Opinion ID: 2609747
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: pre-emption of appellants' voir dire of prospective jurors in the area of pre-trial publicity

Text: The question herein is whether the trial court abused its discretionary powers in asking questions of prospective jurors to its own satisfaction with regard to the ability of each juror, who had heard of or read about the appellants through the news media or other sources, to render an impartial verdict. A review of the record reveals that of the twelve jurors who were finally selected to sit on the case, three indicated that they had heard of or read about the appellant Pokini in the newspaper or some other form of news media. On appellants' voir dire of the three jurors, prior to their selection as jurors, appellants sought to elicit of the jurors detailed responses of what the jurors heard or read concerning the appellants. The trial court refused to permit the asking of such questions and the replies thereof in the presence of the other prospective jurors. The trial court stated that the appellants may conduct such a voir dire individually of the jurors out of the presence of all the other prospective jurors, if necessary, at a proper time. The trial court then conducted its own voir dire of the three jurors relative to the pre-trial publicity to determine whether or not the said jurors were prejudicially affected by the pre-trial publicity and further to determine whether there is a necessity to have individual voir dire. The record does not reflect a necessity to have individual voir dire nor does the record show a demand by the appellants, after the trial court's voir dire and prior to the exercise of appellants' peremptory challenges, for an individual voir dire on the ground of necessity. I am of the opinion that the trial court's voir dire of the three jurors properly covered the question inherent in pre-trial publicity. I do not believe the pre-trial publicity in this case warrants the application of Silverthorne v. United States, 400 F.2d 627 (9th Cir.1968), cert. denied, 400 U.S. 1022, 91 S.Ct. 585, 27 L.Ed.2d 633 (1971). On the question of the propriety of the procedure followed by the trial court, Rule 24(a) of the Hawaii Rules of Criminal Procedure (HRCrP) reads: (a) Examination of Jurors. The court shall permit the parties or their attorneys to conduct the examination of prospective jurors or shall itself conduct the examination. In the latter event the court shall permit the parties or their attorneys to supplement the examination by such further inquiry as it deems proper. Rule 24(a) gives the trial judge broad powers and discretion into what may be covered on voir dire. [1] See United States v. Eastwood, 489 F.2d 818 (5th Cir.1973). Under said Rule 24(a), the trial court has the power to conduct the entire examination of prospective jurors. See United States v. Tropiano, 418 F.2d 1069 (2d Cir.1969); Paschen v. United States, 70 F.2d 491 (7th Cir.1934); Ungerleider v. United States, 5 F.2d 604 (4th Cir.1925). Thus based on the trial court's authority as provided by HRCrP Rule 24(a) and by HRS § 635-28, prior to amendment by Act 89, SLH 1972, effective July 1, 1973, which read as follows: § 635-28 Challenging for cause. In all cases, civil or criminal, either party may challenge any juror drawn for the trial, for cause to be assigned to the presiding judge, who may determine the validity of the objection urged against the competency of the juror (emphasis added), I am of the opinion that the trial court conducted a proper exercise of its judicial discretion when it took over appellants' counsel's voir dire of the three prospective jurors and in limiting thereafter said counsel's further voir dire of said prospective jurors.