Case Name: STATE of Louisiana v. Abe JONES, Jr.
Court: Louisiana Supreme Court
Jurisdiction: Louisiana
Decision Date: 1973-02-19
Citations: 282 So. 2d 422
Docket Number: No. 52286
Parties: STATE of Louisiana v. Abe JONES, Jr.
Judges: BARHAM, J., dissents and assigns reasons.
Reporter: Southern Reporter, Second Series
Volume: 282
Pages: 422–433

Head Matter:
STATE of Louisiana v. Abe JONES, Jr.
No. 52286.
Supreme Court of Louisiana.
Feb. 19, 1973.
Dissenting Opinion Feb. 21, 1973.
On Rehearing Aug. 20, 1973.
Gravel, Roy & Burnes, James J. Brady, James M. Small, Alexandria, for defendant-appellant.
William J. Guste, Jr., Atty. Gen., Harry H. Howard, Asst. Atty. Gen., Edwin 0. Ware, III, Dist. Atty., Robert P. Jackson, Alfred B. Shapiro, Asst. Dist. Attys., for plaintiff-appellee.

Opinion:
SANDERS, Justice.
The Grand Jury of Rapides Parish indicted Abe Jones, Jr., for the murder of Roy L. Henderson. After hearing the evidence, the jury returned a verdict of guilty without capital punishment. The trial judge sentenced him to life imprisonment. The defendant has appealed, relying upon 24 bills of exceptions reserved in the trial court. The substantial questions pertain to the limitation of the voir dire examination of jurors, denial of a challenge for cause, and the procedure used for the summoning of tales jurors.
Bills of Exceptions 2 through 7 pertain to the rulings of the trial judge limiting defense counsel's voir dire examination of prospective jurors. Of these, Bills of Exceptions 6 and 7 relate to a juror who was later excused for cause. Since that juror did not serve, the rulings as to his examination were harmless. See LSA-C.Cr.P. Art. 921. Hence, these bills will not be discussed in detail.
BILLS OF EXCEPTIONS 2 and 3
As to prospective juror James H. Farmer, the line of questioning and ruling was as follows:
"QUESTION: I want you to suppose, Hr. Farmer, that Judge Gremillion advises you of the law and that part of the law is not to your liking. You have personal disagreement with it, could you nonetheless apply it ?
"ANSWER: Yes. .
"QUESTION: And you can say that without reservation, even not knowing what the law is at this point, is that correct ?
"ANSWER: Yes.
"QUESTION: I take it then, if he gave you a completely obnoxious statement of the law, which you felt personally was wrong, notwithstanding that fact, you could apply it?
"ANSWER: Yes.
"QUESTION: I want to ask you again. Can you readily say yes to my question before you are advised of what the law is?
"BY MR. JACKSON: Objection.
"BY THE COURT: Sustained."
The examination and ruling as to prospective juror Charles Bonneau, Jr., were similar.
A review of the examination shows that these jurors had testified that they would apply the law as charged by the trial judge, whether they agreed with it or not. This testimony had been repeated several times, in response to defense questions in various forms. The final question, to which objection was sustained, was both argumentative and repetitious.
Article 786 of the Louisiana Code of Criminal Procedure provides that the scope of voir dire examination shall be in the discretion of the Court. In the absence of a clear abuse of that discretion, this Court will not disturb the ruling on appeal. State v. Schoonover, 252 La. 311, 211 So.2d 273, cert. den. 394 U.S. 931, 89 S.Ct. 1199, 22 L.Ed.2d 460 (1969); State v. Williams, 230 La. 1059, 89 So.2d 898 (1956).
In our opinion, the trial judge did not abuse his discretion here.
BILL OF EXCEPTION'S NO. 4
The defendant reserved Bill of Exceptions No. 4 to the following ruling during the examination of prospective juror Rudolph White:
"QUESTION: Mr. White, at the conclusion of the State's and the defense's case, after all of the evidence is heard, Judge Gremillion is going to charge you with what the law is, and he is going to tell you to apply the law to the facts and to the evidence you heard. Now do you think you would be able to apply the law which the judge gives you, even assuming that you personally disagree with the law.
"ANSWER: I sure could.
"QUESTION: Even though you found it personally obnoxious, you could apply it as the Judge told you to apply it, sir?
"ANSWER: I believe in the law, whether I like it or not.
