Opinion ID: 2614001
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: The trial court's denial of defendant's motion to excuse Jurors for cause

Text: (7a) Defendant contends the trial court improperly denied defense motions to excuse for cause two prospective jurors who did not unequivocally state they would not automatically vote for the death penalty, and who thus called into question their ability to be fair and impartial. These two prospective jurors never were impaneled, however, having been excused following defense counsel's exercise of peremptory challenges against them. Defendant nonetheless argues that the trial court's failure to exclude these prospective jurors for cause violated his right to an impartial jury under the Sixth and Fourteenth Amendments to the United States Constitution and under the California Constitution (art. I, § 16), his right to due process of law under the Fourteenth Amendment and the California Constitution (art. I, §§ 7 & 15), and his right to a reliable penalty determination under the Eighth and Fourteenth Amendments and the California Constitution (art. I, §§ 7, 15, & 17), because he was deprived of the full exercise of his 26 peremptory challenges due to the trial court's error in denying his challenges for cause. (8) Both the federal and the state Constitutions guarantee a criminal defendant a trial by an impartial jury ( People v. Garceau, supra, 6 Cal.4th 140, 173-174; see People v. Mickey (1991) 54 Cal.3d 612, 683 [286 Cal. Rptr. 801, 818 P.2d 84]; People v. Stankewitz (1990) 51 Cal.3d 72, 104 [270 Cal. Rptr. 817, 793 P.2d 23]; People v. Bonin (1988) 46 Cal.3d 659, 679 [250 Cal. Rptr. 687, 758 P.2d 1217]), made up of jurors who will not automatically vote for the death penalty, but who will consider the mitigating evidence presented. ( Morgan v. Illinois (1992) 504 U.S. 719, 729, 733-736 [119 L.Ed.2d 492, 502-503, 505-507, 112 S.Ct. 2222]; accord, Penry v. Lynaugh (1989) 492 U.S. 302, 319 [106 L.Ed.2d 256, 278-279, 109 S.Ct. 2934].) Whether the contention is that the trial court erroneously failed to exclude prospective jurors who exhibited a pro-death bias, or excluded prospective jurors who exhibited an anti-death bias, the same standard has been held to apply. ( People v. Pride (1992) 3 Cal.4th 195, 227-228 [10 Cal. Rptr.2d 636, 833 P.2d 643]; People v. Mincey (1992) 2 Cal.4th 408, 456 [6 Cal. Rptr.2d 822, 827 P.2d 388]; People v. Johnson, supra, 47 Cal.3d 1194, 1224.) Under that standard, a juror may be challenged for cause based upon his or her views concerning capital punishment only if those views would prevent or substantially impair the performance of the juror's duties as defined by the court's instructions and the juror's oath. ( Wainwright v. Witt (1985) 469 U.S. 412, 424 [83 L.Ed.2d 841, 851-852, 105 S.Ct. 844]; People v. Mincey, supra, 2 Cal.4th 408, 456.) (9) If a defendant contends that the trial court wrongly denied a challenge for cause, he or she must demonstrate that the right to a fair and impartial jury thereby was affected. ( People v. Garceau, supra, 6 Cal.4th 140, 174; People v. Bittaker, supra, 48 Cal.3d 1046, 1087-1088.) Initially, a defendant must establish that he or she exercised a peremptory challenge to remove the juror in question, exhausted the defendant's peremptory challenges, and communicated to the trial court the defendant's dissatisfaction with the jury selected. ( People v. Morris (1991) 53 Cal.3d 152, 184 [279 Cal. Rptr. 720, 807 P.2d 949]; People v. Bittaker, supra, 48 Cal.3d 1046, 1087.) [4] [I]f he can actually show that his right to an impartial jury was affected because he was deprived of a peremptory challenge which he would have used to excuse a juror who sat on his case, he is entitled to reversal; he does not have to show that the outcome of the case itself would have been different. [Citations.] (48 Cal.3d at pp. 1087-1088; cf. People v. Mason (1991) 52 Cal.3d 909, 954 [277 Cal. Rptr. 166, 802 P.2d 950] [6th Amend. claim obviated by exercise of peremptory challenges to exclude prospective jurors not excused for cause, without comment by this court on other potential constitutional claims].) Our duty is to examine the context in which the trial court denied the challenge, in order to determine whether the trial court's decision that the juror's beliefs would not substantially impair the performance of [the juror's] duties fairly is supported by the record. (See People v. Mincey, supra, 2 Cal.4th 408, 456-457; People v. Johnson, supra, 47 Cal.3d 1194, 1224.) Where a prospective juror provides conflicting answers to questions concerning his or her impartiality, the trial court's determination as to that person's true state of mind is binding upon the appellate court. ( People v. Pride, supra, 3 Cal.4th 195, 229; People v. Mincey, supra, 2 Cal.4th 408, 456; People v. Bittaker, supra, 48 Cal.3d 1046, 1089.) (7b) In the present case, prospective juror Carrington initially indicated he believed that if a defendant had committed deliberate, first degree murder, he or she should receive the death penalty, that this form of punishment was not imposed frequently enough, and that a defendant's background or life experiences would not affect his decision to impose the death penalty. Mr. Carrington also indicated, however, that he would be able to put aside his personal views concerning the death penalty, that those views would not substantially impair his ability to conduct the required weighing process, and that he would be able to vote in favor of life imprisonment without the possibility of parole if that were the appropriate penalty in light of the evidence introduced at the penalty phase, would weigh the evidence, and would not vote automatically in favor of the death penalty if defendant were found guilty of intentional, premeditated murder with special circumstances present. The trial court denied the challenge for cause, noting this prospective juror had indicated quite strongly he would consider the facts of the case, would not apply the death penalty automatically, and was an earnest person whose intention was to follow the law. In his responses to written questions, prospective juror Roberts indicated he believed the death penalty served as a deterrent and decreased crime. When asked initially, this juror stated he did not believe he would vote automatically in favor of the death penalty, but then indicated he would do so. When asked whether he would vote in favor of the death penalty, regardless what evidence was presented as to defendant's background, Mr. Roberts indicated he could go either way and subsequently stated that, considering this background information, he would not vote automatically in favor of the death penalty. Mr. Roberts stated that he would follow the guidelines provided by the court and consider such factors as defendant's age and family, and that he could be neutral at the inception of the penalty phase. In denying this challenge for cause, the court alluded to the prospective juror's initial struggle to understand certain questions concerning whether he favored the death penalty, his lack of a consistent viewpoint in favor of the death penalty, his responses that he would follow the court's instructions, and his forthright demeanor and neutrality toward both the defense and the prosecution positions. The trial court did not err in denying defendant's challenges for cause to these two prospective jurors. Neither juror expressed views indicative of an unalterable preference in favor of the death penalty, such that their protestations that they would follow the law would not rehabilitate them. (Cf. Morgan v. Illinois, supra, 504 U.S. 719, 733-736 [119 L.Ed.2d 492, 505-507, 112 S.Ct. 2222].) Moreover, because both jurors provided conflicting responses relating to their views concerning the death penalty, as indicated above, the trial court's determinations as to their state of mind, based in part upon their demeanor, are binding upon this court. The prospective jurors' statements did not demonstrate that their views would substantially impair the performance of their duties as jurors. (See People v. Mincey, supra, 2 Cal.4th 408, 457; People v. Johnson, supra, 47 Cal.3d 1194, 1224; cf. People v. Coleman (1988) 46 Cal.3d 749, 763-764 [251 Cal. Rptr. 83, 759 P.2d 1260]; People v. Bittaker, supra, 48 Cal.3d 1046, 1088-1090.)