Opinion ID: 2331534
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Open Ended Voir dire Discretionary

Text: Voir dire is critical to protecting a defendant's Sixth Amendment right to a fair trial by an impartial jury. [3] Voir dire is the historic method used in the United States to identify bias in prospective jurors. [4] The purpose of the voir dire is to ensure the selection of qualified jurors who have no bias or prejudice that would prevent them from returning a verdict based on the law and the evidence that is admitted during trial. [5] Reyes' first argument on appeal is that he should have been allowed to conduct open-ended voir dire during jury selection in this capital murder case. This Court has previously ruled on the issue of whether open-ended voir dire should be required for jury selection in death penalty cases. We have held that although open-ended [ voir dire ] questions may be preferable, they are not [constitutionally] required. [6] The record reflects that the trial judge was acting within his discretion when he denied Reyes' request to allow open-ended voir dire questions during jury selection.