Opinion ID: 1663665
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Whether the District Court Abused its Discretion under the Facts of this Case in Denying Defendants' Challenges for Cause

Text: Having determined there is no per se prohibition against jurors serving on the jury merely because they have immediate family members who are potential members of the class, we now determine whether the district court abused its discretion in denying defendants' challenges for cause as to these jurors. In doing so, we begin from the well-settled proposition that if a prospective juror is able to declare to the district court's reasonable satisfaction that he could render an impartial verdict according to the law and evidence, a challenge for cause to that juror is properly denied. State v. Claiborne, 397 So.2d 486 (La.1981); State v. McIntyre, 381 So.2d 408 (La.1980). The trial court is vested with broad discretion in ruling on challenges for cause and such rulings will not be disturbed on appeal absent an abuse of discretion. State v. Benoit, 440 So.2d 129 (La.1983). However, while the trial court is accorded broad discretion in ruling on challenges for cause, this court has cautioned that [a] challenge for cause should be granted, even when a prospective juror declares his ability to remain impartial, if the juror's responses as a whole reveal facts from which bias, prejudice or inability to render judgment accordingly may be reasonably implied. State v. Hallal, 557 So.2d 1388, 1390 (La. 1990) (citing State v. Jones, 474 So.2d 919, 926 (La.1985)). With these principles in mind, we now turn to an examination of the transcript of the voir dire of the twelve jurors with immediate family members who are prospective class members to determine whether there is any basis for a reasonable belief under La.Code Civ. P. art. 1765(3) that these jurors' family relations would influence them in reaching a verdict. [2] Juror No. 1 is a thirty-four year old male, whose father is a former smoker and whose mother and brother are current smokers. During voir dire, when asked if he would want any of his relatives to participate in a smoking program, he responded that he had asked them if they wanted to quit, but they declined. Juror No. 1 also testified that he had briefly smoked in the past. [3] When asked whether he would consider participating in a smoking cessation program, he indicated he was not sure. Juror No. 1's responses, when taken as a whole, indicate a basis for a reasonable belief that the juror's family relations may influence him in coming to a verdict. Juror No. 1's statement that he had specifically asked his mother and brother if they wanted to quit smoking, coupled with his failure to rule out his own participation in a smoking cessation program, suggest that Juror No. 1's verdict could be influenced by the availability of such programs. [4] Under these circumstances, we find the district court abused its discretion in denying defendants' challenge for cause as to Juror No. 1. Juror No. 2 is a forty-four year old female, whose father is a former smoker. During voir dire, she indicated her father stopped smoking over forty years ago. When asked if she would like to see her father receive any medical monitoring, she stated, I don't have an opinion on that. She indicated she did not know what his view is on medical monitoring. Nothing in Juror No. 2's responses indicates a basis for a reasonable belief the juror's family relations are such that they would influence her in coming to a verdict. This juror's responses taken as a whole demonstrate she has no strong belief regarding medical monitoring, making it unlikely that the potential availability of such monitoring to her father would affect her ability to be impartial. Accordingly, we do not find the district court abused its discretion in denying defendants' challenge for cause as to Juror No. 2. Juror No. 5 is a thirty-two year old female, whose father is a former smoker. During voir dire, she indicated her father stopped smoking over twenty years ago. Also, she stated her father had triple bypass surgery about five years ago; however, she did not feel the surgery was related to his smoking. Rather, his heart condition could have resulted from his eating habits. Juror No. 5 affirmatively stated she could listen to the evidence and could be fair. While Juror No. 5 was not examined extensively during voir dire regarding the potential availability of medical monitoring to her father, her testimony as a whole indicates that her judgment would not be adversely affected because of her father's condition and that she could be fair. Under these circumstances, we cannot say the district court abused its discretion in denying defendants' challenge for cause as to Juror No. 5. Juror No. 7 is a thirty-five year old female. Her mother is a long-time smoker who recently quit and her two brothers are current smokers. During voir dire, she indicated she would want her mother to participate in a medical monitoring program. She stated she did not know whether her mother would participate, but would recommend that she participate. The responses of Juror No. 7, taken as a whole, present the basis for a reasonable belief that she may be influenced by the potential availability of medical monitoring to her mother. Juror No. 7 obviously perceived a strong benefit to her mother from medical monitoring, as demonstrated by the fact she would recommend it to her mother, even though she was not sure her mother would accept it. While we recognize Juror No. 7 indicated she could be fair, we nonetheless conclude the district court abused its discretion in failing to sustain defendants' challenge for cause as to this juror. Juror No. 10 is a fifty-seven year old female, whose husband is a former smoker and whose four sons are current smokers. [5] During voir dire, she indicated she did not think her sons would like to quit smoking. She stated she would like her sons to get medical tests to determine if smoking is harming their health, although she expressed some skepticism regarding whether the tests would make sense in light of their continued smoking. Juror No. 10's responses as a whole demonstrate that she would like her sons to have the benefit of medical monitoring, even though she questioned its effectiveness. In applying the reasonable belief test of La.Code Civ. P. art. 1765(3), we find ordinary experience suggests that as a mother, Juror No. 10's love for her children could influence her verdict. Under these circumstances, we conclude the district court abused its discretion in denying defendants' challenge for cause as to Juror No. 10. Juror No. 11 is a forty-two year old female, whose sister is a current smoker. During voir dire, she indicated her sister has been smoking for a long time, but her sister's smoking does not bother her one way or the other. She stated that her sister really does not care about developing smoking related diseases. She also stated she felt her sister should get medical monitoring, but probably would not. She was expressly questioned as to whether she