Opinion ID: 796946
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: Additional Peremptory Challenges

Text: 26 Misla asked for, and was denied, five additional peremptory challenges. Misla argues, essentially, that he was owed more peremptory challenges because he had been denied several of his for-cause challenges. To the degree that this is a roundabout attempt to challenge those for-cause denials, it fails. `There are few aspects of a jury trial where we would be less inclined to disturb a trial judge's exercise of discretion, absent clear abuse, than in ruling on challenges for cause in the empaneling of a jury.' United States v. Gonzalez-Soberal, 109 F.3d 64, 69-70 (1st Cir. 1997) (quoting United States v. McCarthy, 961 F.2d 972, 976 (1st Cir.1992)). Misla raises no other substantive argument for why more peremptory challenges were required. Given that he did not use any of his allotted ten challenges on the cause-challenged jurors, we fail to see the connection, particularly since, again, there has been no claim of actual prejudice among the petit jury members. There was no abuse of discretion.