Opinion ID: 2199622
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: Improper Remarks Made to the Jury

Text: Defendant next maintains that he was denied a fair sentencing hearing by virtue of certain of the trial judge's remarks which were made at the outset of the jury selection. Specifically, he points to a comment made by the judge to a group of prospective jurors regarding the imposition of the death penalty: If you find that the Defendant is not eligible, that's it. The Defendant would be sentenced by the Court. If you find that the Defendant is eligible, then we go to phase, what is called phase three or a third phase, which is the aggravation/mitigation phase. And that is the phase where you would be deciding whether or not the Defendant should receive the death penalty. Based on what you hear at that phase, and again, you will be instructed, you would be given instruction by the Court that you would have to follow to make that determination. If you determine that he should not receive the death penalty, then he will be sentenced by the Court. If you determine that he should, then that would be the sentence imposed. As will be explained at that time, all of these decisions have to be unanimous decisions. That means all twelve people have to make a unanimous decision. (Emphasis added.) Defendant now contends that the emphasized statement may have misled the jury into thinking its decision to not impose the death sentence would have to be unanimous. Defendant makes this argument despite the fact that the remark was made by the court one week before the jury deliberated its sentencing decision, that it was heard by only 3 of the 12 jurors eventually impaneled in this case, and that, even if it were confusing, it was later cured by the court's giving of jury instructions which correctly set forth the requirements for the imposition of the death penalty. However, without addressing the doubtful merits of this claim, we note that defendant failed to make a timely objection and to include it in the post-trial motion; therefore, it is barred from review. Moreover, we find no reason to excuse the procedural default under the plain error doctrine. The evidence adduced at the hearing cannot be said to have been closely balanced, nor did the trial court's misstatement affect a substantial right. As we just noted, prior to its deliberations at the conclusion of the aggravation/mitigation phase of the hearing, the jury was properly instructed as to the legal requirements for the imposition of the death penalty. Kubat v. Thieret, 867 F.2d 351 (7th Cir.1989), relied upon by defendant, did not involve an allegedly confusing remark to the jury which was later rehabilitated by a proper jury instruction. Instead, Kubat concerned the effect of an improper jury instruction itself. Because we believe Kubat is wholly inapposite to the case at bar, we decline defendant's invitation to raise a single misstatement made by the judge during voir dire to the level of improperly instructing the entire jury. In a similar vein, defendant also takes issue with a comment made by the trial judge before a different group of prospective jurors during voir dire. At the time, the judge was questioning a prospective juror about why he had indicated on his juror information card that he would not impose the death penalty under any circumstances: PROSPECTIVE JUROR: I wouldn't under any circumstances. I am, my answer is based on my own feelings, that in putting myself in that particular situation, if the death sentence was imposed on me, I would want it done. And it is not being done at that time. THE COURT: Okay. But that is not a consideration for this jury to determine. PROSPECTIVE JUROR: I know it. THE COURT: If they in fact carry it out or do not carry it out, there is nothing that anyone in this room, including myself, can do about that. What I am asking you, would you refuse to impose it because of that then? PROSPECTIVE JUROR: No. The prospective juror was eventually excused; however, defendant claims that 2 of the 12 members of his jury heard the exchange. He argues that the judge's comment improperly minimized the jury's sense of responsibility over their decision whether to impose the death penalty. Like the other comment made during voir dire, defendant failed to object to the trial judge's remark at trial and failed to include the issue in either of his post-trial motions. Accordingly, the issue has not been properly preserved for review. Moreover, defendant's procedural default cannot be excused under the plain error doctrine. As explained above, the evidence at the sentencing hearing was not closely balanced. We also disagree with defendant's characterization of the comment as a deprivation of his eighth amendment right under Caldwell v. Mississippi, 472 U.S. 320, 105 S.Ct. 2633, 86 L.Ed.2d 231 (1985). In Caldwell, the prosecutor informed the jury during closing argument that its decision was automatically reviewable by the state supreme court. On appeal, the United States Supreme Court held that it is constitutionally impermissible to rest a death sentence on a decision made by a sentencer who has been