Bennison v. State

155 So. 3d 1031, 2013 WL 1284352, 2013 Ala. Crim. App. LEXIS 20
CourtCourt of Criminal Appeals of Alabama
DecidedMarch 29, 2013
DocketCR-12-0041
StatusPublished

This text of 155 So. 3d 1031 (Bennison v. State) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Criminal Appeals of Alabama primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Bennison v. State, 155 So. 3d 1031, 2013 WL 1284352, 2013 Ala. Crim. App. LEXIS 20 (Ala. Ct. App. 2013).

Opinion

BURKE, Judge.

Suzanne Carol Bennison was convicted of the sexual abuse of a child less than 12 years old, her daughter, in violation of § 13A-6-69.1, Ala.Code 1975, and the sexual torture of her daughter, in violation of § 13A-6-65.1, Ala.Code 1975. She was sentenced to life imprisonment as an habitual offender for each conviction, these sentences to run concurrently.

The sufficiency of the evidence is not challenged, so a rendition of the facts is unnecessary to this decision.

Bennison argues that the trial court érred in denying her motion for new trial based on juror misconduct. Bennison refers to a false statement by a juror concerning pending criminal prosecution against him. Bennison’s argument relies solely on Ex parte Dixon, 55 So.3d 1257 (Ala.2010).

“In Ex parte Dobyne, 805 So.2d [768,] at 772 [ (Ala.2001)], this Court stated:
“ ‘[T]he proper standard to apply in determining whether a party is entitled to a new trial in this circumstance [where a juror fails to respond correctly to a question on voir dire] is “whether the defendant might have been prejudiced by a veniremember’s failure to make a proper response.” Ex parte Stewart, 659 So.2d [122] at 124 [(Ala.1993)]. Further, the determination of whether a party might have been prejudiced, i.e., whether there was probable prejudice, is a matter within the trial court’s discretion.’
“Id. See also Reynolds v. City of Birmingham, 723 So.2d 822, 824 (Ala.Crim.App.1998) (‘ “[T]he ruling of the trial judge denying a motion for new trial will not be disturbed in the absence of a showing of abuse of discretion, and this Court will indulge every presumption in favor of the correctness of his ruling.” ’(quoting Hall v. State, 348 So.2d 870, 875 (Ala.Crim.App.1977))).”

Ex parte Dixon, 55 So.3d at 1259.

In Dixon, a prospective juror did not respond to the following question posed to the venire during voir dire: “ ‘Have you or a member of your immediate family ever been a criminal defendant in a criminal case in either the district court or the circuit court in this county where [the district attorney or any of his assistants] prosecuted the case?’ ” Id. at 1259. However, criminal charges were pending against the potential juror at the time; the charges had been filed less than two weeks before Dixon’s trial. -The potential juror was negotiating with the prosecutor for a plea agreement and would likely have been affected by her relationship with the State. The question posed to the venire was not confusing and clearly required an affirmative answer from the potential juror. When questioned during the hearing on Dixon’s motion for a new trial, the potential juror gave excuses that were “ ‘hairsplitting’ explanations,” 55 So.3d at 1262, and admitted that she herself had been negotiating with the prosecutor (the same [1035]*1035prosecutor who was involved in Dixon’s trial) at the time. Dixon’s counsel testified at the hearing that had he known of the pending charges, he would have challenged the potential juror for cause or struck her from the jury. Finally, the Court found that the prosecutor’s failure to disclose the pending charges, the outcome of which he was personally negotiating and of which he did not deny knowledge, allowed the prejudice when the potential juror failed to properly respond. “Although various Alabama courts have held that the State does not have a general obligation to disclose information on veniremembers, fairness dictates that the State cannot stand mute when a juror fails to respond (or responds incorrectly) to a question on voir dire and the prosecutor is aware of the true facts.” 55 So.3d at 1262 (footnote omitted.)

The proper standard to apply in determining whether a defendant is entitled to relief by way of a motion for new trial when the grounds concern a juror’s giving false information is whether the defendant might have been prejudiced by the potential juror’s failure to make a proper response. Ex parte Stewart, 659 So.2d 122, 124 (Ala.1993). Moreover, the impact of a false response by a potential juror on a party is shown when the party “ ‘ “ ‘is deprived of his right of challenge for cause, and is deceived into foregoing his right of peremptory challenge.’ ” Ex parte Ledbetter, 404 So.2d 731, 733 (Ala.1981) (quoting Leach v. State, 31 Ala.App. 390, 18 So.2d 285, cert. denied, 245 Ala. 539, 18 So.2d 289 (1944)).’ ” Ex parte Dixon, 55 So.3d at 1261. However, every failure to respond truthfully to a question during voir dire does not require a mistrial. Freeman v. Hall, 286 Ala. 161, 166, 238 So.2d 330, 335 (1970).