"QUESTION: Then I take it that you believe that Mr. Abe Jones at this point is innocent, is that correct?
"ANSWER: He is presumed innocent.
"QUESTION: Do you presume him to be innocent?
"ANSWER: Yes, sir.
"BY MR. JACKSON: Your Honor, we object to any further questions along this line.
"BY THE COURT: This is the type of question I spoke of earlier. You are in effect asking him to tell you what he knows about the law of innocence. That will not he permitted."
Although the ruling of the trial judge here occurred when there was no pending question, the ruling may he construed as barring further examination relating to the juror's understanding of and reaction to the various rules of law deemed applicable to the case.
We note that the juror had already testified that he would apply the law given to him by the trial judge, whether he agreed with it or not. Under these circumstances, the trial judge did not abuse his discretion in curtailing detailed examination concerning the various legal rules applicable to the case. See State v. Sheppard, 263 La. 379, 268 So.2d 590 (1972) and the authorities therein cited.
BILL OF EXCEPTIONS NO. 5
The defendant reserved Bill of Exceptions No. 5 to the exclusion of the following defense question addressed to a juror:
"Mr. Juneau, do you believe that if a Grand Jury indicts someone, this man is guilty ?"
For the reasons assigned in Bill of Exceptions No. 4, the trial judge did not abuse his discretion here.
BILLS OF EXCEPTIONS NOS. 9 and 10
The defendant reserved Bills of Exceptions Nos. 9 and 10 to the denial of a challenge for cause of Louis O. Edwards, a prospective juror. After the denial of the challenge for cause, the defendant excused the prospective juror with a peremptory challenge.
The rulings were as follows:
"Defense Counsel:
"Q. Mr. Edwards, getting back just for one minute, because of one thing or another, perhaps happened to you during your life, do you feel that if it came down to a policeman saying one thing and an ordinary citizen saying another. The two being in direct conflict, you would be in- dined to accept and believe the testimony of the policeman, is that correct. ?
"A. I would.
"Defense Counsel: Your Honor, I submit the juror for cause.
"Q. My question to you is this, Mr. Edwards, would you weigh the credibility of each party and rule accordingly, or would you be inclined to accept the testimony of the policeman in the event of a direct conflict ?
"A. I would be inclined to go along with the policeman because that in his job he is trained — I would think, to where if they did see a crime he would be more susceptible to get the facts right off hand because he's trained to do that. That's the way I believe, I would be inclined to go along with the policeman because he would seem like to me, just see the facts better than your or I would.
"Q. And by that you mean any fact which he would happen to witness?
"A. Well, any fact he would witness, I mean he would be more susceptible to see it just like it was than I would.
In his Per Curiam, the trial judge states:
"During the examination of prospective juryman, Louis O. Edwards, there was developed by defense counsel what appeared on the face of Edward's testimony that he would believe the policeman in preference to an ordinary citizen. The entire dialogue must be read at which time the only conclusion that logically can be reached is that Mr. Edwards told of the circumstances he would appraise the testimony of such police officer and such a citizen. The ultimate conclusion that can be drawn from his testimony is that he would weigh the testimony of both and with the knowledge that a police officer is trained to observe, be inclined to accord more weight because of that fact."
Only a few cases have dealt with this type of question on voir dire examination. These cases have differed as to the propriety of such questions. The United States Circuit Court of Appeal for the District of Columbia has held that it is reversible error to bar such a question where police testimony represents virtually the entire case for the prosecution. See Brown v. United States, 119 U.S.App.D.C. 203, 338 F.2d 543 (1964); Sellers v. United States, 106 U.S.App.D.C. 209, 271 F.2d 475 (1959). The First and Fifth Circuits have held that the trial courts did not abuse their discretion in disallowing such questions. See Gorin v. United States, 1st Cir., 313 F.2d 641 (1963), cert. den. 374 U.S. 829, 83 S.Ct. 1870, 10 L.Ed.2d 1052; United States v. Gassaway, 5th Cir., 456 F.2d 624 (1972); United States v. Jackson, 5th Cir., 448 F.2d 539 (1971).
The issue here is whether or not it was reversible error for the trial judge to deny the challenge for cause, after having allowed the questions and received the answers of the prospective juror.
On questions related to the impartiality of jurors, great weight must be given to the ruling of the trial judge, who sees and hears the prospective juror.
