Opinion ID: 1770491
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Death Penalty Verdict Form

Text: Mr. Isom assigns additional error to the fact that the circuit judge allowed the prosecutor to ask prospective jurors whether they could commit to signing a death penalty verdict form rather than simply asking whether they could never under any set of facts consider the death penalty, which was the standard established in Witherspoon v. Illinois, supra . He argues further that it was error for the circuit judge to dismiss these individuals for cause when they answered that they could not sign such a verdict form. Finally, Mr. Isom argues that the judge erred in allowing the prosecutor repeatedly to ask potential jurors how they would vote if certain facts were proven at trial, which he maintains was prohibited questioning under Hobbs v. State, 277 Ark. 271, 641 S.W.2d 9 (1982). The State responds that not only did defense counsel not object to the prosecutor's asking potential jurors whether they could sign a death-verdict form, but defense counsel asked the same question to members of the venire. The State urges that this court will not consider an issue where the activity in contention was not objected to at trial. Moreover, the State contends that the prosecutor was justified in asking the question, because Arkansas law requires that all twelve jurors must sign the verdict form to impose a death sentence. See Ark.Code Ann. § 5-4-603(a) (Repl.1997); Greene v. State, 343 Ark. 526, 37 S.W.3d 579, cert. denied, 534 U.S. 858, 122 S.Ct. 135, 151 L.Ed.2d 88 (2001). We agree with the State that defense counsel failed to object to the prosecutor's questioning about signing the death-verdict form. Thus, the issue is not preserved for our review unless it falls within the Wicks exception regarding a trial court's failure to bring to the jury's attention a matter essential to its consideration of the death penalty itself. Wicks v. State, 270 Ark. 781, 785, 606 S.W.2d 366, 369 (1980). We conclude that this issue does not fall within that exception. Trial counsel, the judge, and the prospective jurors were all well aware that the issue was whether those persons could sign the death-verdict form. Hence, the matter is not preserved for our review. See, e.g., Howard v. State, supra .