Opinion ID: 514627
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: Dismissal of Prospective Juror.

Text: 38 Next, Gilmore argues that the district court erred in dismissing his claim that the trial court's sua sponte dismissal of a prospective juror deprived him of his sixth amendment right to a jury chosen from a cross-section of the population. The basic facts underlying this claim are undisputed. Prior to the trial, the presiding judge excused Robert Knoll, an individual scheduled as a venireman, because Knoll, a former police officer, indicated that he wanted to bring a gun to the trial. 39 Thereafter, Gilmore moved for a mistrial on the ground that the prospective panel included fifty-eight rather than sixty persons. Gilmore challenged the sua sponte excusal of Knoll, and a hearing was held. At that proceeding, the county sheriff and an associate circuit judge testified to the effect that Knoll had stated that he was frightened, that in their opinion Knoll was biased against the defense, and that they feared Knoll would poison the jury by discussing his personal knowledge of the case. The trial court concluded that Knoll had been excused for a reasonable purpose, and denied Gilmore's mistrial motion. 40 On direct appeal, the Missouri Supreme Court held that the trial court did not abuse its discretion in excusing Knoll, noting in particular that Gilmore had not demonstrated that he was prejudiced or his interests adversely affected by the trial court's action. State v. Gilmore, 661 S.W.2d at 523. The district court agreed, see Gilmore v. Armontrout, 681 F.Supp. at 639-40, as do we. 41 In Missouri, a trial court has the authority to strike prospective jurors on its own motion. State v. Marshall, 571 S.W.2d 768, 772 (Mo.Ct.App.1978). Although the trial court's reason for excusing Knoll is not listed among the statutory justifications for excuse, see Mo.Rev.Stat. Sec. 494.031, it is well settled in Missouri that the statute is merely discretionary and [a defendant] must show that he has been prejudiced or that his interests have been adversely affected by failure to strictly observe these statutory provisions in alleging error on the part of the [trial] judge. State v. Holt, 592 S.W.2d 759, 767 (Mo.1980) (en banc) (citation and internal quotation omitted). It is beyond peradventure that the excusal of Knoll did not prejudice Gilmore, and in fact was to his advantage. 42 Although Gilmore attempts to liken this case to Anderson v. Frey, 715 F.2d 1304 (8th Cir.1983), cert. denied, 464 U.S. 1057, 104 S.Ct. 739, 79 L.Ed.2d 198 (1984), Gilmore's reliance upon Anderson is inapposite and warrants little discussion. In Anderson, this court condemned the practice of a sheriff supervising the selection of bystander jurors. Pivotal to the Anderson decision was the concern that the participation of an interested official in the juror selection process is fundamentally unfair. Id. at 1309. There is no evidence in the instant case that the sheriff was involved in the selection process; moreover, the trial court, not the sheriff, excused Knoll. Thus, the same concerns are not implicated here. 43