Opinion ID: 1279175
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: the voir dire examination of the jury panel

Text: A brief review of the law in Wyoming with respect to voir dire examinations of members of a jury panel is appropriate here. The substantive grounds for challenging a juror for cause in a criminal case are encompassed in § 7-11-105, W.S. 1977: (a) The following shall be good cause for challenge to any person called as a juror on any indictment: (i) That he was a member of the grand jury which found the indictment; (ii) That he has formed or expressed an opinion as to the guilt or innocence of the accused, or is biased or prejudiced for or against the accused; (iii) In indictments for an offense, the punishment whereof is capital, that his opinions are such as to preclude him from finding the accused guilty of an offense punishable with death; (iv) That he is a relation within the fifth degree to the person alleged to be injured, or attempted to be injured, by the offense charged or to the person on whose complaint the prosecution was instituted, or to the defendant; (v) That he has served on a petit jury which was sworn in the same cause against the same defendant, and which jury either rendered a verdict which was set aside, or was discharged after hearing the evidence; (vi) That he has served as a juror in a civil case brought against the defendant for the same act; (vii) That he has been subpoenaed as a witness in the case. (b) The same challenges for cause shall be allowed in criminal prosecutions that are allowed to parties in civil cases. The challenges for cause in a civil case adopted by reference are found in § 1-11-203, W.S. 1977, which provides: (a) Challenges for cause may be taken on one (1) or more of the following grounds: (i) A lack of any of the qualifications prescribed by statute which render a person competent as a juror; (ii) Relationship by consanguinity or affinity within the third degree to either party; (iii) Standing in the relation of debtor or creditor, guardian or ward, master or servant, or principal or agent to either party, or being a partner united in business with either party, or being security on any bond or obligation for either party; (iv) Having served as a juror or a witness in a previous trial between the same parties for the same cause of action, or being then a witness therein; (v) Interest on the part of the juror in the event or question involved in the action, but not an interest of the juror as a member or citizen of a municipal corporation; (vi) Having formed or expressed an unqualified opinion or belief as to the merits or the question of the action. The reading of newspaper accounts of the subject matter before the court shall not disqualify the juror either for bias or opinion; (vii) The existence of a state of mind in the juror evincing enmity or bias for either party. The procedure with respect to jury selection now is found in Rule 25, W.R.Cr.P., which provides in pertinent part as follows: (a) Examination of jurors.  The parties, or their attorneys, may conduct the examination of prospective jurors, but such examination shall be under the supervision and control of the court, and the court may itself conduct such further examination as it deems proper. (See Rule 17, D.Ct.) (b) Peremptory challenges.  In every case, including the selection of alternate jurors, the state shall be entitled to the aggregate number of peremptory challenges to which the defendant or defendants are entitled. If the offense charged is punishable by death, each defendant shall be entitled to 12 peremptory challenges. If the offense charged is punishable by imprisonment for more than one (1) year, each defendant shall be entitled to 8 peremptory challenges. If the offense charged is a misdemeanor, each defendant shall be entitled to 4 peremptory challenges. This rule is supplemented by Rule 17 of the Uniform Rules for the District Courts of the State of Wyoming, which was invoked by the trial judge in this case, and provides as follows: The only proper purpose of voir dire of jurors is to select a panel of six (6) jurors in a civil case, twelve (12) jurors if specific demand is made, and twelve (12) jurors in a criminal case, who will fairly and impartially hear the evidence presented and render a just verdict and to determine the ground for any challenge for cause prescribed by §§ 1-121 (civil) or 7-224 (criminal), W.S. 1957 [§ 1-11-203 (civil) or § 7-11-105 (criminal)], as modified by judicial decision. Counsel will not: 1. Ask questions of an individual juror that are susceptible of being asked collectively; 2. Ask questions covered by and answered in juror questionnaire except to explore some questionnaire answer in greater depth; 3. Repeat question asked and answered, though asked by opposing counsel; 4. Use voir dire for the purpose of attempting to instruct the jury on the law; that is the court's function; 5. Use voir dire for the purpose of arguing the case; 6. Ask a juror what his