Opinion ID: 2390579
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Racial-Prejudice Inquiry

Text: Perry claims that voir dire was impermissibly abbreviated by the absence of inquiry into potential racial prejudice. Although the questionnaire did not contain a question specifically directed at the impact of the race of the witness or defendant, it did contain a question investigating the potential presence of any passion, prejudice, sympathy or bias. At least one juror found that question to include an inquiry into a juror's potential racial prejudice. Recently, in State v. McDougald, 120 N.J. 523, 550-54, 577 A. 2d 419 (1990), we addressed the issue of voir dire on racial prejudice. Sua sponte inquiry into the racial views of potential jurors is not required under either the federal or state constitution in minority-defendant capital cases that carry no special circumstances involving racial overtones. Turner v. Murray, 476 U.S. 28, 106 S.Ct. 1683, 90 L.Ed. 2d 27 (1986); McDougald, supra, 120 N.J. at 553-54, 577 A. 2d 419. Absent a request from counsel for such a question and in the presence of a question about general prejudice or bias, the trial court's failure to ask such a non-required question cannot be considered error. Both State v. Ramseur and Williams II call for more expansive voir dire to combat subtle and difficult-to-discern racial prejudice in cases in which the defendant is black. See, e.g., State v. Ramseur, supra, 106 N.J. at 247, 524 A. 2d 188. However, absent other factors putting a court on notice of the racial overtones of a case, specific inquiry into racial prejudice need be conducted only at the request of the minority defendant. Ibid. The circumstances of this crime do not indicate the presence of circumstances raising explicit racial concerns. As in McDougald both the victim and defendant were black. Therefore, while still recognizing the subtle way in which racial prejudice can impact on any proceeding involving a black defendant, State v. Ramseur, supra, 106 N.J. at 247, 524 A. 2d 188, we believe the court's inquiry here bears substantial similarity to the means employed in State v. McDougald, supra, 120 N.J. at 553-54, 577 A. 2d 419, and therefore did not constitute error.