Opinion ID: 1649620
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 11

Heading: Counsel failed to challenge the jury panel.

Text: ¶ 16. Brown claims that trial counsel failed to attempt to disqualify jurors who said they would impose the death penalty on any person convicted of murdering a child. The substantive claim was presented on direct appeal where the Court declined to address the issue for failure to present meaningful argument and relevant authority. Brown, 690 So.2d at 297. Brown once again offers no argument and a string of citations with no comment or exposition. Some of the cases cited are not relevant to this issue. A person who favors the death penalty can be entrusted to make the choice between death and life imprisonment unless that person's bias for capital punishment is unequivocal and absolute. See Witherspoon v. Illinois, 391 U.S. 510, 519 n. 21, 88 S.Ct. 1770, 20 L.Ed.2d 776 (1968). The record in the present case shows that some jurors who favored the death penalty were allowed to remain after questioning by the trial judge revealed that they could withhold judgment and listen to mitigating evidence. The issue, however, is procedurally barred pursuant to Miss.Code Ann. § 99-39-21(2).