would be more likely to rule in favor of plaintiffs because of the potential availability of medical monitoring to her sister. In her response, she stated she would have to weigh the evidence. Juror No. 11's initial response suggests a possibility that she could be influenced by the availability of monitoring for her sister. However, when asked specifically by plaintiffs' counsel whether the availability of monitoring would influence her decision, she essentially responded in the negative, indicating her decision would be based on the evidence. Under these circumstances, we find that while Juror No. 11's preliminary response was suspect, plaintiffs' counsel successfully rehabilitated her by demonstrating her verdict would not be influenced by the potential availability of medical monitoring to her sister. Accordingly, we find no abuse of discretion in the district court's ruling denying defendants' challenge for cause as to this juror. Juror No. 12 is a fifty-four year old male, whose father is a former smoker. During voir dire, he indicated that he is not concerned with his father possibly developing lung cancer, because his father goes to the doctor quite often. When asked whether he wanted to see his father get medical monitoring, he responded that his father goes to the doctor regardless. In addition, he stated that his father wouldn't want nothing free anyway. He indicated that regardless of what his father may or may not want, he could be fair in deciding the case. Juror No. 12's responses indicated he saw little benefit to medical monitoring for his father, because his father already received regular check-ups. Taken as a whole, Juror No. 12's responses support his statement that he could be fair in deciding the case. The district court did not abuse its discretion in denying defendants' challenge for cause as to Juror No. 12. Alternate Juror No. 13 is a fifty-two year old female, whose husband is a former smoker and whose brother is a current smoker. [6] During voir dire, she indicated she would like to see her brother quit smoking and would probably like to see him participate in a free smoking cessation program and receive free medical monitoring, although she had some doubt as to whether he would participate. Alternate Juror No. 13's responses indicate that she perceived a benefit from the potential availability of medical monitoring for her brother. Although she indicated she could be fair, her responses taken as a whole disclose a basis for a reasonable belief that the availability of medical monitoring for her brother could influence her verdict. Accordingly, we find the district court abused its discretion in denying defendants' challenge for cause as to Alternate Juror No. 13. Alternate Juror No. 14 is a thirty-six year old male, whose mother and father are former smokers. During voir dire, he admitted his parents smoked for a short period of time and quit over twenty years ago. In addition, he stated that his father recently had a stroke and is ill. When asked if he would be interested in seeing his father receive free medical monitoring, he initially stated that he would be interested. However, when asked the question again, he stated he changed his mind and would not like to see his father participate in a free medical monitoring program. Although Alternate Juror No. 14 initially indicated that he would like to see his father receive medical monitoring, his subsequent response clearly and unequivocally demonstrated that he changed his mind on this issue and would not want his father to participate in medical monitoring. In ruling on defendants' challenge for cause, the district court observed that Alternate Juror No. 14's subsequent response negated any inference that he would be favorable to plaintiffs because of the availability of monitoring to his father. We cannot say the district court's ruling represents an abuse of discretion. Alternate Juror No. 17 is a forty-one year old female, whose father is a current smoker. During voir dire, she stated her father did not opt out of the class in this case. She indicated she would like to see her father receive medical monitoring and participate in a smoking cessation program, although she questioned whether he would do so. Despite her assertions that she could be fair, Alternate Juror No. 17's responses taken as a whole form the basis for a reasonable belief that the potential availability of medical monitoring for her father could influence her decision. She acknowledged her father is a potential class member who has not opted out of the class, and stated she would like to see him receive medical monitoring and smoking cessation assistance. Under these circumstances, we conclude the district court erred in denying defendants' challenge for cause as to Alternate Juror No. 17. Alternate Juror No. 21 is a forty year old female, whose mother is a former smoker and whose husband is a current smoker who has not opted out of the class. During voir dire, she stated her husband has high blood pressure and his doctor wanted him to quit smoking. She indicated she is close to her mother and would like to have the best medical treatment and medical detection facilities available to her mother. She would like her mother to have an opportunity to receive free medical monitoring. In addition, when asked about her husband and his receiving free medical monitoring, she admitted she was biased and that she would want him to receive medical monitoring. She further indicated she was worried about his health and his smoking. Alternate Juror No. 21's responses conclusively demonstrate a basis for a reasonable belief that the availability of monitoring to her relatives would influence her verdict. She clearly expressed a desire for her mother and husband to receive medical monitoring. She candidly admitted that she was biased with regard to the availability of monitoring to her husband. Although Alternate Juror No. 21 later testified she could be fair, we find this testimony is insufficient to rehabilitate her. The district court erred in denying defendants' challenge for cause as to Alternate Juror No. 21. Alternate Juror No. 22 is a thirty-eight year old female, whose mother is a current smoker. During voir dire, she stated her mother has asthma and that doctors opined smoking was the cause of her mother's asthma. She also indicated she would like to see her mother quit smoking and would encourage her mother to participate in a smoking cessation program. She has strong beliefs regarding cigarettes and their addictiveness and their harmfulness. Alternate Juror No. 22's responses demonstrate a basis for a reasonable belief that the availability of monitoring to her mother would influence her verdict. She indicated she wanted her mother to quit smoking and would encourage her to participate in a smoking cessation program. While she indicated she would not decide the case in favor of plaintiffs just to help her mother, we find her responses as a whole suggest otherwise. The district court erred in denying defendants' challenge for cause as to Alternate Juror No. 22.