Opinion ID: 2624500
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Prospective Juror A.P.

Text: Prospective Juror A.P. indicated in the questionnaire that he both opposed and supported the death penalty, depending on the case, and clarified during voir dire that he supported the death penalty but would not impose it in every case and that life without the possibility of parole was also a reasonable penalty. Defense counsel asked him, Once you've found out it's a deliberate murder, it's not an accident, there's no mental defect here, the person kills another  at that point you have two choices. What I want to know is do you stop right there and say, `Okay, now it's time for the death penalty,' or do you wait and say, `No, I want to hear something about the individual himself first'? He answered, No, I would stop and say I was for the death penalty. The prosecutor asked, [Defense counsel] was concerned that you'd only look at the crime, and if you found it was a certain kind of crime that you would just not look at anything else and say automatically that's the death penalty. Is that your position or not? A.P. answered, That's my position only because I don't know how courtrooms are, you know. He indicated that he could render a verdict of death, but it would be very tough, and that I would listen to both sides but I don't like to be the judge of someone's future. I don't like disputes. The prosecutor explained the court would ask him to look at the evidence about the murder that was committed, and evidence about the man who committed the murder, and A.P. agreed he would look at those fairly and rationally. Defendant argues A.P.'s statements that he could be fair and impartial were only the result of leading questions by the prosecutor, and that any prospective juror would agree to be fair and impartial. We disagree. The trial court reasonably could conclude A.P.'s statements revealed his own concerns and thoughts, and were not merely expressions of agreement with the prosecutor. We see no error in the denial of the motion to excuse him for cause.