In the present case, Bennison attached purported excerpts from the transcript of the voir dire to her motion for a new trial contained in the record on appeal.1 However, the transcript does not contain the voir dire examination. It is the appellant’s duty to ensure that a record is complete for purposes of appeal. Welch v. State, 63 So.3d 1275, 1279 (Ala.Crim.App.2010). However, the State did not refute the excerpts attached to Bennison’s motion for a new trial,2 and, assuming that these statements made in pleading are accurate, the following transpired at voir dire:

“[Prosecutor]: I’d like to know generally if you — and again, we won’t know if — or any members of your immediate family, spouse, children, parents or siblings have ever been charged with a crime before. ... And also, the following misdemeanor offenses, and that would be drug offenses, assaults, indecent exposure or alcohol offenses.”

(C. 110.) The potential juror in question responded affirmatively. Thereafter, during individual questioning of this potential juror, the following transpired:

“[Prosecutor]: And, of course, the only question I had, I think the one you stood up on had to do with the possible other charges for you or members of your family.
“Potential Juror: Yeah, I had an IP-PLE, illegal possession of alcohol four years ago. My boss was driving and had a DUI and I — it was an open container in the car. And all it was, was that, so. It was just a fine more than a charge, I think.
“[Prosecutor]: Not something that would affect you in this case?
[1036]*1036“Potential Juror: No, Sir.”

(C. 117.)

Although Bennison did not have a hearing on her motion for a new trial, defense counsel argued in the motion that, “[h]ad undersigned counsel known of the pending charges against [potential juror] as listed hereinabove, a challenge for cause would have been made and failing that, a peremptory challenge to strike would have been used, thereby changing the make-up of the jury.” (C. 105.) Moreover, Benni-son attached a document from the Alac-ourt Web site, indicating that the potential juror had pending charges for speeding, failure to display insurance, open-container violation of the law, DUI, and promoting prison contraband. Another Alacourt document indicated that the potential juror’s preliminary hearing was originally set for June 5, 2012, was continued to June 19, 2012, and was continued again. Benni-son’s trial was held frdm June 11-15, 2012.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Smith v. State
838 So. 2d 413 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Alabama, 2002)
Freeman v. Hall
238 So. 2d 330 (Supreme Court of Alabama, 1970)
Ex Parte Dobyne
805 So. 2d 763 (Supreme Court of Alabama, 2001)
Land & Associates, Inc. v. Simmons
562 So. 2d 140 (Supreme Court of Alabama, 1989)
WATER WORKS AND SEWER BOARD OF SELMA v. Randolph
833 So. 2d 604 (Supreme Court of Alabama, 2002)
Ex Parte Branch
526 So. 2d 609 (Supreme Court of Alabama, 1987)
Reynolds v. City of Birmingham
723 So. 2d 822 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Alabama, 1998)
Succession of Walker
288 So. 2d 328 (Supreme Court of Louisiana, 1974)
Jolly v. State
405 So. 2d 76 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Alabama, 1981)
Owens v. State
597 So. 2d 734 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Alabama, 1992)
Spradlin v. Spradlin
601 So. 2d 76 (Supreme Court of Alabama, 1992)
Capers v. State
646 So. 2d 688 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Alabama, 1993)
Ex Parte Bruner
681 So. 2d 173 (Supreme Court of Alabama, 1996)
Eaton v. Horton
565 So. 2d 183 (Supreme Court of Alabama, 1990)
Harris v. State
794 So. 2d 1214 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Alabama, 2000)
Ex Parte Stewart
659 So. 2d 122 (Supreme Court of Alabama, 1993)
Hall v. State
348 So. 2d 870 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Alabama, 1977)
Ex Parte Ledbetter
404 So. 2d 731 (Supreme Court of Alabama, 1981)
Williams v. State
55 So. 3d 366 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Alabama, 2010)
Leach v. State
18 So. 2d 289 (Supreme Court of Alabama, 1944)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
155 So. 3d 1031, 2013 WL 1284352, 2013 Ala. Crim. App. LEXIS 20, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/bennison-v-state-alacrimapp-2013.