Opinion ID: 1959682
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 8

Heading: Veniremember Corcoran

Text: When questioned about her views on the death penalty, Corcoran told the prosecutor that the evidence would have to be great for her to be able to impose the death penalty. When she was asked additional questions, she said that based on her view of the death penalty, her ability to be impartial in deciding whether to impose a death sentence would be impaired. She also expressed concern that even after hearing all the facts, she did not know whether she could be swayed from her view. Corcoran elaborated in saying: My thoughts are, I don't like the idea of the death penalty. And I just don't know if Iif I would be impartial. I don't know. I think that I would, you know, after listening to all the evidence, I think that I could be impartial, but I can't say that I definitely would be, no. Later, when the prosecutor asked her about whether she would hold the State to a higher burden of proof than beyond a reasonable doubt, Corcoran said, Yes, because we're talking about someone's life. She explained that in her own mind, she would have to know for sure. When defense counsel later talked with Corcoran, she indicated' that while her ability to impose the death penalty would be impaired, she could impose a sentence of death. She also agreed that she could follow the law and hold the State to its burden of beyond-a-reasonable-doubt instead of requiring it to prove more. Corcoran, however, later qualified this by saying, for myself, I would just have to be completely convinced. Because Corcoran indicated that she would require a higher burden of proof than beyond-a-reasonable-doubt in determining whether the State had met its burden, the trial court sustained the State's motion to strike her for, cause. In addition to Corcoran's inability to hold the State to the correct burden of proof, she also expressed doubt as to whether she would be impartial in considering the death penalty. The trial court did not abuse its discretion in sustaining the State's motion to strike.