Opinion ID: 2586281
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Prospective Juror M. A.

Text: During voir dire, Prospective Juror M. A. stated that Spanish was her primary language, and that she did not speak English well or understand many words. She stated she did not have any strong feelings either for or against capital punishment. Defense counsel moved to excuse M. A. for cause because she lacked sufficient skills in both written and spoken English, and because her problems with speaking and understanding English could affect her ability to interact with the other jurors during deliberations. The prosecutor agreed and also requested that she be excused for cause. Trial counsel for Alvarado opposed the for-cause challenge. The trial court denied the challenge, and stated the parties would have to deal with excusing M. A. as a peremptory challenge. Defendant contends that because the trial court denied the challenge for cause based on M. A.'s limited English language skills, this ground is not a valid basis for a peremptory challenge either. But the circumstance that a juror is not subject to exclusion for cause does not, on its own, support an inference that group bias motivated the peremptory challenge. ( Cornwell, supra, 37 Cal.4th at p. 70, 33 Cal. Rptr.3d 1, 117 P.3d 622.) The record demonstrates both the prosecutor and defendant's own counsel were reasonably concerned about the prospective juror's English language skills and, on this basis, the prosecutor was entitled to excuse her.