whether an admittedly prejudicial newspaper account can be said to have fatally infected the defendant’s trial. If we say, as the majority opinion in effect does, that a juror is incapable of deciding whether he can be fair or impartial, then, as demonstrated by the result reached in this case, a mistrial must follow as a matter of course whether or not the juror was actually influenced. Such an inflexible rule destroys the discretion heretofore vested in the trial court. Further, in this day of complete news coverage through so many different media, I can foresee future harm from the rule that is being established. Simple consistency would dictate that the same inflexible rule would have to be applied where a prospective juror states on his voir dire that he has read or heard news accounts prejudicial to the defendant, for, even if he states that he has formed no opinion and that he has no prejudice, the trial court shall be committed to our rule that the juror is incapable of conclusively determining those matters. Few persons would ever qualify as jurors and the result would be an intolerable burden on the administration of criminal justice. Apart from my view that we should adhere to our former rule and hold that the trial court did not, because of the cautionary measures taken, abuse its discretion in refusing to grant a mistrial, I think there is yet another reason why the judgment of conviction should not be disturbed in this case. In 31 A.L.R. 2d 434, sec. 21, where numerous cases are cited and discussed, it is stated that “Where the evidence in support of the jury’s verdict is such that a jury could not have honestly or intelligently returned any other verdict than the one it did return, the courts have held that there should not be a new trial, mistrial, or reversal on the ground that the jurors had read newspaper accounts of the proceedings.” In my opinion the record presented here makes this principle singularly applicable. Adequate and convincing proof shows defendant committed the heinous crime of forcible rape upon a physically afflicted widow and mother with a viciousness and unnaturalness that finds few parallels in the annals of this court. Also, the life penalty, while severe, is within the limits prescribed by law and is not without precedent in such cases. Under the circumstances the jurors returned the only verdict that could be honestly and intelligently returned. Considering all the factors, it is my conclusion that the verdict of the jury was arrived at fairly and impartially, that the trial court fully protected defendant’s trial rights, and that he is not entitled to a new trial.