Opinion ID: 445463
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Mrs. Broussard

Text: 20 During jury selection, Mrs. Broussard admitted that she knew both the prosecuting attorney and the granddaughter of Mrs. Richard, the victim. She stated that the prosecutor had represented her father as an attorney on occasion but that the prosecutor had not represented her and that his representation of her father would not affect her ability to remain impartial. Her responses to the prosecutor's questions regarding the granddaughter, however, revealed a closer relationship. Because it is important to consider the critical passages of the voir dire on the latter relationship, we quote extensively from the examination. The first excerpt represents most of the prosecutor's interchange with Mrs. Broussard: 21 MR. HARSON: Would that factor, or the fact that you know that person, would that have any bearing upon your ability to be impartial in this case? 22 MRS. BROUSSARD: I don't think so. 23 MR. HARSON: How well do you know this granddaughter? 24 MRS. BROUSSARD: I know her pretty well. She's a friend. 25 MR. HARSON: You went to school with her, or she's just an acquaintence? 26 MRS. BROUSSARD: Well, she's friends with--She went to school with my children. 27 MR. HARSON: Her daughter or granddaughter? 28 MRS. BROUSSARD: Her granddaughter. 29 MR. HARSON: Do you know anything about the facts of this particular case? 30 MRS. BROUSSARD: No, not really. 31 MR. HARSON: Have you ever discussed the matter with this granddaughter? 32 MRS. BROUSSARD: No. 33 MR. HARSON: And you said when I asked you if that knowledge would bear on your ability to be impartial you said you weren't sure, and understandably at this point in time, do you feel that you could put aside any relationship that you had with this particular granddaughter and look impartially at the evidence in this case and base a decision solely on the evidence regardless of any kind of relationship? 34 MRS. BROUSSARD: Right. Yes, sir. 35 MR. HARSON: You think you could. 36 MRS. BROUSSARD: Yes, sir. 37