Bowden v. State

Although I concur in Division 2, I do not fully concur in Division

1

Defendant’s counsel attempted to sit in on the jury orientation conducted by the judge at the beginning of the trial in the room which was being used as a jury assembly room. He simply wanted to listen to the proceedings, as out of this group the defendant’s jurors would be chosen. The judge advised counsel that the juror orientation session was not open to the general public and precluded him from remaining. There is no explanation of why this very important and influential part of jurors’ service, when they meet the judge…