Opinion ID: 1926022
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Granting of Prosecution Motions to Strike for Cause

Text: Appellant argues that the trial court should not have excused prospective jurors Marsha Santo and Donald Rabb for cause. In the case of Rabb, Appellant asserts that he should not have been excused because he indicated that he could put aside his personal reservations about the death penalty and deliberate as required by law. In the case of Santo, Appellant argues that the court erred in not permitting defense counsel to ask rehabilitative questions, and, as a result, the court had insufficient information to determine whether the prospective jurors could follow the law. Santo and Rabb indicated that they would be unwilling to impose the death penalty. Rabb told the court that he absolutely would not impose the death penalty where a person went off and there was a love interest involved. The State represents in its brief that Santo appeared to indicate on her questionnaire that the death penalty should be imposed for every first degree murder, [but] when questioned, she responded that she did not believe she could impose the death penalty under any circumstances. The Sixth and Fourteenth Amendments to the United States Constitution require that the jury at a capital sentencing proceeding be fair and impartial. See, e.g., Morgan v. Illinois, 504 U.S. 719, 728, 112 S.Ct. 2222, 119 L.Ed.2d 492 (1992); Evans v. State, 333 Md. 660, 668, 637 A.2d 117, 121 (1994). The proper standard for determining when a prospective juror may be excluded for cause based on his or her views on the death penalty is whether the juror's views would prevent or substantially impair the performance of his or her duties as a juror in accordance with the court's instructions and the juror's oath. See Wainwright v. Witt, 469 U.S. 412, 421, 105 S.Ct. 844, 83 L.Ed.2d 841 (1985); Evans, 333 Md. at 671, 637 A.2d at 122. The decision as to whether to excuse a juror for cause is ordinarily left to the sound discretion of the trial judge and will not be disturbed on appeal except for an abuse of discretion. See Witt, 469 U.S. at 426, 105 S.Ct. 844 (noting that deference is to be paid to trial judge's decision to strike juror for cause); Bowie v. State, 324 Md. 1, 20, 595 A.2d 448, 457 (1991) (same). The trial court is in the best position to assess a juror's state of mind, by taking into consideration the juror's demeanor and credibility. The responses of jurors Santo and Rabb establish that they could not consider the death penalty under any circumstances. The record supports the trial judge's decision to excuse the prospective jurors for cause based on their opposition to capital punishment. Moreover, as to prospective juror Santo, Appellant acquiesced in the ruling. [5] See Dietz v. Dietz, 351 Md. 683, 689, 720 A.2d 298, 301-02 (1998); Osztreicher v. Juanteguy, 338 Md. 528, 659 A.2d 1278 (1995); Watkins v. State, 328 Md. 95, 99-100, 613 A.2d 379, 381 (1992); Rocks v. Brosius, 241 Md. 612, 630, 217 A.2d 531, 541 (1966). The trial court did not abuse its discretion and properly excused both jurors.