When polling the jury showed a unanimous verdict, no constitutional error occurred due to a failure to instruct the jury that a unanimous verdict was required. State v. Kircher, 189 Wis. 2d 392, 525 N.W.2d 788 (Ct. App. 1994).
Whether a defendant is required to be shackled at trial should be determined based on the particular risk of violence or escape. When the shackles cannot be viewed by the jury, no prejudicial harm may occur. State v. Grinder, 190 Wis. 2d 541, 527 N.W.2d 326 (1995).
A defendant’s presence is required during all proceedings when the jury is being selected, including in camera voir dire. However, failure to allow the defendant’s presence may be harmless error. State v. David J.K., 190 Wis. 2d 726, 528 N.W.2d 434 (Ct. App. 1994).
When it was conceded that a juror was sleeping, summarily foreclosing inquiry into the juror’s inattentiveness was an erroneous exercise of discretion. The court must examine the length of the inattentiveness, the importance of the testimony missed, and whether the inattention prejudiced the defendant to the point that there was not a fair trial. State v. Hampton, 201 Wis. 2d 662, 549 N.W.2d 756 (Ct. App. 1996), 95-0152.
A prosecutor’s motive of protecting a defendant cannot justify a peremptory challenge based solely on a juror’s race. Excluding a prospective juror because of race can never be “neutral” regardless of the prosecutor’s good faith. State v. Guerra-Reyna, 201 Wis. 2d 751, 549 N.W.2d 779 (Ct. App. 1996), 93-3464.
When there are grounds to believe the jury in a criminal case needs protection, a trial court may take reasonable steps to protect the identity of potential jurors. Preventing references on the record to juror’s names, employment, and addresses while providing the defense with copies of the juror questionnaires during voir dire was within the court’s discretion. State v. Britt, 203 Wis. 2d 25, 553 N.W.2d 528 (Ct. App. 1996), 95-0891.
Whether the interplay of legally correct instructions impermissibly misled a jury is to be determined based on whether there is a reasonable likelihood that a juror was misled. State v. Lohmeier, 205 Wis. 2d 183, 556 N.W.2d 90 (1996), 94-2187.
A party defending against an allegation that peremptory strikes were used for discriminatory reasons must offer something more than a statement that nonprohibited factors were considered. There must be a showing of a nexus between legitimate factors and the juror who was struck. State v. Jagodinsky, 209 Wis. 2d 577, 563 N.W.2d 188 (Ct. App. 1997), 96-2927.
A potential juror who stated he doubted the innocence of someone who would not testify and then said he could probably set that feeling aside should have been removed for cause under s. 805.08 (1). Failure to remove the juror forced the defendant to strike the potential juror, which violated the defendant’s right to due process. State v. Ferron, 214 Wis. 2d 268, 570 N.W.2d 883 (Ct. App. 1997), 96-3425. But see State v. Faucher, 227 Wis. 2d 700, 596 N.W.2d 770 (1999), 97-2702.
A party is prohibited from striking a potential juror based on a prohibited characteristic, even if other non-prohibited characteristics are also considered. State v. King, 215 Wis. 2d 295, 572 N.W.2d 530 (Ct. App. 1997), 97-1509.
An objection that peremptory challenges are racially motivated in violation of Batson, 476 U.S. 79 (1986), must be made prior to the time the jury is sworn. State v. Jones, 218 Wis. 2d 599, 581 N.W.2d 561 (Ct. App. 1998), 97-1002.
Discussing the use of and procedure for juror questioning of witnesses. State v. Darcy N.K., 218 Wis. 2d 640, 581 N.W.2d 567 (Ct. App. 1998), 97-0458.
This section guarantees the right to a jury of 12 in all criminal cases whether felony or misdemeanor. State v. Hansford, 219 Wis. 2d 226, 580 N.W.2d 171 (1998), 97-0885.
A defendant waives an objection to juror bias if no motion is made to the trial court for removal for cause. The ultimate decision whether to make the motion is for counsel and not the defendant to make. State v. Brunette, 220 Wis. 2d 431, 583 N.W.2d 174 (Ct. App. 1998), 97-2111.
Failure to bring the incompleteness of an individual polling of the jury to the attention of the trial court constitutes waiver of any claim based on the deficiency. State v. Brunette, 220 Wis. 2d 431, 583 N.W.2d 174 (Ct. App. 1998), 97-2111.
