Opinion ID: 1757479
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 6

Heading: Whether the trial court erred in denying individual and/or sequestered voir dire.

Text: Eakes claims the trial court should have allowed individual, sequestered voir dire of the venire due to the intimate nature of the questions asked regarding whether any member of the venire had been either victim or perpetrator of sexual abuse. The State responds that the trial court followed Uniform Criminal Rule of Circuit Court Practice 5.02 and the procedure approved by this Court in Russell v. State, 607 So.2d 1107 (Miss. 1992).
Pre-trial, Eakes requested individual sequestered voir dire, due to the nature of the case and the sensitive questions which might be asked on voir dire. The trial court denied the motion, but noted that individual voir dire for further exploration would be allowed if an individual juror responded to a question put to the entire panel. Unif.Crim.R.Cir.Ct.Prac. 5.02 governs the procedure for conducting voir dire. Russell v. State, 607 So.2d 1107, 1110 (Miss. 1992). The Rule allows for individual examination of venire members only when proper to inquire as to answers given or for other good cause allowed by the court. Unif.Crim. R.Cir.Ct.Prac. 5.02. Pursuant to this Rule, questions during voir dire will generally be propounded to the entire venire. Russell, 607 So.2d at 1110 (citing Billiot v. State, 454 So.2d 445, 456 (Miss. 1984)). The trial court, in the case sub judice, followed Rule 5.02. Additionally, there is neither a showing nor an allegation that the jury was not fair and impartial. There is no error here.