State v. Sessions

OPINION

RUSSELL A. ANDERSON, Justice.

Appellant Carlos Ondre Sessions was convicted of first-degree murder in violation of Minn.Stat. § 609.185(8) (2000) (intentional murder in the course of committing a burglary) and was sentenced to life in prison. We consider whether the trial court erred by communicating with the jury outside of open court without appel lant’s knowledge, consent or presence, and without making a contemporaneous record of jury communications and communications with counsel. We hold that the trial court erred by engaging in substantive communications with a deliberating jury…