Opinion ID: 1801792
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Prejudgment of Penalty Issue

Text: At the reference hearing, Eugene Sweeters, who was the prosecutor at petitioner's capital trial, testified about Juror Jose S.'s responses on voir dire when asked whether, if petitioner's trial reached the penalty phase, he would consider both penalties, life without possibility of parole and death. On voir dire, Jose S. expressed strong reservations about the death penalty but affirmed that he would consider both penalties and decide the penalty issue based on the particular circumstances shown by the evidence. Juror Jose S. testified at the reference hearing that he concluded death was the appropriate penalty for petitioner only after he had listened to all the evidence presented at both phases of the trial. Juror Andrew N. expressed the opinion that Jose S. had made up his mind on the penalty issue before deliberations began, but he was unable to provide any facts about what Jose S. said or did that caused him to form that opinion. In her declaration, Juror Charlia S. stated: I recall thinking when [Jose S.] was put on the jury that the judge should have picked another alternate, that this alternate could not be impartial, that he was determined to decide the case so as to make some sort of point about being gay. On this issue, the referee provided this summary of the evidence: There was no evidence that [Jose S.] based his decision on anything other than the evidence presented at both phases of the trial. He stated during voir dire that he was open to deciding which penalty was more appropriate based upon the evidence. He testified during the hearing that he based his decision on all the evidence during both phases of the trial. [Andrew N.'s] testimony was merely his opinion and not based on any specific facts. Similarly, [Charlia S.'s] statement is pure conjecture. The referee found that petitioner did not establish by a preponderance of the evidence that Juror Jose S. prejudged the issue of penalty.