Failure to respond truthfully to voir dire questions is sufficient grounds to discharge a juror during trial. Specific proof of bias is not required. State v. Williams, 220 Wis. 2d 458, 583 N.W.2d 845 (Ct. App. 1998), 97-1276.
A juror who unequivocally announced his belief that a witness would not lie, but also said he could remain impartial showed manifest bias that could not be obviated. Following denial of a motion for mistrial, the defendant’s agreement to proceed with 11 jurors did not waive the right to further address the mistrial issue. State v. Faucher, 220 Wis. 2d 689, 584 N.W.2d 157 (Ct. App. 1998), 97-2702.
Affirmed. 227 Wis. 2d 700, 596 N.W.2d 770 (1999), 97-2702.
Juror bias may be actual, implied, or inferred. Inferred bias is a factual finding requiring evaluation of the facts and circumstances including those surrounding the juror’s incomplete or incorrect responses to questions during voir dire. Truthful responses do not prevent finding inferred bias. State v. Delgado, 223 Wis. 2d 270, 588 N.W.2d 1 (1999), 96-2194. But see State v. Faucher, 227 Wis. 2d 700, 596 N.W.2d 770 (1999), 97-2702.
The terms “statutory bias,” subjective bias,” and “objective bias” are adopted as the proper terms for referring to types of jury bias, replacing the terms “implied bias,” “subjective bias,” and “objective bias.” State v. Faucher, 227 Wis. 2d 700, 596 N.W.2d 770 (1999), 97-2702.
Statutory bias refers to those situations described in s. 805.08 (1); a person falling within one of the descriptions there may not serve regardless of the ability to be impartial. Although s. 805.08 (1) refers to jurors who have expressed or formed an opinion, that situation more properly qualifies as subjective bias. State v. Faucher, 227 Wis. 2d 700, 596 N.W.2d 770 (1999), 97-2702.
Subjective bias is revealed through the words and demeanor of a prospective juror as revealed on voir dire; it refers to the juror’s state of mind. State v. Faucher, 227 Wis. 2d 700, 596 N.W.2d 770 (1999), 97-2702.
Objective bias focuses on whether a reasonable person in the individual prospective juror’s position could be impartial; the circuit court is particularly well positioned to determine objective bias. State v. Faucher, 227 Wis. 2d 700, 596 N.W.2d 770 (1999), 97-2702.
Wyss, 124 Wis. 2d 681 (1985), Louis, 156 Wis. 2d 470 (1990), Gesch, 167 Wis. 2d 660 (1992), Messelt, 185 Wis. 2d 254 (1994), Ferron, 219 Wis. 2d 481 (1998), Delgado, 223 Wis. 2d 270 (1999), and Broomfield, 223 Wis. 2d 465 (1999), are cases through which jury bias jurisprudence has evolved. Where each would fall given the new bias terminology adopted in this case is considered. State v. Faucher, 227 Wis. 2d 700, 596 N.W.2d 770 (1999), 97-2702.
Veteran jurors cannot be removed solely on the basis of having served as jurors in a similar case, but must be shown to have exhibited bias in the case they are called to hear. It was error for the trial court not to strike five potential jurors who had served on a prior case in which the same defense was used when the jurors expressed that they would not give serious consideration to the defense. State v. Kiernan, 227 Wis. 2d 736, 596 N.W.2d 760 (1999), 97-2449.
A defendant is not entitled to a new trial when both the prosecution and defense are given an equal number of peremptory strikes, even if the number is less than provided for by statute. State v. Erickson, 227 Wis. 2d 758, 596 N.W.2d 749 (1999), 98-0273.
There is no automatic disqualification of potential jurors who have been convicted of crimes. The erroneous dismissal of a prospective juror for cause does not constitute an additional peremptory challenge for the moving party; it is an error subject to harmless error analysis. State v. Mendoza, 227 Wis. 2d 838, 596 N.W.2d 736 (1999), 97-0952.
Hansford, 219 Wis. 2d 226 (1998), applies retroactively only to those cases in which the issue of a six-person jury was raised before trial. State v. Zivcic, 229 Wis. 2d 119, 598 N.W.2d 565 (Ct. App. 1999), 98-0909.
Stipulating to an element of a crime did not deny the constitutional right to a jury trial when the jury was instructed on the element and the court did not resolve the issue on its own. State v. Benoit, 229 Wis. 2d 630, 600 N.W.2d 193 (Ct. App. 1999), 98-1531. See also Walworth County Department of Health & Human Services v. Andrea L.O., 2008 WI 46, 309 Wis. 2d 161, 749 N.W.2d 168, 07-0008.