Opinion ID: 1151655
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 9

Heading: ricky g. melancon

Text: The defendant contends the trial court erred in failing to excuse this prospective juror for cause based on his predisposition in favor of the death penalty and the fact that his sister, a physical therapist, had treated Theresa Stoute. The trial court rejected defense counsel's challenge for cause. Defense counsel objected to the ruling and exercised a peremptory challenge. Reading the record of the voir dire examination of this potential juror as a whole, it is clear Mr. Melancon stated he could consider both a life sentence and the death penalty at the penalty phase of trial, depending on the circumstances of the crime and the evidence presented. Lee, 559 So.2d at 1318 (challenge for cause was not warranted for juror who stated initial reaction would have been to give defendant death penalty but further questioning showed she would assess all evidence before making a decision). The record also shows the only information Mr. Melancon's sister related to him was the fact that she was treating a woman who had been injured by a gunshot wound. Mr. Melancon knew Theresa Stoute had been shot in the shoulder and that her hand, thumb, or fingers were somehow involved in her treatment. Mr. Melancon also overheard a conversation between his sister and his wife in which his sister stated Theresa Stoute was going to physical therapy and was in pain. In this way, Mr. Melancon also learned the woman's daughter had been shot. It is clear from the attorneys' questioning of Mr. Melancon that he knew no details about the shooting of Charlotte Perry and Theresa Stoute. Neither did he know any details of the Vermilion Parish shooting. There is no indication this information alone would prejudice him to the point that he could not be a fair and impartial juror. See State v. Clark, 340 So.2d 208, 215 (La.1976), cert. denied, 430 U.S. 936, 97 S.Ct. 1563, 51 L.Ed.2d 782 (1977) (even where prospective juror knows victim of the offense the defense must show the juror's acquaintance with victim is such that it is reasonable to conclude it would influence the juror in arriving at a verdict to be a sufficient ground for a challenge for cause). The trial court did not abuse its discretion in refusing the defendant's challenge for cause. Assignments of Error Nos. 19, 20, 21, 22 Juror Examination Issues By these assignments, Bourque contends the prosecutor incorrectly explained the legal concepts of first degree murder, specific intent, and the intoxication defense for the prospective jurors and improperly used a chart in its explanation. The defendant argues the only correct method to convey these concepts to prospective jurors was to use the statutory definitions. Defense counsel objected to the following statement made by the prosecutor as he explained the elements of first degree murder during voir dire: The law also says that when this person has a specific intent to kill or inflict great bodily harm on more than one person, that's [sic] not necessary for the shootings to take place simultaneously. Vol. 6, p. 1306. The trial court overruled the defense's objection, rejecting defense counsel's suggestion to restrict the prosecutor to reading the definition of the crime in the statute. Bourque contends the state incorrectly informed the prospective jurors the shootings and the criminal intent did not have to exist at the same time. For this proposition, the defendant relies on State v. Andrews, 452 So.2d 687, 689 (La.1984), where the court reduced a conviction for first degree murder to second degree murder after finding no rational trier of fact could have concluded beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant, by firing at one person, actively intended to kill the person and another who was not present. Andrews is distinguishable from the present case. The defendant in Andrews, Reginald Andrews, went in search of two brothers with whom he had had a barroom fight earlier in the evening. Finding one brother, Andrews chased after him with a gun. The man escaped and no shots were fired. At another location, Andrews saw the other brother, whom he shot and killed. This court has rejected the idea that LSA-R.S. 14:30(A)(3), defining first degree murder as occurring when the offender has a specific intent to kill or to inflict great bodily harm upon more than one person, must be interpreted solely as occurring by a defendant's single act, such as when a bomb explodes in a crowded building. Instead, this court has determined the legislature intended this type of first degree murder to include those murderers who formed an intent to commit multiple killings and who did in fact create the risk of multiple deaths through a single act or a closely related series of acts that resulted in at least one death. State v. Williams, 480 So.2d 721, 727 (La.1985) (emphasis supplied); see also State v. Ward, 483 So.2d 578, 581-82 (La.1986), cert. denied 479 U.S. 871, 107 S.Ct. 244, 93 L.Ed.2d 168 (1986) (death penalty may be justified when a single consecutive course of conduct contemplates and causes the death of one person and great bodily harm to another). Thus, considering the jurisprudence, the prosecutor's explanation of first degree murder was a correct statement of the law. In order to explain the concept of first degree murder to the jurors, the prosecutor prepared a chart. Defense counsel objected to its use, but the objection was overruled. The defendant argues the chart contained the statutory language and the jurisprudential language complained of above. The record shows the chart was not offered in evidence and its provisions were not transcribed for the record. As found supra, the chart presented only correct statements of statutory and jurisprudential law. Therefore, there was no prejudice to the defendant in the use of the chart. The defendant contends the prosecutor incorrectly