Opinion ID: 1060156
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Proposed question for the jury panel

Text: During voir dire, Clagett sought to ask the members of the venire if they would automatically impose the death penalty even if they accepted Clagett's theory of the case. The trial court ruled that this was not the proper inquiry. The trial court instead permitted the members of the venire to be asked whether they would automatically impose the death penalty no matter what the facts were. See Morgan v. Illinois, 504 U.S. 719, 723, 112 S.Ct. 2222, 2226, 119 L.Ed.2d 492 (1992). We hold this inquiry was adequate to assure the removal of those jurors who would invariably impose capital punishment. Turner v. Commonwealth, 221 Va. 513, 523, 273 S.E.2d 36, 42-43 (1980), cert. denied, 451 U.S. 1011, 101 S.Ct. 2347, 68 L.Ed.2d 863 (1981); see also Mueller v. Commonwealth, 244 Va. 386, 400-01, 422 S.E.2d 380, 390 (1992), cert. denied, 507 U.S. 1043, 113 S.Ct. 1880, 123 L.Ed.2d 498 (1993).