Opinion ID: 198229
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Voir Dire Claim

Text: 87 Fed.R.Crim.P. 24(a) provides that the trial court may decide to conduct the voir dire itself or may allow the parties to conduct it. See Rosales-Lopez v. United States, 451 U.S. 182, 101 S.Ct. 1629, 68 L.Ed.2d 22 (1981); Fed.R.Crim.P. 24(a). Rosario argues, contrary to the language of Rule 24(a), that due process requires that he should have been allowed to question the venire. 88 There is simply no authority, as Rosario himself admits, for the proposition that defense counsel must be allowed--as a matter of right--to question the venire. Rather, the law states that the trial court has the option of allowing counsel to conduct voir dire or conducting the examination itself. If the court chooses the latter option, as it did in this case, it must permit counsel to supplement the examination by such further inquiry as it deems proper or shall itself submit to the prospective jurors such additional questions by the parties or their attorneys as it deems proper. Fed.R.Crim.P. 24(a). 89 The trial court complied with the requirements of Rule 24(a) by asking the venire, at defense counsel's request, about their possible prejudices against Hispanics. See Tr. 10/7 at 18. After noting that the law enforcement officials would all be Caucasians, the district court additionally asked whether any juror would be inclined to take the word of a white police officer over a Hispanic defendant, or otherwise give some edge to the officer's testimony. See id. at 19. Accordingly, the court's conduct of voir dire was entirely proper.