Opinion ID: 1093338
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: Bills 19, 23, 27, 28, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 39, 40 and 41

Text: All of these bills were reserved when prospective jurors were excused on a challenge for cause by the District Attorney because they avowed they had personal beliefs or moral or conscientious scruples against the imposition of the death penalty. Defense counsel asserts that excusing jurors on these grounds violates the Fourteenth Amendment to the Constitution resulting in the denial of a fair and impartial trial to the accused Fallon. The decision in Witherspoon v. Illinois, 391 U.S. 510, 88 S.Ct. 1770, 20 L.Ed.2d 776 (1968), is cited as authority for the defense position. This case was tried in March 1972. In June of that year the United States Supreme Court decided Furman v. Georgia, 408 U.S. 238, 92 S.Ct. 2726, 33 L.Ed.2d 346 (1972), declaring the death penalty unconstitutional as then imposed and administered under statutes similar to Louisiana's enactments on the same subject. Thereafter those provisions of Louisiana's statutes imposing the death penalty were declared unconstitutional. State v. Franklin, 263 La. 344, 268 So.2d 249 (1972). As pointed out, Fallon was not found guilty of murder and the death penalty was not imposed. Therefore, the rule announced in Witherspoon designed to reprobate the hanging jury is not relevant to this conviction. Furthermore, the death penalty cannot be imposed for this offense for there is no valid statute applicable to this case which authorizes the death penalty. State v. Foy, 278 So.2d 38 (La. 1973). Compare La. Code Crim.Proc. art. 798(2); La.R.S. 14:30 as amended.