Opinion ID: 433834
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: Peremptory Strike.

Text: 42 In his motion for a new trial, Rose argued that he was effectively denied one of his ten peremptory strikes under Rule 24(b) of the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure. Following voir dire, three panel members were stricken for cause during a meeting in the court's chambers. The court, the prosecutor, Rose's counsel, Rose, and the court reporter were present. The court then took a recess. The United States exercised its six peremptory strikes and indicated the strikes on the list of veniremen. Rose and his counsel examined the list, consulted, and listed their strikes on the list of veniremen. The court reconvened in chambers outside the hearing of the jury to read the names of the jurors who had not been stricken. Rose elected not to be present even though he was advised that he could be present. Upon returning to open court, the judge announced the members of the jury. Those jurors were seated and the oath was administered. After the judge excused the members of the panel who had not been selected as members of the jury, he directed the jury to return the next morning, gave additional instructions, and excused the jurors for the evening. Rose's counsel then advised the judge that Rose did not want juror number one on the panel because the juror was smirking and laughing at him. 43 A discussion among the judge, Rose, his counsel, and the United States Attorney ensued. Rose's attorneys explained that they had consulted with Rose and shown him the list of strikes with an explanation that a line drawn through an individual's name meant that the individual was to be stricken. Rose had not objected to the list at that time. His dissatisfaction with juror number one was communicated to counsel only after the impaneling had begun. According to Rose, however, he told his attorneys that he did not want juror number one on the panel early in the consultation process. The court, in questioning Rose, elicited two basic grievances. First, Rose wanted at least two black jurors on the jury panel. (The impaneled jury had only one black member.) Second, Rose did not want juror number one on the jury because he was smirking. Rose wanted juror number one removed and a black person put in his place, preferably juror number five, a black juror who had been struck by the government and who already had been dismissed with other panel members. Alternative solutions to this situation were suggested by the United States Attorney. One solution was to replace juror number one with the alternate. The second solution was to strike juror number one and proceed with eleven jurors. Rose's noncommittal responses to the suggested alternative solutions indicate a willingness to leave the problem to the district court's discretion. The court exercised that discretion by directing that the trial proceed with the jury as already impaneled. 44 Rose again raised this issue in his motion for a new trial. After a hearing on that motion, 3 the district court concluded that Rose had not been denied a peremptory challenge. The court found that, although Rose was given the opportunity to express his opinion, he had not objected to juror number one prior to the impaneling. The court also concluded that Rose had expressed no desire that two members of the jury be black until after the impaneling began. 4 The district court's findings were not clearly erroneous and we find no abuse of discretion in the denial of the motion for a new trial. 5 See, e.g., United States v. Rooks, 577 F.2d 33 (8th Cir.), cert. denied, 439 U.S. 862, 99 S.Ct. 183, 58 L.Ed.2d 171 (1978) (abuse of discretion review of trial court's denial of motion for new trial on basis of new evidence); United States v. Brown, 540 F.2d 364, 379 (8th Cir.1976) (abuse of discretion review of trial court's denial of motion for new trial on basis of juror qualifications). 45