Opinion ID: 1511350
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Bias in Favor of Law Enforcement Witnesses

Text: [¶ 8] The court did not abuse its discretion in refusing to ask the potential jurors whether they would give greater weight to the testimony of police officers than they would the testimony of an ordinary citizen. During the jury selection the court read the charges against Stoddard to the jury array. The court asked the potential jurors if they or members of their families were employed in law enforcement and asked if they knew Stoddard or any of the law enforcement witnesses. When some members of the array said that they were involved with law enforcement or knew the officers who would be testifying, the court asked each member about the nature of his or her relationship to law enforcement or the extent of his or her familiarity with the witnesses. The court also asked whether, in light of the charges against Stoddard, any juror had personal beliefs or religious convictions that would make it difficult for the juror to hear the evidence impartially. Finally, the court asked if there was any reason the jurors could not fairly and impartially evaluate the evidence or apply the court's instructions given the charges in Stoddard's case. These questions were sufficient to disclose facts that would give rise to potential juror bias in favor of law enforcement. See O'Hara, 627 A.2d at 1003 (court must allow defendant to inquire about the nature of jurors' admitted relationship with law enforcement witnesses in order to obtain factual basis to rule on challenges for cause).