Opinion ID: 1199597
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 8

Heading: Lahoma Kuehl

Text: Kuehl served on petitioner's jury. In the summer of 1994 two women, who identified themselves as legal investigators, came to her home to interview her about her jury service. They showed her a business card but did not say they were working on petitioner's behalf. They seemed official, and Kuehl had the impression they were on our side, i.e., the side of preserving the jury's verdict. She thought the two women should have told her immediately that they represented petitioner; had they done so, she would not have let them in her house. She felt tricked. Kuehl was questioned on one day, while one of the women took notes. The women then returned the next day with a written declaration. Kuehl was allowed to read the declaration, and she signed it and initialed each paragraph for accuracy as instructed. However, she was too trusting, and she must not have read carefully or understood fully, because although some portions of her 1994 declaration are true, others are incorrect, slanted, and exaggerated. Contrary to the declaration, she did not become convinced of petitioner's guilt early in the trial, but only after hearing all the evidence. The declaration's insinuation that Kuehl is a religious fanatic is also not true; she did not tell the interviewers she handled] over her [trial] worries to God and sought penalty guidance by reading and rereading the Bible's teachings that capital punishment is appropriate. All Kuehl said was that she is a Christian, believes in the death penalty because she finds it supported by the Bible, reads the Bible daily, and maintained this custom during the trial. Though aware of biblical references to the death penalty, she did not recall reading them during the trial and did not consult the Bible for specific guidance. Finally, unlike Gholston, Kuehl did not fear going to the courthouse restroom because the Hamilton sisters might be using it. Kuehl was not afraid of petitioner or his family during the trial.