Opinion ID: 1652318
Heading Depth: 5
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Peggy Edwards

Text: In response to the question of whether the veniremembers could seriously consider imposing the death penalty, Peggy Edwards responded, I'm having quite a bit of stress about thinking that I would be the one to say that someone else wouldn't live. When asked if she could sign a death verdict as foreperson, she stated, It would be a very difficult thing to do. I'm just under a lot of stress about it. I'm not real sure whether I could or not. Edwards also stated that there was a possibility that she would hold the State to a higher burden than beyond a reasonable doubtthat of complete proof. When the State asked her directly whether her views on the death penalty would substantially impair serious consideration of it, Edwards replied, It's possible it could, yes, and I'm one of those people that has always thought I believed in the death penalty until it comes down to me actually saying, yes, I should go ahead and do it, followed by I'm not real sure on that until it actually would come down to the moment of, yeah, you've got to make the decision now. I'm just not real sure. Edwards later stated that she did believe she could follow the court's instructions and could stand up in court and say Yes, this is my verdict in the event of a unanimous recommendation of death. Viewed within the context of the entirety of Edwards's responses, however, these two statements do not prove that the trial court abused its discretion in finding that her commitment to follow the law was substantially impaired with respect to the State's burden of proof or the serious consideration of both life imprisonment and the death penalty. [21]