explained the defense of intoxication to a group of prospective jurors. The record shows the trial court instructed the prosecutor to change his wording as the explanation given was not technically correct. [11] Thus, the trial court corrected the error and the prospective jurors were properly informed. The defendant contends the prosecutor incorrectly explained the concept of specific intent to a group of prospective jurors. Specifically, the prosecutor stated specific intent could be inferred by looking to the person's actions. The trial court overruled the defense's objection. There was no error in the trial court's action; this was a correct statement of law. See State v. Brooks, 505 So.2d 714, 717 (La.1987), cert. denied, 484 U.S. 947, 108 S.Ct. 337, 98 L.Ed.2d 363 (1987) (specific intent is a state of mind and, as such, it need not be proven as a fact, but may be inferred from the circumstances of the transaction and the actions of the defendant); La.Code Evid. art. 404(B)(1). The defendant contends the prosecutor also gave an incorrect instruction to a group of prospective jurors when trying to explain the concept of reasonable doubt. The prosecutor made the following statement: That's right. I mean, that's what the law says. The [law] says we don't have to prove it beyond all doubt, but just beyond all reasonable doubt. There's very few things in life if you think about it you can come up with, well, I could come up with a reason or an excuse, or, you know, speculating on something, but is it a reasonable Vol. 6, p. 1492. Defense counsel objected to the use of the word speculating as it might connote a lower burden of proof. At a bench conference, the prosecutor and defense counsel agreed on the use of the words possible doubt. As with the objection to the prosecutor's statement regarding intoxication, the trial court was given an opportunity to correct the error and the prospective jurors were properly instructed on these concepts of law. Assignments of Error Nos. 23, 24 Jury Procedure Issues By these assignments, Bourque complains he was prejudiced by the trial court's method of numbering prospective jurors and in calling panels for examination. He claims Mark Hebert and Louis Wyatt, and unnamed others, failed to appear for jury duty on the date the jury venire assembled. In the meantime, the trial judge assigned numbers to prospective jurors in a random manner by drawing lots after the names were added to a box from sealed containers. When these prospective jurors appeared, the trial judge assigned them the last available numbers rather than renumbering the entire venire. Defense counsel objected on the grounds this procedure violated the random selection provisions of the constitution. The trial judge overruled the objections. The defendant also contends the manner in which prospective jurors were called in panels was prejudicial. Because of the large number of prospective jurors, one hundred and eighty-two [12] , the trial judge allowed those prospective jurors who were further down the list to go home. They were instructed to contact the courthouse each evening and listen to a recorded message which would relay which prospective jurors should appear the following day. When a numbered juror was late, the trial judge would call the next numbered juror. When the absent prospective juror appeared, he or she was placed on the next panel for examination. Bourque complains this procedure was not random. In a related argument, Bourque asserts it was prejudicial error for the trial court to fail to include a prospective juror, Mitchell Francis, in the selection process. Prospective juror Francis was assigned # 100. Evidently, he did not appear for voir dire examination on the day he was assigned and did not report to court until twelve persons had been selected for the jury. When questioned by the trial court, Mr. Francis asserted the court machine had not played a message. Defense counsel objected when it appeared the trial judge was going to place Mr. Francis and Mr. Collins George, who had also failed to appear on his scheduled day, on the next civil jury venire. [13] Ultimately, the trial court did not have to decide what to do with these potential jurors, since two alternate jurors were selected from the next panel questioned. Bourque claims prejudice. La.C.Cr.P. art. 419 provides [a] general venire, grand jury venire, or petit jury venire shall not be set aside for any reason unless fraud has been practiced, some great wrong committed that would work irreparable injury to the defendant, or unless persons were systematically excluded from the venires solely upon the basis of race. The defendant bears the burden of proving fraud or that some irreparable injury was caused by the selection process. State v. Brown, 414 So.2d 726, 728 (La.1982); Lee, 559 So.2d at 1313. Bourque has failed to show the assignment of numbers to prospective jurors was anything other than random or that he suffered any prejudice in the method used by the trial court. La.C.Cr.P. art. 784 provides [i]n selecting a panel, names shall be drawn from the petit jury venire indiscriminately and by lot in open court and in a manner to be determined by the court. Comment C provides that the details of how the panels are to be selected are left to the trial court's discretion. It was well within the trial court's discretion what number, and which numbers, were called to compose the various panels for examination. A defendant is not entitled to a mistrial when allegations of prejudice are premised on the absence of prospective venirepersons which are not substantiated by evidence proffered as proof of the prejudice. State v. Badon, 338 So.2d 665, 667 (La.1976). Bourque offers no proof to show whether he was prejudiced by the trial court's failure to include Mr. Francis in the panel being questioned or how the prejudice occurred. Thus, the defendant does not state a merited claim on appeal.