The juror further testified:
"Q Also, Mr. Edwards, during the course of this trial very likely the testimony is going to be, some testimony is going to be given by various members of the Police Department, do you think you would be inclined to give more weight or more credence to the testimony from a policeman merely by virtue of the fact that he is a policeman than you would say to the testimony of an ordinary citizen?
"A Well, I would go along with either one of them, you know, policeman or ordinary citizen, I'd listen to it, you know and get the facts, that's all you can do.
"Q Would you be more inclined to believe the policeman because of the fact that he is a policeman ?
"A I would be inclined to believe policemen, his testimony.
"Q And that's because merely you believe that policemen are more inclined to tell the truth than ordinary citizens ?
"A Well, I think either one of them would tell the truth, as far as that goes, but a policeman it's more his job you know to get the truth and lots of times in cases well the policeman was there, you know and I believe in the law, I'll put it like tjaat. I will just say that, I believe in the law."
We agree with the trial judge that the main thrust of the prospective juror's answers was that, in weighing the testimony, he would take into account a police officer's training in observing and reporting crime.
In the recent case of State v. Johnson, 263 La. 462, 268 So.2d 620 (1972), a similar question was presented. In affirming the conviction, we held that a denial of a challenge for cause was not reversible error. See -also State v. Dyer, 154 La. 379, 97 So. 563 (1923).
We conclude that the bills of exceptions lack merit.
BILLS OF EXCEPTIONS NOS 18 and 19.
The next substantial question is raised by the overruling of defendant's "Motion For Mistrial and/or Continuance and For Other Relief."
The background of the motion is clearly set forth in the Per Curiam of the trial judge. The Motion for a Mistrial or Continuance is based on the manner in which the Court secured additional tales jurors. At a point in the selection of the jury when nine jurors had been selected, the ve-nire panel was exhausted. In order to fully understand this Motion and the reasons for ruling, consideration must be given to the entire voir dire and what preceded that. In this Parish, the general venire box is made up from names drawn from the rolls of the Registrar of Voters. For a trial of this magnitude one hundred names are drawn from the general venire box. In this particular case, the one hundred original so called were rather quickly exhausted. The Court ordered fifty additional names drawn from the general venire box. These were also exhausted. The Court then ordered the Clerk of Court to prepare fifty additional summons and ordered the Sheriff to serve them on standers-by, that is, picked up on the streets. These were quickly exhausted.
The Court then ordered the 'Clerk of Court to issue thirty additional summons and ordered the Sheriff to contact by telephone and without discrimination as many of the business places in Alexandria and in the surrounding area as possible in order to have them send into Court people who could serve as jurymen. No discrimination was made and as the evidence indicates, this request was made to business establishments who employ Negroes as well as whites. As a result of this effort, the final three jurymen were chosen, these being Charles Fabian Vandersypen, L. E. Brun-son and Harold Gauthier. One alternate was also chosen from this group.
Article 785(D) of the Louisiana Code of Criminal Procedure provides:
"In parishes other than Orleans, the judge may order the summoning of tales jurors from among the bystanders or persons in or about the courthouse, in place of the drawing of tales jurors."
Article 419 of the Louisiana Code of Criminal Procedure provides that a jury venire shall not be set aside unless fraud has been practiced or some great wrong •committed that would work irreparable injury to the defendant.
Defendant contends that the procedure used violates defendant's constitutional rights 'because it in no way assures that there will be a fair cross-section of the community, especially as to race.
The evidence establishes to our satisfaction that no discrimination, racial or otherwise, was practiced in the selection of the remaining members of the jury. The trial judge noted in his oral reasons overruling the motion that about half of the first group of talesmen were Negroes, the same race as defendant. Moreover, the showing is insufficient to establish fraud, great wrong, or irreparable injury.
In the case of State v. McGuire, 254 La. 560, 225 So.2d 215 (1969), a somewhat similar procedure was used to summon tales jurors. Affirming the conviction, we stated:
"In his per curiam to the instant bill the trial judge states that the sheriff's office complied with the orders of the court. From our review of the jurisprudence, we find that the venire will not be set aside in the absence of allegations of fraud, wrong, or injury in the drawing and summoning of jurors."
We have reviewed the remaining bills of exceptions. None of them raise a substantial legal question.
For the reasons assigned, the conviction and sentence are affirmed.
BARHAM, J., dissents and assigns reasons.
DIXON, J., dissents.