Court Opinion

ID: 9580367
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-21 22:04:25.627859+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T13:36:14.429392
License: Public Domain

Beasley, Judge,
concurring specially.
Considering the circumstances of this case, I agree that the refusal to strike Ms. Driggers is not reversible error, but I also agree with Judge Sognier’s disapproval of the practice. What saves it here are these combined facts: the juror stated with assurance that she could be fair and impartial, that she did not discuss the case with her father, and that she knew nothing about it prior to trial; the deputy sheriff played on a peripheral part in the case by assisting in the arrest, and he did not testify, so his credibility was not called in ques*8tion; defendant does not suggest that the deputy sheriff would have been called as an adverse witness regarding what occurred during the arrest, had his daughter not been on the jury. Finally, the “ifs” and “supposes” hypothesized in the voir dire questions which brought out the potential of a biased consideration of the case were not present. That is, the juror’s father had not discussed the case with her or indicated any interest in it, and he did not testify so that any bias she might have towards his credibility was never called into play.
Decided April 29, 1987
Rehearing denied July 31, 1987
W. Washington Larsen, Jr., for appellant.
James L. Wiggins, District Attorney, Michael T. Solis, Assistant District Attorney, for appellee.
The trial court was able to observe this juror, and it carefully weighed the matter, even indicating that it pondered the challenge overnight.
In keeping with Judge Sognier’s statement, we should beware of approaching the fine line when it comes to assuring that the members of the jury are fair and impartial, as guaranteed by Ga. Const. 1983, Art. I, Sec. I, Par. XI, especially since that assurance is incapable of exactitude in the first place, given the constraints of communication and the ability to ascertain men’s minds.
Compare Bass v. State, 183 Ga. App. 349 (358 SE2d 837) (1987).