led to believe that the responsibility for determining the appropriateness of defendant's death sentence rests elsewhere. Caldwell, 472 U.S. at 328-29, 105 S.Ct. at 2639, 86 L.Ed.2d at 239. In contrast, the trial judge here directed his remark to a prospective juror who never sat on defendant's jury. Although defendant claims that the remark was made in the presence of two of his eventual jury members, our review of the record indicates that no similar comment was made to them by the trial judge when he spoke to them directly. Thus, defendant's contention is based on the speculation that (i) the two eventual jurors heard the remark and (ii) they remembered it one week later during sentencing deliberations. The holding in Caldwell did not rest on such attenuation, as it was indisputable that the entire jury heard the prosecutor's closing argument. Even so, the trial judge's remark was not of the same caliber as those in Caldwell. Here, the trial judge did not convey the notion that responsibility for sentencing rested elsewhere. Rather, the judge correctly informed a prospective juror that his concerns over whether the sentence would ever be carried out were not to influence his decision regarding the appropriateness of the penalty. Put another way, the judge correctly informed the venireman that the jurors were to follow the law, as set forth in the instructions that they would receive from the judge. Given these facts, any error on the part of the trial judge in making the remark does not rise to the level necessary to meet the second prong of the plain error rule. Nevertheless, defendant argues that the judge's erroneous statement during voir dire was compounded during the actual sentencing hearing when the State argued that [y]ou are going to be told that it is in your hands whether to kill Sherrell or not. I don't believe that is going to be the question. I believe the question was decided a long time ago. It is not within my hands to kill Sherrell Towns, and I use the word kill because that is what you have been told previously. It is not within [the defense attorneys'] or even [the judge's] hands. It's not in your hands to do that. Because the actions that dictate a death penalty were all caused by Sherrell Towns. He committed the offense, not you. Your decision is to execute and sign the death penalty verdict form based upon what he did. There is no responsibility on your part for what he did. No one made him do it, no one asked him to do it. He did it of his own free will and his own volition. These comments are similar to those this court has previously upheld in People v. Page, 156 Ill.2d 258, 284,189 Ill.Dec. 371, 620 N.E.2d 339 (1993). As in that case, we are of the opinion that the prosecutor did not attempt to suggest to the jury that they were relieved of their responsibility by defendant's own actions. See People v. Hudson, 157 Ill.2d 401, 460, 193 Ill.Dec. 128, 626 N.E.2d 161 (1993). The jury in this case was correctly instructed on its role in the sentencing process, and we do not believe that the jury would have interpreted the comment as contradicting those instructions. As such, the prosecutor's remarks did not run afoul of the Caldwell decision and do not constitute plain error. Defendant also maintains that he was denied a fair sentencing hearing when the prosecutor told the jury [not to] get caught up in the business about he will be in a cage his whole life. That sounds horrible. But this cage is the same cage he has been through before. The penitentiary system with exercise yards, with work programs, with all kinds of facilities. And likewise lawyers sometimes either inadvertently or intentionally don't get everything out. Instruction that you are going to get from the Court will tell you that no person serving a natural life sentence of imprisonment can be paroled or released, except through an order of the governor of executive clemency. There is always the loop hole, there is always the chance, there is always that little extra business. No one can say what will happen. (Emphasis added.) Pointing to the portion of the statement emphasized above, defendant claims the prosecutor improperly asked the jury to speculate as to what might happen if defendant were not sentenced to death. We note that defendant is precluded from asserting this issue on appeal due to his failure to object to the statement at trial and his failure to include the issue in the post-trial motions filed in this case. In addition, the claim does not fall within the purview of the plain error doctrine because the evidence at the sentencing was not closely balanced nor is a substantial right affected. We note that although an argument commenting on the possibility of defendant's being released and committing future crimes would be improper (see People v. Gacho, 122 Ill.2d 221, 119 Ill.Dec. 287, 522 N.E.2d 1146 (1988)), the prosecutor here did not so argue. Instead, the comment merely restated the jury instruction that persons serving terms of natural life imprisonment will not be paroled or released except through executive clemency. See Gacho, 122 Ill.2d at 262,119 Ill.Dec. 287, 522 N.E.2d 1146.