Opinion ID: 844251
Heading Depth: 7
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: Prospective Juror P.F.

Text: Prospective Juror P.F.'s questionnaire responses, taken together, reflected intense opposition against the death penalty that permitted a reliable determination that he was unable to fairly consider the evidence and adhere to the trial court's instructions in determining penalty. Preliminarily, we note P.F. stated that, in general, he would have difficulty sitting in judgment of another individual because he was unable to be impartial in light of his religious or moral beliefs. On the other hand, when he expressed his views specifically regarding the death penalty, P.F. gave the clear impression that he would experience no difficulty resolving the question of punishment always in favor of a life sentence. When asked to rank his level of support for the death penalty, he marked 1 on the 1 to 10 scale, meaning he strongly opposed the death penalty, because he believed it is wrong to take a life. Although P.F. indicated his general willingness to follow the law in spite of any personal feelings that might conflict with the court's instructions, his response to question No. 46, b, clearly indicated his unwillingness to disregard his firm opposition to the death penalty in order to fairly consider the question of penalty. No matter what the evidence established, P.F. indicated that he would always vote for life without the possibility of parole. Thus, P.F.'s questionnaire responses clearly demonstrate that he was disqualified from service under Witt. P.F. was properly excused for cause.