Opinion ID: 863607
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 31

Heading: whether edwards was denied a fair trial before an impartial jury; and whether the trial court erred in denying edwards' request for individual, sequestered voir dire?

Text: ś 99. Edwards asserts that the trial court's denial of his pre-trial request of an individual, sequestered voir dire was error, given the publicity and circumstances in this case. He further asserts that because of this error he was denied a fair trial by an impartial jury. The manner in which voir dire in criminal cases will be conducted is governed by Rule 3.05 of the Mississippi Uniform Circuit and County Court Rules which provides: In the voir dire examination of jurors, the attorney will question the entire venire only on matters not inquired into by the court. Individual jurors may be examined only when proper to inquire as to answers given or for other good cause allowed by the court. No hypothetical questions requiring any juror to pledge a particular verdict will be asked. ś 100. The decision to utilize an individualized, sequestered voir dire is a matter within the sound discretion of the trial judge. Carr v. State, 655 So.2d 824, 842 (Miss.1995). While not requiring the use of sequestered voir dire, Rule 5.02 of the Uniform Criminal Rules of Circuit Court Practice does, within the court's discretion, allow it, but only on good cause shown. McFarland v. State, 707 So.2d 166, 169-70 (Miss.1997). This Court has further held, that the rule does not require more than what it states on its face, and that trial judges who denied individual sequestered voir dire acted within their discretion granted by the rule. Carr, 655 So.2d at 842; Russell v. State, 607 So.2d 1107, 1110 (Miss.1992); Hansen v. State, 592 So.2d 114, 126 (Miss.1991). ś 101. The trial court in this case allowed individual sequestered voir dire when warranted during jury selection. It cannot be said that the trial court abused its discretion in denying individual sequestered voir dire of each and every prospective juror. Furthermore, the trial judge inquired of the entire venire concerning pretrial publicity and knowledge of the case. Several jurors raised their hands, and the judge questioned them further to determine whether their knowledge might affect or prejudice them in any way. When the jurors indicated that they could not be fair and impartial, they were later excused. The attorneys then conducted extensive examination of the venire regarding exposure to pretrial information, and every juror who indicated an inability to be fair and impartial was excused. This Court finds that the trial court did not abuse its discretion in denying Edwards' motion for individual sequestered voir dire and Edwards was not denied a fair trial by an impartial jury. Consequently, there is no merit to this assignment of error.