Opinion ID: 2551919
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Jose M.

Text: During the ex parte hearing, the prosecutor said he challenged M. because, during the death qualification voir dire, M. said he would look for other options when the prosecutor asked him could he exercise his discretion to impose the death penalty, and M. indicated that he thought it was the toughest penalty, and he would look for other options. The prosecutor said he also felt that [M.] was an extremely aggressive person and might hang the jury with his thoughts at that point.... Defendant alleges, and we agree, that the transcript of the death-qualification voir dire provides no support for either of these reasons. When defense counsel asked M. for his opinion on the death penalty, M. answered: Well, I guess I have an opinion on it. I mean, it's the mostthe hardestoh, what's the word I'm looking forpunishment you can give. When defense counsel asked M. to clarify whether he was for or against the death penalty, he replied: I would say I'm mixed. I would, you know, consider it and I would consider opposition to it. Defense counsel then explained how a jury is supposed to decide the penalty in a capital case, and M. said he could do that. Defense counsel asked: So you're saying you don't think you would have a problem returning either verdict? M. replied: No. In answer to further questioning by defense counsel, M. promised that he would engage in deliberations, that after doing that process he would definitely stand by his decision if he was convinced he was right and the others were wrong, but also that he would reanalyze his own decision if other jurors convinced him he was wrong. In reply to the prosecutor's questions, M. said he did not consider himself an overly sympathetic person, and he assured the prosecutor that he would listen to all the evidence that's presented from both sides, that he would attempt to arrive at a fair and impartial verdict whatever it is, that if the jury was hung up one way or the other he would back off' and listen to the other jurors and ask [him]self `Was I right or was I wrong?' In response to the prosecutor's question asking whether he was a strong enough person if he felt he was wrong to admit this out loud and change [his] vote, M. answered Certainly. The prosecutor then asked: Do you lean one way or the other on the death penalty, do you think? M. answered: Possibly slightly for it. Finally, the prosecutor asked M. whether he could return a death verdict against defendant if he's earned the death penalty. M. answered Yes.