State v. Mettrick

283 S.E.2d 139, 54 N.C. App. 1, 1981 N.C. App. LEXIS 2778
CourtCourt of Appeals of North Carolina
DecidedOctober 6, 1981
Docket8023SC1151
StatusPublished
Cited by6 cases

This text of 283 S.E.2d 139 (State v. Mettrick) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of North Carolina primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State v. Mettrick, 283 S.E.2d 139, 54 N.C. App. 1, 1981 N.C. App. LEXIS 2778 (N.C. Ct. App. 1981).

Opinions

BECTON, Judge.

Mettrick And Vickers’ First Assignment Of Error

I

Because of pre-trial publicity, the trial court ordered a special venire of jurors drawn from Caldwell County for defendants’ trial in Ashe County. Sheriff Waddell and Deputy Sheriff Parsons transported the prospective jurors in two activity buses from Caldwell County to Ashe County on 19 May 1980, the opening day of trial. Parsons also transported the jurors to lunch that day. After the jury was selected on the afternoon of 19 May 1980, Parsons drove one of the buses that made the return trip to Caldwell County. On 20 May 1980, Sheriff Waddell transported eleven of the fourteen chosen jurors and alternates from Caldwell County to Ashe County. No one was present on any of the bus trips, which take approximately an hour and forty-five minutes, except the jurors and the named officers.

Shortly after the opening of court on 20 May 1980, the court learned for the first time that these two principal state witnesses had been transporting the jury. Each of the defendants made timely motions for a mistrial, whereupon the court re-opened voir dire. Each juror stated that neither the sheriff nor his deputy mentioned the case and that the fact that the sheriff and his deputy would be testifying would not influence his or her ability to render an impartial decision.

In arguing that the trial court committed prejudicial error, the defendants rely on Turner v. Louisiana, 379 U.S. 466, 13 L.Ed. 2d 424, 85 S.Ct. 546 (1965). We believe the Turner case is dispositive of this issue. In Turner, the United States Supreme Court reversed the defendant’s conviction of murder when the un-[5]*5controverted evidence showed that during the trial, two deputy sheriffs, who were the two principal prosecution witnesses, were in continual and intimate association with the jurors during the entire trial. The Supreme Court held that the conduct of the trial violated the defendant’s Fourteenth Amendment right to trial by a fair and impartial jury. The Supreme Court further recognized that jurors do not shed their natural inclinations and predilections once they enter the courthouse; that jurors are a part of all that they have met; and that jurors are likely to give greater credence to those who have been their custodians than to other witnesses. Specifically, the Court stated:

“Any judge who has sat with juries knows that in spite of forms they are extremely likely to be impregnated by the environing atmosphere.” Frank v. Mangum, 237 U.S. 309 at 349, 59 L.Ed. 969 at 980, 35 S.Ct. 582 (Holmes, J., dissenting). . . .
. . . [T]he credibility which the jury attached to the testimony of these two key witnesses must inevitably have determined whether [defendant] was to be sent to his death. . . . [T]he potentialities of what went on outside the courtroom during the three days of the trial may well have made these courtroom proceedings little more than a hollow formality. [Citation omitted.]
It is true that at the time they testified in open court Rispone and Simmons told the trial judge that they had not talked to the jurors about the case itself. But there is nothing to show what the two deputies discussed in their conversations with the jurors thereafter. And even if it could be assumed that the deputies never did discuss the case directly with any member of the jury, it would be blinking reality not to recognize the extreme prejudice inherent in this continual association throughout the trial between the jurors and these two key witnesses for the prosecution. . . .
. . . [T]he role that Simmons and Rispone played as deputies made the association even more prejudicial. For the relationship was one which could not but foster the jurors’ confidence in those who were their official guardians during the entire period of the trial.

379 U.S. at 472-74, 13 L.Ed. 2d at 429-30, 85 S.Ct. at 549-50.

[6]*6The North Carolina Supreme Court’s decision in State v. Macon, 276 N.C. 466, 173 S.E. 2d 286 (1970) also supports the conclusion we reach. In Macon, our Supreme Court said:

We are in full accord with the sound principles of constitutional law enunciated in the Turner case. The facts in the case before us, however, do not invoke their application. . . . Here, the deputies were not in the presence of the jurors outside the courtroom, had no communication at any time with them, and had no custodial authority over them. The exposure of the jury to these bailiffs was brief, incidental, and without legal significance. . . .
Since the State’s witnesses here had no custodial authority over the jury, Turner does not apply. Even so, trial judges should nott overlook the significance of that decision. Simply stated, it holds that a State’s witness is disqualified to act as custodian or officer in charge of the jury in a criminal case. We said as much in State v. Taylor [226 N.C. 286, 37 S.E. 2d 901 (1946) ]. Under such circumstances, prejudice is conclusively presumed.

276 N.C. at 473, 173 S.E. 2d at 290.

In this case, Sheriff Waddell was the most frequently called as well as the most crucial State’s witness. He testified on eleven separate occasions, five times in the presence of the jury. He was alone with the jurors in a bus, with him driving, for not less than three and one-half hours. The same can be said of Deputy Parsons, another principal witness, who testified three times in the presence of the jury. The jurors were in these law enforcement officials’ custody and keeping outside the courtroom for substantial periods of time. The jurors’ lives, safety and comfort were in these officers’ hands. Assuming that the case was not discussed or even mentioned during the whole time, one would have to be blind to human nature to believe that the jurors’ intimate association with Sheriff Waddell and Deputy Parsons did not enhance these witnesses’ credibility.

However circumspect the officer and jurors may be when placed in such a situation, the occurrences always, as here, tend to bring the trial into disrepute and produce suspicion and criticism to which good men should not be subjected.

[7]*7State v. Taylor, 226 N.C. at 290, 37 S.E. 2d at 903.

Because prejudice is inherent under Turner and conclusively ■presumed under Macon, we do not reach defendants’ argument that the trial court erred in denying their motions to sequester the jury during the special voir dire. Suffice to say, both defendants are entitled to a new trial for the reasons set forth above.

Vickers’ Remaining Assignments Of Error

II

Vickers next assigns as error the court’s admission of identification testimony by three witnesses without conducting voir dire examinations to ascertain whether the in-court identifications were tainted by out-of-court proceedings. Vickers lodged a general objection and did not specifically request a voir dire hearing.

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State v. Williams
390 S.E.2d 729 (Court of Appeals of North Carolina, 1990)
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344 S.E.2d 310 (Court of Appeals of North Carolina, 1986)
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321 S.E.2d 225 (Court of Appeals of North Carolina, 1984)
State v. Miller
317 S.E.2d 84 (Court of Appeals of North Carolina, 1984)
State v. Baker
310 S.E.2d 101 (Court of Appeals of North Carolina, 1983)
State v. Mettrick
283 S.E.2d 139 (Court of Appeals of North Carolina, 1981)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
283 S.E.2d 139, 54 N.C. App. 1, 1981 N.C. App. LEXIS 2778, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-mettrick-ncctapp-1981.