Opinion ID: 1190445
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Prospective juror Scott Moore

Text: (23) Scott Moore also raised sufficient doubts as to whether he could impose the death penalty in this case. He began by stating that he would not automatically vote against the death penalty and went on to explain that about 10 to 15 years earlier he had been totally against it, but that he had come to believe that it was appropriate for serial murderers. After being told the nature of the crimes in this case, he was questioned by defense counsel. As you're thinking about this, do you have a leaning one way or the other? A: You know, I should have thought about this earlier before I even came in here, to tell you the truth.... [Court admonition to speak into the microphone.] I honestly don't know if I could, you know, get through the choice of life without parole without him getting out. I honestly don't know if I could vote for the death penalty, to be honest with you. I really don't know if I could. Q: It's okay for you not to know. A: Yeah. Q: But the question is  A: I mean, I can do life without parole, but, you know, without hearing the rest of the case, I don't know if I could, you know, vote for the death penalty. Mr. Scott then stated in response to further defense questioning that he could consider the death penalty. The prosecutor then questioned Mr. Scott. Were we to use a scale of one to ten ... assuming that one is a person who would almost never impose it [the death penalty], sometimes would, and ten we have the most strident advocate of the death penalty, can you see placing yourself in a numerical classification of where you would stand? A: Yeah, it would be the one. That would be the most, you know, yeah. In response to further questions, he repeatedly stated that, I really don't know if I could [impose death] and I don't think I could. When pressed for a more definitive answer, he responded, You want a yes or no answer right now. I guess no then. If I can't be positive, I guess that's the answer. Finally, the trial court asked, Can you keep your mind open for one or the other, but you have to be able to vote for that other one may not be the one you want? A: I don't think I could vote for the death penalty.... The Court: I have to have a yes or no. A: No. Mr. Scott's answers make amply clear that he would have had almost insurmountable difficulty in imposing the death penalty. He was properly excused for cause. ( People v. Visciotti, supra, 2 Cal.4th 1, 45, fn. 16; People v. Morris, supra, 53 Cal.3d 152, 186, fn. 4.)