Opinion ID: 1276223
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Juror Challenge for Cause.

Text: The district court, Brown, J., refused to remove a prospective juror on the defendant's challenge for cause. The basis of the challenge was that the juror was a sister of Carl Lemke, whose home was the target in this shooting. When questioned about her relationship to Lemke, the sister acknowledged she would probably not be impartialbut on the basis of her knowledge of the defendant, not because of her relationship to Lemke. She did state that she could follow the court's instructions. She also stated she did not see the Lemkes often. The trial court refused to remove her for cause, and the defense used a peremptory challenge to remove the sister from the jury. The defendant exercised all peremptories allowed him. Iowa Rule of Criminal Procedure 17(5) states: Challenges for cause. A challenge for cause may be made by the state or defendant, and must distinctly specify the facts constituting the causes thereof. It may be made for any of the following causes: . . . . d. Affinity or consanguinity, within the fourth degree, to the person alleged to be injured by the offense charged, or on whose complaint, or at whose instance, the prosecution was instituted, or to the defendant, to be computed according to the rule of the civil law. While the trial court is vested with broad discretion in allowing or disallowing challenges for cause, State v. Winfrey, 221 N.W.2d 269, 273 (Iowa 1974), that discretion was abused here. We discussed this issue at some length in the case of State v. Beckwith, 242 Iowa 228, 238-39, 46 N.W.2d 20, 26 (1951), where we said prejudice will be presumed when, as here, the defendant uses all of his peremptory challenges and uses one to remove the challenged juror. Id. at 232, 46 N.W.2d at 23. See also State v. Williams, 285 N.W.2d 248, 267 (Iowa 1979). Under the circumstances of this case, it was an abuse of discretion to overrule the challenge. Although on retrial it is highly unlikely that such an event will reoccur, we feel that some direction must necessarily be given to the bench and bar relating to such matters. REVERSED.