Opinion ID: 2587254
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: k) Prospective Juror Sp.

Text: Asked the standard Hovey question whether he would not vote for a special circumstance finding in order to avoid discussing the death penalty, Prospective Juror Sp. told the court that he would disregard any special circumstance that was based merely upon the status of the victim, such as a police officer. Questioned whether he had any opinions that would prevent his being fair and impartial or his following the law, he answered, Possibly, and explained he could vote to impose the death penalty only if he believed that it served to benefit society, rather than merely because the law directed that penalty. Asked whether he was willing to be a juror in the case, Prospective Juror Sp. stated he could not answer. Asked by defense counsel whether he could vote for the death penalty if a defendant had broken into a residence, killed the husband, raped the wife, and repeated those offenses against five or six additional families, Prospective Juror Sp. stated, Not right now. Defense counsel suggested being a juror in a death penalty case would make a juror responsible for the life or death of a person, and this prospective juror stated he was not prepared to do that. Asked by the prosecutor whether he could vote for death if he among the 12 jurors were the final vote for death, Prospective Juror Sp. indicated he was tempted to say, I just plain can't do it because I can't come up with an answer. Over defense objection, on its own motion the trial court excused the prospective juror because he did not appear capable of making a decision in such a case. It is apparent that Prospective Juror Sp. was not prepared to impose the death penalty and was undecided as to his ability to do so. (Gf. People v. Cain (1995) 10 Cal.4th 1, 60-61, 40 Cal.Rptr.2d 481, 892 P.2d 1224 [juror properly excused for cause who did not know whether she could vote for the death penalty].) The trial court did not err in excusing this prospective juror.