Opinion ID: 1330634
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Voir Dire Examination About Religious Matters.

Text: During the voir dire examination, Justus' counsel sought to propound the following questions: (1) What is your religious preference? (2) Do you attend a local church? (3) Would you classify yourself as a regular or occasional attender? The trial court refused these questions because they would invade a potential juror's privacy. We agree with the trial court. In United States v. Barnes, 604 F.2d 121, 137,141 (2d Cir. 1979), cert. denied, 446 U.S. 907, 100 S.Ct. 1833, 64 L.Ed.2d 260 (1980), the court said: What is required of a trial judge in his conduct of the voir dire ... is that he permit at least some questioning with respect to any material issue that may arise, actually or potentially, in the trial. .... As to religion, our jury selections system was not designed to subject prospective jurors to a catechism of their tenets of faith, whether it be Catholic, Jewish, Protestant, or Mohammedan, or to force them to publicly declare themselves to be atheists. Indeed, many a juror might have a real doubt as to the particular religious category into which they could properly place themselves. The same can be said of ethnic background. The defense counsel had the duty to identify a question's relevance to an actual or potential issue in the case. The trial court asked whether jurors held religious scruples about the death penalty. We hold that this is the proper extent of inquiry.