verdict might be under any hypothetical situation based upon any expected evidence or otherwise. Upon failure of counsel to abide by this rule, the court may assume voir dire of the jury. The court may in such case require counsel to submit in writing, specific questions to be asked by the court. The object of voir dire examination of members of the jury panel is to explore the possibility that a prospective juror is subject to a challenge for cause under our statutes quoted above. Lopez v. State, Wyo., 544 P.2d 855 (1976). Voir dire examination is designed to insure the right to a fair and impartial jury by affording the parties the opportunity to discover potential prejudices and biases which would interfere with the ability of potential jurors to fairly decide the case, and the preservation of that right to prove actual bias is an integral portion of the right of a defendant to an impartial jury. Dennis v. United States, 339 U.S. 162, 164, 70 S.Ct. 519, 521, 94 L.Ed. 734, 737 (1950), reh. denied 339 U.S. 950, 70 S.Ct. 799, 94 L.Ed. 1364 (1950); Lopez v. State, supra. Of the statutory grounds for challenge for cause with respect to prospective jurors in a criminal case the most significant well may be bias or prejudice for or against the accused. Section 7-11-105(a)(ii), W.S. 1977. The entitlement is to a fair and impartial jury, not one sympathetic to the defendant. `Impartiality is not a technical conception. It is a state of mind. For the ascertainment of this mental attitude of appropriate indifference, the Constitution lays down no particular tests and procedure is not chained to any ancient and artificial formula.' Dennis v. United States, supra, 339 U.S. at 172, 70 S.Ct. at 523, quoting from United States v. Wood, 299 U.S. 123, 145-146, 57 S.Ct. 177, 185, 81 L.Ed. 87 (1936). The appellant and the appellee acknowledge that the trial court is vested with broad discretion concerning the questioning of potential jurors during voir dire. Rule 25(a), W.R.Cr.P.; Hopkinson v. State, Wyo., 632 P.2d 79 (1981), cert. denied 455 U.S. 922, 102 S.Ct. 1280, 71 L.Ed.2d 463 (1982); Lopez v. State, supra; and Gerard v. State, Wyo., 511 P.2d 99 (1973), cert. denied 414 U.S. 1072, 94 S.Ct. 585, 38 L.Ed.2d 478 (1973). The only inhibition regarding the discretion of the trial court is that it must be exercised subject to the essential demands of fairness. Aldridge v. United States, 283 U.S. 308, 51 S.Ct. 470, 75 L.Ed. 1054 (1931). In deference to the discretion of the trial court, appellate courts have not been inclined to prescribe rigid rules with respect to the conduct of voir dire examinations. Rosales-Lopez v. United States, 451 U.S. 182, 101 S.Ct. 1629, 68 L.Ed.2d 22 (1981); Gerard v. State, supra. It is the trial court which assumes primary responsibility for the selection of jurors who will be able to follow its instructions on the law and evaluate the evidence without bias or prejudice to either side, and it is necessary as a pragmatic proposition to rely upon discretion of the trial court in performing that task. As the Supreme Court said in Rosales-Lopez v. United States, supra, 451 U.S. at 188, 101 S.Ct. at 1634: Despite its importance, the adequacy of voir dire is not easily subject to appellate review. The trial judge's function at this point in the trial is not unlike that of the jurors later on in the trial. Both must reach conclusions as to impartiality and credibility by relying on their own evaluations of demeanor evidence and of responses to questions. See Ristaino v. Ross, 424 U.S. 589, 595, 96 S.Ct. 1017, 1020, 47 L.Ed.2d 258 (1976), quoting Rideau v. Louisiana, 373 U.S. 723, 733, 83 S.Ct. 1417, 1422, 10 L.Ed.2d 663 (1963) (Clark, J., dissenting). In neither instance can an appellate court easily second-guess the conclusions of the decision-maker who heard and observed the witnesses. The impartiality of the jurors is a question of fact to be decided by the trial court upon the basis of proper questioning. Further, the party contesting the rulings of the trial court with respect to the scope and content of voir dire examination of jurors is obligated to establish not only an abuse of the trial court's proper discretion, but he must demonstrate substantial prejudice to his rights as a result of that abuse of discretion. United States v. Robinson, 154 U.S.App.D.C. 265, 475 F.2d 376 (1973). See also Hopkinson v. State, supra; Collins v. State, Wyo., 589 P.2d 1283 (1979); Lopez v. State, supra; Loy v. State, 26 Wyo. 381, 185 P. 796 (1919); and Keffer v. State, 12 Wyo. 49, 73 P. 556 (1903). While in this case we can perceive no prejudice to the rights of the appellant with respect to the court's rulings in connection with voir dire examination of the jurors, we do not reach that question in light of our conclusion that in this instance no abuse of discretion was demonstrated. The appellant contends that the trial court abused its discretion in two areas: (1) that the district judge improperly limited areas of questioning relating to discipline