Hill v. State
Hill v. State
Opinion
Michael Robert Hill was convicted of burglary in the first degree and of intimidating a witness in CC-90-120. He was also convicted of two counts of the unlawful sale of cocaine in CC-90-97. The record on this appeal from those convictions does not indicate that the jury was placed under oath.
On the appeal of a criminal conviction resulting from a trial by jury, the record must show that the jury was sworn as required by law. Hines v. State,
Marks v. State,"The administration of the oath to a petit jury is a statutory requirement under §
12-16-170 , Code of Alabama 1975. Numerous Alabama cases indicate that a presumption that the jury was sworn cannot be made from a silent record. See e.g., Porter v. State,520 So.2d 235 ,237 (Ala.Cr.App. 1987); Wilson v. State,57 Ala. App. 591 ,329 So.2d 649 ,649 (1976); Whitehurst v. State,51 Ala. App. 613 ,288 So.2d 152 , cert. denied,292 Ala. 758 ,288 So.2d 160 (1973). 'There must be some affirmative showing in the record that the oath to the jury was administered.' Porter v. State,520 So.2d at 237 (citing Gardner v. State,48 Ala. 263 (1872)). An unsworn jury is a non-jury. Wilson v. State, 329 So.2d at 649."
On authority of Rule 10(f), A.R.App.P., and Marks,
REMANDED WITH DIRECTIONS.
All Judges concur.
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Reference
- Full Case Name
- Michael Robert Hill v. State.
- Cited By
- 5 cases
- Status
- Published