Opinion ID: 1881447
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Views on the Death Penalty

Text: The standard for determining whether a potential juror should be excused for cause based on his view with respect to the imposition of the death penalty is whether the juror's views would `prevent or substantially impair the performance of his duties as a juror in accordance with his instructions and his oath.' Wainwright v. Witt, 469 U.S. 412, 424, 105 S.Ct. 844, 83 L.Ed.2d 841 (1985) (quoting Adams v. Texas, 448 U.S. 38, 45, 100 S.Ct. 2521, 65 L.Ed.2d 581 (1980)). In resolving this particular issue in this case, we find guidance in our opinion in Castro v. State, 644 So.2d 987 (Fla.1994). There, Castro claimed error in the trial court's failure to excuse for cause several jurors who possessed a strong presumption in favor of the death penalty. See id. at 990. After examining the record, we found no error in the trial court's refusal to strike the prospective jurors based on their views on the death penalty. See id. Our conclusion in that case was premised on the record evidence indicating that once these jurors were advised that they were responsible for weighing aggravating and mitigating factors, they all indicated that they would be able to follow the law. See id. In doing so, we noted: Not surprisingly, the prospective jurors had no grounding in the intricacies of capital sentencing. Some of these jurors came to court with the reasonable misunderstanding that the presumed sentence for first-degree murder was death. Id. Our reasoning in Castro was based on an observation we find ever present in many death penalty cases. That is, the average juror summoned for prospective service in a case where the State is seeking the death penalty enters the courtroom without any true insight whatsoever into the elements or factors involved in capital sentencing proceedings. They are overwhelmingly unaware of the existence of the bifurcated process by which defendants may be tried and ultimately sentenced to the death penalty. They similarly do not possess the requisite familiarity with the necessary balancing scheme whereby aggravating and mitigating factors are weighed against each other in an effort to produce a proportionate sentence. We made similar observations in Johnson v. State, 660 So.2d 637 (Fla.1995), a case which, like the present case, involved the trial court's failure to excuse a juror who seemed to strongly favor the death penalty, but who later noted that she thought she could follow the court's instruction with respect to sentencing. After concluding that the trial court had not abused its discretion in denying the cause challenge, we noted: [J]urors brought into court face a confusing array of procedures and terminology they may little understand at the point of voir dire. It may be quite easy for either the State or the defense to elicit strong responses that jurors would genuinely reconsider once they are instructed on their legal duties and the niceties of the law. Id. at 644. The same conclusion reached in Castro and Johnson can be found in Reaves v. State, 639 So.2d 1 (Fla.1994). There, Reaves challenged the trial judge's rulings regarding two jurors who indicated that they would automatically recommend the death penalty if a defendant were found guilty of murder. Upon our examination of the record, we determined that the trial court had not abused its discretion because both jurors, after hearing an explanation as to the process of weighing aggravating and mitigating circumstances, acknowledged that they were capable of reviewing all of the evidence and following the court's instructions in considering a proper punishment. See id. at 4 n. 6. Turning to the record before us, we conclude that the trial court did not abuse its discretion in denying Overton's cause challenge as to Mr. Heuslein on the basis of his views towards the death penalty. When voir dire examination began, Mr. Heuslein did note that he favored the death penalty in cases where the defendant is found guilty of first-degree murder. As the questioning proceeded, however, defense counsel, the State, and the trial court all explained the capital sentencing scheme and its balancing process to Mr. Heuslein. Ultimately, as noted by the trial court, Mr. Heuslein expressed a great deference to the trial court's instructions, and noted, on several occasions, that he would start from a clean slate, follow the law, and abide by the sentencing scheme which required him to consider aggravating and mitigating circumstances. In fact, in response to the court's questioning, Heuslein indicated that he had no doubt that he could entertain the possibility of a life recommendation should the jury find Overton guilty of first-degree murder. Based on this record, we hold that no abuse of discretion occurred. See Bryant v. State, 656 So.2d 426, 428 (Fla.1995) (concluding that the trial court did not err in denying cause challenges where five jurors who expressed a predisposition to impose the death penalty if the defendant was convicted of first-degree murder later stated that they would follow the court's instructions and weigh the aggravating and mitigating factors to determine whether death was the appropriate sentence).