of children which could be perceived as abusive; and (2) that the district court improperly refused to permit him to question jurors about their attitudes with respect to justification for the taking of a human life. There is also presented a corollary argument by the appellant to the effect that the restrictions upon his questioning inhibited the exercise of his peremptory challenges of members of the jury panel. With respect to his first claim relating to voir dire examination, counsel for the appellant informed the court prior to the beginning of jury selection that he wanted to ask jurors how they disciplined their children if they had children. He was permitted to ask that question, but he also indicated that he wanted to inquire of the jurors whether they thought it would be proper discipline to strike a child of the age of two; whether it would be proper discipline or proper parental conduct to lie on top of your daughter when she is eleven years old and put your hands in her pants; whether it would be proper to strike your children with a closed fist on the back; and, in the area of mental or psychological abuse, whether it would be proper to put down children who are very young, swear at them and cuss at them. The trial court, as noted, permitted the question with respect to the manner of discipline of their children, but refused to permit counsel to ask the other questions, stating that it constituted indirectly asking them for their reaction to expected evidence which the district judge perceived to be contrary to the provisions of Rule 17 of the Uniform Rules of the District Courts quoted above. In connection with the request to inquire about mental or psychological abuse, the court ruled that in its judgment that amounted to attempting to try the appellant's case during the voir dire examination. In the context of this case there was no abuse of discretion in the refusal of the trial court to permit the specific questions that appellant desired to raise with the members of the jury panel. Gerard v. State, supra. The trial court is not required to permit improper questioning of the jury panel simply because a party requests permission to ask such questions, and no specific method of questioning is prescribed for voir dire examinations. Ham v. South Carolina, 409 U.S. 524, 93 S.Ct. 848, 35 L.Ed.2d 46 (1973); Aldridge v. United States, supra. The questions which appellant sought to ask were not designed to reveal any hidden bias or prejudice on the part of members of the jury panel. They were patent requests to obtain the reaction of potential jurors to the appellant's theory of defense in the case and to anticipated evidence. The trial court was well within the limits of its discretion in refusing to permit such questions to be asked. With respect to the request to inquire of the panel whether any of them felt that there is no justification ever for the taking of a human life, counsel for the appellant advised the district court that the reason he wanted to ask that question was to ascertain whether the members of the panel would be able to follow the court's instruction concerning self-defense if such an instruction were given. At that particular time there was pending before the court a motion in limine filed by the State which sought a ruling that an instruction on self-defense would be improper under the circumstances of this case. The trial court, however, did not rely upon the position of the State, but ruled that it would be improper to permit a question on potential instructions and that such questioning defeated the purpose of the uniform rule of the District Courts. Appellant relies upon State v. Brown, Mo., 547 S.W.2d 797 (1977), but with all due respect to our brothers on the Supreme Court of Missouri we decline to follow that rule. Prior to the voir dire examination by counsel the district judge in this case had inquired of the jury if any of them could not accept the law in the case as given to them by the court, even though they might disagree with the law as they were instructed, and no one indicated any difficulty in following the instructions of the court. Consequently the approach taken by the court with respect to limiting questions about legal theories which might later be incorporated in instructions was a proper exercise of the court's discretion in this case. The appellant, however, also seeks to structure an analogy to cases in which capital punishment is sought and the right of the State to inquire during voir dire whether any of the prospective jurors could not impose a death penalty under any circumstances. We note that that is a statutory subject of challenge for cause in Wyoming. Section 7-11-105(a)(iii), W.S. 1977. The inquiry has been specifically approved in the jurisprudence of this state and the United States. Witherspoon v. State of Illinois, 391 U.S. 510, 88 S.Ct. 1770, 20 L.Ed.2d 776 (1968), reh. denied 393 U.S. 898, 89 S.Ct. 67, 21 L.Ed.2d 186 (1968); Hopkinson v. State, supra; Pixley