William Packer v. Don Hill, Warden Attorney General of the State of California

291 F.3d 569, 2002 Daily Journal DAR 4919, 2002 U.S. App. LEXIS 8658, 2002 WL 850822
CourtCourt of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
DecidedMay 6, 2002
Docket00-57051
StatusPublished
Cited by20 cases

This text of 291 F.3d 569 (William Packer v. Don Hill, Warden Attorney General of the State of California) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
William Packer v. Don Hill, Warden Attorney General of the State of California, 291 F.3d 569, 2002 Daily Journal DAR 4919, 2002 U.S. App. LEXIS 8658, 2002 WL 850822 (9th Cir. 2002).

Opinions

ORDER

Petitioner-Appellant William Packer’s request for clarification of the remand order is granted. The opinion filed January 15, 2002 [277 F.3d 1092] is amended as follows:

1. On the second line from the bottom of slip opinion 644 [277 F.3d at 1095], “returned verdicts” should be replaced with “returned sealed verdict forms to the court.”
2. The third and fourth sentences of the first full paragraph of slip opinion page 663 [277 F.3d at 1105] should be deleted and replaced with the following (including footnote 16):
Because the jury was considering both the murder and attempted murder counts when this coercion occurred, we conclude that the judge’s coercion manifestly had a “substantial and injurious effect” on the jury’s verdicts on these counts. Brecht, 507 U.S. at 637, 113 S.Ct. 1710, 123 L.Ed.2d 353.16 We therefore reverse the district court’s denial of the writ of habeas corpus and remand with instructions to grant the writ as to Packer’s murder and attempted murder convictions.
3. On slip opinion page 665 [277 F.3d at 1105], the remainder of the majority opinion below the heading “Conclusion” should be deleted and replaced with the following:
While we agree with the district court’s rejection of Packer’s leg brace claim, we reverse its decision to deny the writ of habeas corpus with respect to the murder and attempted murder convictions, because we uphold Packer’s juror coercion claim as to those counts. As to the remaining counts on which Packer was convicted, we affirm the denial of the writ. Accordingly, we remand to the district court for the granting of an appropriate writ of habeas corpus on the murder and attempted murder counts.

AFFIRMED IN PART; REVERSED IN PART; AND REMANDED.

OPINION

PREGERSON, Circuit Judge.

In 1992, a California state jury convicted William Packer (“Packer”) of one count of second degree murder, one count of attempted murder, two counts of attempted robbery, two counts of assault with a deadly weapon, and one count of assault with a firearm. The jury acquitted Packer on ten other counts.

After exhausting his claims in state court,1 Packer timely filed a federal habeas corpus petition. Magistrate Judge Margaret Nagle prepared a report (“Report”) recommending that Packer’s petition be denied. District Judge Harry L. Hupp adopted Magistrate Judge Nagle’s Report, but granted Packer a certificate of appeal-ability on two of Packer’s claims: that the state trial judge violated his Fourteenth Amendment right to due process by coercing the jury into rendering a guilty verdict, and that the ' state trial judge violated Packer’s Sixth and Fourteenth Amend[573]*573ment rights by ordering him to wear a concealed leg brace at trial that caused Packer pain and prevented him from straightening his leg. Because we hold for Packer on the first claim, we reverse the district court and remand with instructions to grant the writ of habeas corpus.2

1. Background

A. Juror Coercion Claim

On May 12, 1992, after over twenty hours of deliberation, and after the jury had returned sealed verdict forms to the court on all but the murder and attempted murder charges, Juror Eve Rad-cliff (“Juror Radcliff’) wrote the judge, asking to be dismissed “[d]ue to health problems.” Judge Phelps and Juror Rad-cliff then met outside the presence of the defendant and the attorneys. The following conversation ensued:

Radcliff: Well, since I wrote that letter I have been thinking over things a little bit and I think maybe I should— see, these are some very serious charges.
Judge: They certainly are. I don’t want to know how they been voted on. I don’t want to know how they been voted on.
Radcliff: Certainly not, your Honor. But I can’t — because of the seriousness of the charges, I can’t make snap decisions. And just as in your instructions you stated to us certain things to practice in deliberations. I was beginning to feel a little burned out.
Judge: We all are.
Radcliff: Yeah.
Judge: [Y]ou are going to take off Thursday and we’re going to allow that. So you think you can hold out just a little bit longer?
Radcliff: Yes.
Judge: I really appreciate it. Other-vnse, they have to start deliberations all over again with another person.3
Radcliff: That’s what I understand.

(Emphasis supplied).

The next day, May 13, Judge Phelps received a note from the jury foreman, Richard Wyke (“Foreman Wyke”). Foreman Wyke wrote:

I believe we have reached a state where we can no longer deliberate. One juror, Eve Radcliff, does not appear to be able to understand the rules as given by you. I have been approached by nearly all my fellow jurors 'questioning her ability to understand the rules and her ability to reason. I feel that if we continue we will end up as a hung jury, not based on facts and evidence, but one person’s inability to reason or desire to be unreasonable.

Judge Phelps read the note aloud in open court, in the presence of the attorneys, the [574]*574defendant, and all of the jurors. Judge Phelps then asked Foreman Wyke whether the jury was deliberating. Wyke responded that they were “just having the same conversation over the same issue time and time again.” Judge Phelps asked whether the dispute was factual. Wyke responded that “[i]t basically comes down to there’s a point where the rules of law, or as has been described, we just have a total difference of opinion over. I think we have a state of denial almost where its just not happening.” Judge Phelps then explained:

The juror has a right to do that, as you all know. They have a right to disagree with everybody else. But they do not have a right to not deliberate. They must deliberate and follow the rules and laws as I state it to them.

After more discussion, Judge Phelps said:

Judge: The next question I have for you, I just want two numbers and that’s all. I want to know nothing else but two numbers. I’ll ask you this. In your last ballot what was the ballot? What was the count? Don’t tell me for or against, just numbers.
Wyke: I know. The last one was 11 to 1.
Judge: 11 to 1.
Judge: The one before that was 10 and 2.
Judge: Do you think that further deliberations might help. I think you’re off tomorrow, are you not?
Wyke: Yes.
Judge: Do you think if you take off now and come back Friday you might be able to make further progress? ....
Wyke: It comes down to interpreting.
Judge: It’s been a long time for you people.
Wyke: Yes. We are getting tired of each other.

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Bluebook (online)
291 F.3d 569, 2002 Daily Journal DAR 4919, 2002 U.S. App. LEXIS 8658, 2002 WL 850822, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/william-packer-v-don-hill-warden-attorney-general-of-the-state-of-ca9-2002.