Opinion ID: 1267732
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: standard of review

Text: In this appeal we are called upon to determine whether the trial court committed error in refusing to strike a prospective juror for cause. This Court review[s] the trial court's decision on [striking a juror] under an abuse of discretion standard. State v. Wade, 200 W.Va. 637, 654, 490 S.E.2d 724, 741 (1997). See also State v. Hulbert, 209 W.Va. 217, 220, 544 S.E.2d 919, 922 (2001) (We review the issue concerning the lower court's failure to strike for cause [a] juror . . . under an abuse of discretion standard.). We have also held that [a]n appellate court . . . should interfere with a trial court's discretionary ruling on a juror's qualification to serve because of bias only when it is left with a clear and definite impression that a prospective juror would be unable faithfully and impartially to apply the law. Syl. pt. 6, in part, State v. Miller, 197 W.Va. 588, 476 S.E.2d 535 (1996). Finally, the defendant bears the burden of showing that [a] prospective juror[ ][was] actually biased or otherwise disqualified and that the trial court abused its discretion or committed manifest error when it failed to excuse [the juror] for cause. State v. Phillips, 194 W.Va. 569, 589-90, 461 S.E.2d 75, 95-96 (1995).