Shaw v. State

Citations

• 79 Miss. 577

Syllabus

<p>1. Criminal Law. Misconduct of sheriff. Verdict. New trial.</p> <p>The misconduct of the. sheriff in announcing to the bailiff in charge of a jury deliberating on a felony case, and in the hearing of the jurors, that the judge was going to leave-that evening and that “they would have to stay there until Monday morning,” followed by a verdict of guilty within a few minutes, vitiated the verdict and entitles the defendant to a new trial, there being nothing to show that the misconduct worked no injury.</p> <p>2. Same. Jurors. Witnesses.</p> <p>While jurors are incompetent as witnesses to impeach their verdict by showing their own misconduct, or what took place in their private room, or the grounds upon which they founded their verdict, they are competent to show the misconduct of others.</p>