Opinion ID: 2066016
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Lawrence Towns

Text: During voir dire, Towns told the court that he had lived in the Roseland community for almost 20 years and that he worked for Sears. Towns stated that his wife also worked and that he owned his home. He testified that he had served on a robbery jury two years earlier, but that this would not affect his ability to serve impartially. Towns also stated that someone broke into his house four years ago and stole his car, no one was apprehended, and the incident would not affect his ability to be fair and impartial. The State explained that it excused Towns because he had recently served on a jury during a robbery trial. The prosecutors believed that it might be too difficult or confusing for Towns to serve on defendant's jury in a felony murder trial. The prosecutors also believed that Towns had not been consistent in his answers on the jury card and his responses to the court during voir dire. For example, Towns' jury card indicated that he was unemployed. During voir dire, however, Towns stated that he worked for Sears. The State also believed there was a discrepancy because Towns' jury card indicated that he had been involved in a lawsuit while he stated during voir dire that his brother-in-law had been involved in litigation. The trial court accepted the prosecutor's explanations, reasoning that Towns might be confused after having served as a juror in a robbery case. The court also observed that Towns had been inconsistent in certain answers that he gave in voir dire as compared to the information he had provided on his juror card. The court noted that Towns may have been unable to fully understand and follow instructions and noted that the prosecutors believed he was possibly confused or dishonest. We question whether a prospective juror's past service on a jury in an armed robbery case would cause him to become confused if he were to serve on a jury in a case similar to defendant's. Under other circumstances, this basis, standing alone, may not be sufficient to justify the prosecution's exercise of a peremptory challenge of the juror. In the present cause, however, there was another adequate basis for the prosecution to exercise a peremptory challenge against prospective juror Towns. The record indicates that Towns was inconsistent and inaccurate in certain of his representations to the trial court. We agree with the trial court that this basis, also advanced by the State, was a proper race-neutral reason for its exclusion of Towns. As the trial court correctly concluded, lack of candor in answering the court's questions during voir dire is a valid ground to exercise a peremptory challenge. It is also acceptable to exclude a juror who appears to be confused or unable to understand and follow the court's directives. ( People v. Fair (1994), 159 Ill.2d 51, 73, 201 Ill.Dec. 23, 636 N.E.2d 455.) The trial court's ruling with respect to prospective juror Towns was not manifestly erroneous.