v. State, Wyo., 406 P.2d 662 (1965); and State v. Aragon, 41 Wyo. 308, 285 P. 803 (1930). It is appellant's position that like the capital punishment question he should have been allowed to determine, by asking potential jurors during voir dire, what their attitudes might be toward self-defense in order to discover whether they had closed minds with respect to a particular outcome. In this regard we find the following language from Commonwealth v. Fisher, 447 Pa. 405, 290 A.2d 262, 264-265 (1972), to be instructive and apt: Appellant's first contention is that it was an abuse of discretion for the trial court to deny him the opportunity to examine prospective jurors as to their ability to apply the law of self-defense. He attempts to create an analogy between the Commonwealth's right to ask prospective jurors whether under certain circumstances they could impose the death penalty and this defendant's claimed right to ascertain whether a juror could apply the law of self-defense. Cf. Witherspoon v. Illinois, 391 U.S. 510, 88 S.Ct. 1770, 20 L.Ed.2d 776 (1968). The trial court specifically inquired of every prospective juror whether if selected as a juror that individual could abide by the court's instructions as to the law on every aspect of the case. Appellant's asserted symmetry between the permitted voir dire examination involving the death penalty and his requested voir dire on the subject of self-defense has no legal or factual basis. There has been no showing of a widespread public concern with a juror's ability to impartially and fairly apply the law of self-defense similar to that involving the imposition of the death penalty. Cf. Witherspoon v. Illinois, 391 U.S. at 519, 88 S.Ct. at 1775-1776. Absent such a showing or any reasonable basis for the requested extension of the present permissible limits of voir dire we cannot say that the trial court abused its discretion in refusing to allow defense counsel to probe into this area. See Commonwealth v. Lopinson, 427 Pa. 284, 234 A.2d 552 (1967); ABA Project on Minimum Standards for Criminal Justice, Standards Relating to Trial by Jury, § 2.4 (Approved Draft, 1968) (`The judge should then [on voir dire] put to the prospective jurors any questions which he thinks necessary... .') We conclude that there was no error in refusing permission to the appellant to inquire about the jurors' attitudes with respect to his theory of self-defense. There is ample authority for the proposition that it is not an abuse of discretion to refuse questioning on propositions of law or instructions that might be given at the conclusion of the trial. United States v. Gillette, 383 F.2d 843 (2nd Cir.1967); Stone v. United States, 324 F.2d 804 (5th Cir.1963), cert. denied 376 U.S. 938, 84 S.Ct. 793, 11 L.Ed.2d 649 (1964); United States v. Crawford, 444 F.2d 1404 (10th Cir.1971), cert. denied 404 U.S. 855, 92 S.Ct. 98, 30 L.Ed.2d 95 (1971); Hart v. State, 137 Ga. App. 644, 224 S.E.2d 755 (1976); State v. Clark, La., 325 So.2d 802 (1976); Carder v. State, 5 Md. App. 531, 248 A.2d 495 (1968); Oliver v. State, 85 Nev. 418, 456 P.2d 431 (1969); and Commonwealth v. Fisher, supra. Here there was no showing made of any special circumstances which required that questions be asked with respect to the issue of self-defense, i.e., that such questioning was reasonably calculated to discover an actual and likely source of prejudice. See Ristaino v. Ross, 424 U.S. 589, 96 S.Ct. 1017, 47 L.Ed.2d 258 (1976); United States v. Robinson, supra; and Commonwealth v. Fisher, supra. Subsections (4) and (6) of Rule 17, Uniform Rules for the District Courts of the State of Wyoming, for the guidance of counsel and the courts in this jurisdiction, specifically prohibit attempts to use voir dire for the purpose of instructing the jury with respect to applicable law or determining what a juror's verdict might be under a hypothetical situation. In this instance we also ascribe significance to the fact that at the time the appellant sought to inquire with respect to the issue of self-defense, the court did not know whether the evidence would justify an instruction on that issue. By virtue of its motion in limine and otherwise the State was contending that it would not. The trial court also had the benefit of testimony taken at the hearing directed at the issue of transfer of the case to the juvenile court. We have held that the trial court need only instruct on a defendant's theory of the case where there is evidence which supports that theory. Grable v. State, Wyo., 649 P.2d 663 (1982); and Goodman v. State, Wyo., 573 P.2d 400 (1977). Here the trial court did give an instruction on the defense of self-defense at the conclusion of the trial. As we noted in Garcia v. State, supra, our reading of the record leaves us skeptical with respect to the validity of the defense of self-defense under these circumstances, but the testimony of the appellant that he acted in self-defense is sufficient to justify the instruction. We have been afforded, however, no