Opinion ID: 1936463
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Voir Dire of Vanessa Rice: Assignment of Error # 1

Text: The defendant argues the trial court's removal for cause of prospective juror Vanessa Rice violated his right to an impartial jury, mandating reversal of his death sentence. Tart relies on Davis v. Georgia, 429 U.S. 122, 97 S.Ct. 399, 50 L.Ed.2d 339 (1976) (per curiam), and Gray v. Mississippi, 481 U.S. 648, 107 S.Ct. 2045, 95 L.Ed.2d 622 (1987). The defendant asserts Davis, supra, announced per curiam that the erroneous exclusion for cause on Witherspoon [3] grounds of one prospective juror invalidated any subsequently imposed death penalty and that Gray reaffirmed that the improper Witherspoon exclusion of an otherwise qualified juror in a capital case was a violation of the defendant's Sixth and Fourteenth Amendment Due Process rights to an impartial jury. Rice initially told the prosecutor she had kind of mixed feelings about the death penalty. When asked to explain her response, Rice stated the death penalty was imposed in some cases where it should not have been, and was not imposed in some cases where it should have been. As an example of a case where the death penalty should not be imposed, Rice mentioned a case where the defendant was mentally ill. Rice stated she was familiar with the capital case of Winthrop Eaton. Rice did not think it fair that Eaton, whom she knew and whom she thought was mentally ill, had received a death sentence. Unfortunately, at this point the prosecutor did not completely state the law and told Rice that only instances of extreme emotional disturbance could be considered as a mitigating circumstance. Rice told the prosecutor she did not think this was fair and was firm in her belief that some evidence of emotional disturbance from an expert witness would influence her decision. In later questioning, Rice said she could consider a life or death sentence. She stated she could follow the law and would not let anything she knew about the Eaton case enter into her judgment on the mental condition issue in this case. Without further questioning, Rice was excused on a state cause challenge; the defense objected. [A] challenge for cause should be granted, even when a prospective juror declares his ability to remain impartial, if the juror's responses as a whole reveal facts from which bias, prejudice or inability to render judgment according to law may be reasonably implied. State v. Bourque, 622 So.2d 198, 226 (La.1993), citing State v. Hallal, 557 So.2d 1388, 1389-90 (La.1990). A trial judge has great discretion in determining whether sufficient cause has been shown to reject a prospective juror. Such determinations will not be disturbed on review unless a review of the voir dire as a whole indicates an abuse of discretion. State v. Lee, 93-2810, p. 9 (La. 5/23/94); 637 So.2d 102, 108; State v. Robertson, 92-2660 (La. 1/14/94); 630 So.2d 1278, 1281; State v. Bourque, 622 So.2d 198, 226 (La.1993). A trial judge's great discretion is based on the fact that the trial judge has the benefit of seeing the facial expressions and hearing the vocal intonations of the members of the jury venire as they respond to questioning by the parties' attorneys. Such expressions and intonations are not readily apparent at the appellate level where review is based on a cold record. Furthermore, to the extent he or she believes it is necessary or desirable to do so, the trial judge has the benefit of the ability to directly participate in the examination of the members of the jury venire. As such, we are reluctant to reverse a ruling of the trial judge on a challenge for cause where it does not appear from a review of the record as a whole that the trial judge has somehow abused his discretion. Lee, supra p. 9, 637 So.2d at 108. There was no abuse of the trial judge's discretion in excusing Rice for cause. Despite her later protestations that she would not allow anything she knew about the Eaton case to enter into her judgment, the trial judge obviously did not accept her protestations based on her earlier responses. A review of her voir dire shows Rice may not have been impartial or may have automatically voted against capital punishment if there was evidence of mental health issues. La. C.Cr.P. art. 797(2) and art. 798(2)(a). This assignment of error has no merit.