Opinion ID: 2437694
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: the trial court erred in rfusing defendant attorney opportunity for rehabilittion of veniremen who epressed scruples against iposition of the death penaty.

Text: The point argued for reversal here concerns the rehabilitation of veniremen who have expressed scruples against the death penalty. The landmark case is, of course, Witherspoon v. Illinois, 391 U.S. 510, 88 S.Ct. 1770, 20 L.Ed.2d 776 (1968). We believe the Witherspoon rule is confined to cases involving a conviction which carries the death penalty. We recognize appellant's argument that the underlying principle in such matters is the conviction rather than the sentence. Almost 500 pages of the transcript in this case involved the examination of the 39 prospective jurors. In some instances it appears the court did improperly attempt to limit the questioning by the defense counsel of matters concerning the attitude of the prospective jurors relating to the death penalty. However, the attorneys for the appellant persisted and rather effectively examined each juror to the extent required by Witherspoon, supra. We adhere to the holding in Witherspoon, supra, that only the most extreme and compelling prejudice against the death penalty, perhaps only or very nearly a resolve to vote against it blindly and in all circumstances, is cause to exclude a juror. The mere disbelief in the death penalty, or conscientious or religious scruples with its infliction, will not automatically disqualify a juror from serving on a particular case. Only in cases where the juror expresses an unwillingness to consider the death penalty under any circumstances will that juror be excused for cause. We think that the Witherspoon decision does not affect the validity of any sentence other than death, nor does it render invalid a conviction as opposed to the sentence. We held in the case of Tanner v. State, 259 Ark. 243, 532 S.W.2d 168 (1976), that objections to questions pertaining to the death penalty on voir dire of prospective jurors in relation to excusal because of their convictions against the death penalty are mooted when the verdict is guilty and the sentence is life without parole. It is our opinion that the sentence of life without parole renders the holding in Witherspoon, supra, inapplicable to the present case; therefore, any errors of limitation committed by the court in the voir dire stage of this trial are not prejudicial.