United States v. Negrón
United States v. Negrón
Opinion of the Court
delivered tbe following opinion: '
There is a matter that I think I should refer to, not in any harshness at all but simply to get the running of the court in better order. A juror came to me and told me on behalf of
Now, that is what should not have been done. As to what should have been done; if there is anything that any one juror ought to know, he cannot communicate with anybody. Jie must ask it through the foreman. That is what the foreman is for, and what the foreman is to do is to get all instructions of a general character from the court. It is quite true in this instance, and frequently, that the judge was not down town, but that is one of the inconveniences of our system of trial. The jury is a unit, and can communicate with no one except the judge. The foreman could be permitted, in the presence of the bailiff, to ring up the judge by telephone and communicate with him. If there is any impropriety in that, it would be upon the judge, it would not be upon the marshal’s office. Although I do not like to stand on street comers and take street cars, I have not hesitated to come down, I think, in the past at any time that my presence was required, and I will do so in the future. The only safe rule is to have no communication with the jury, or rather for no one to have any communication, with the jury except the judge. This is not only a safe rule, but the law. In. this case its violation has resulted in a miscarriage of justice. One ease is just as important as another in that regard, in regard to the proper conduct of the court itself. Not meaning to say anything at' all that will grieve you in the slightest, the erroneous impression, however it rose, did get to the jury. I will take no further notice of it; but you can see it has turned out an exceedingly important matter, and I must ask you flrmly that nothing of this sort occur in the future. I am not asking any explanation, as I know what was done was done in per-
Reference
- Full Case Name
- UNITED STATES v. CRISTOBAL NEGRÓN
- Status
- Published