State v. Bussey

MARTIN, Justice.

For the reasons stated below, we find the defendant’s assignment of error to be without merit and hold that he received a fair trial, free of prejudicial error.

The record reveals that the jury began its deliberations on 9 July 1986 after the court’s customary morning break. The jury recessed for lunch and resumed its deliberations. Later, the jury sent word that it wished to pose a question to the court. The forewoman told the trial judge that the jury was “deadlocked.” The judge responded by asking whether the jurors had taken any polls and was told that two polls had been…