reason to speculate that the jurors violated their oaths and in some way refused to follow the court's instruction on the theory of self-defense. In this instance the contrary appears. If anything the verdict of the jurors demonstrates sympathy with respect to the appellant's claim of justification. We perceive no prejudice to the appellant arising out of the inhibition of voir dire examination. In a corollary argument, however, the appellant argues that his right to make intelligent use of his peremptory challenges was inhibited. Although the Supreme Court of the United States has recognized that there is no constitutional right of an accused to peremptory challenges with respect to potential jurors in criminal cases, Stilson v. United States, 250 U.S. 583, 40 S.Ct. 28, 63 L.Ed. 1154 (1919), if peremptory challenges are made available they become one of the most important of the rights secured to the accused. Pointer v. United States, 151 U.S. 396, 14 S.Ct. 410, 38 L.Ed. 208 (1894). Accord, Swain v. State of Alabama, 380 U.S. 202, 85 S.Ct. 824, 13 L.Ed.2d 759 (1965); and Lewis v. United States, 146 U.S. 370, 13 S.Ct. 136, 36 L.Ed. 1011 (1892). As the Court said in Swain v. State of Alabama, supra, 380 U.S. at 219-220, 85 S.Ct. at 835, [The availability of peremptory challenges] allows counsel to ascertain the possibility of bias through probing questions on the voir dire and facilitates the exercise of challenges for cause by removing the fear of incurring a juror's hostility through examination and challenge for cause. The Court also noted in Swain v. State of Alabama, supra, that the peremptory challenge is by its very nature one which is exercised without a stated reason, without inquiry and without being subject to the control of the court. Even though the availability of a peremptory challenge facilitates the process of the selection of an impartial jury by encouraging full, free, and comprehensive voir dire examination of prospective jurors with regard to bias, prejudice or any other grounds for challenge for cause while at the same time affording the party protection from antagonism that may be developed by such voir dire, still the purpose of the voir dire is not to explore for a reason for the exercise of the peremptory challenge. The Supreme Court of the United States quite recently has held that the failure of a juror to answer a question on voir dire would justify a new trial only if a correct answer would have furnished a basis for a challenge for cause. McDonough Power Equipment, Inc. v. Greenwood, ___ U.S. ___, 104 S.Ct. 845, 78 L.Ed.2d 663 (1984). If no prejudicial error can be found in such an instance surely there could be no prejudicial error attaching to a ruling by the trial court that a question which does not pertain to a ground for a challenge for cause cannot be asked. Furthermore, the appellant has not made any showing by brief or argument with respect to prejudice arising out of any inhibition of his exercise of peremptory challenges. The record is silent as to whether or in what manner the appellant exercised his peremptory challenges. His argument is not that he was denied his right with respect to the use of the peremptory challenges, but simply that he could in some way have better utilized his challenges if the trial court had not exercised its discretion with respect to the conduct of voir dire in the manner in which it did. There is no error to be found in this claim. The appellant was entitled to a fair and impartial jury, not one which he perceived to be sympathetic. In this regard we note that the following matter does appear in the record on appeal: THE COURT: Are the parties satisfied that a jury of twelve, plus two alternates, has been drawn and qualified in this matter? Mr. Carroll? MR. CARROLL: The State is satisfied, Your Honor. THE COURT: And, Mr. Barrett? MR. BARRETT: Defense is satisfied, Your Honor. [3] In summary, there does not appear any abuse of discretion by the trial court with respect to the conduct of the voir dire examination of the jury panel in this instance. We appreciate the desire of counsel to try their case at the time of voir dire examination, but if the trial court, in the exercise of its discretion, does not permit that the parties have no legal basis for complaint. We might note in passing the dismay sometimes expressed with respect to the lengthy process of jury selection in some courts around this country. See People v. Crowe, 8 Cal.3d 815, 106 Cal. Rptr. 369, 506 P.2d 193 (1973). Obviously that is what occurs if counsel are given free rein to present imaginative theories, contentions, and potential evidence in the course of the examination of the jurors for challenge for cause. We conclude that the policy represented by Rule 17, Uniform Rules for the District Courts, and the practice in our trial courts, as exemplified here, is sound. The parties are furnished the opportunity to make proper inquiry, but they are foreclosed from trying their cases at the time of voir dire.