Court Opinion

ID: 9854609
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-09-24 06:09:58.053292+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T09:23:10.487523
License: Public Domain

Gregory, Justice,
dissenting.
In Division 11, this court considers Godfrey’s contention that the trial court erred by refusing to excuse for cause two potential jurors who indicated their unwillingness to return a life sentence in a case of murder with aggravating circumstances. Despite having ample opportunity to raise this issue in his direct appeal, Godfrey failed to do so. This claim of error is thus presented to us for the first *671time on collateral review, two years after Godfrey’s death sentence was affirmed on direct review. I would prefer not to allow collateral review of a claim which could so easily have been resolved previously. However, the law applicable to this habeas corpus case does not allow that choice. Having considered, as I must, Godfrey’s contention on its merits, I find that I cannot agree with the majority that the trial court’s refusal to excuse the first of these two potential jurors was not error. Reluctantly, I dissent to Division 11 and the judgment.
It is well settled that a juror who is unable to impose a death sentence is subject to disqualification in a case in which the state is seeking the death penalty. Witherspoon v. Illinois, 391 U. S. 510 (88 SC 1770, 20 LE2d 776) (1968). This court fails to resolve the important question of whether “the same standard should apply to venire members whose dismissal is sought because of their views in favor of the death penalty as to those who oppose it.” Perhaps for this reason, the court also fails to delineate the scope of proper questioning in this regard.
In fact, the basis for this court’s finding of no error is altogether unclear. The court holds that a defendant cannot “create error” by improper questioning; thus implying that the questioning was improper and that, no matter what the juror’s answer to an improper question, he is not disqualified. But the court also implies' that the juror’s answers were not disqualifying in any event. Then the court suggests that even if the answers were, in themselves, disqualifying, the juror was rehabilitated. My dissent is premised upon my disagreement with all of these possible conclusions and upon my belief that the same standard should apply to potential jurors whose dismissal is sought because of their views in favor of the death penalty as to those who oppose it.
1. In my view, a juror who is unable to decide a case on its merits is not qualified to serve. Thus, a juror who is unable to impose a death penalty when the death penalty is authorized, regardless of the evidence, is subject to excusal for cause. By the same token, a juror who is unable to consider the imposition of a life sentence when a life sentence is authorized, regardless of the evidence, should be excused for cause upon challenge by the defendant.
2. Voir dire should allow both parties an opportunity to ascertain the ability of prospective jurors to decide the case on its merits, with objectivity and freedom from bias and prior inclination. Whitlock v. State, 230 Ga. 700 (198 SE2d 865) (1973). As we stated in Jordan v. State, 247 Ga. 328 (276 SE2d 224) (1981), “ ‘after the usual voir dire questions have been put by the court, . . . the counsel for either party shall have the right to inquire of the individual jurors examined touching any matter or thing which would illustrate any *672interest of the juror in the cause, including any opinion as to which party ought to prevail----Although a juror may have been acceptable ... when questioned by the court, the juror may be shown to be partial when questioned by the state or defense and if such showing is made, the juror should be stricken for cause.” Id. at 338-339.
After ruling on several occasions that Godfrey’s attorney could not ask the juror in question “if there are circumstances under which he would not follow the instructions of the court,” the trial court finally allowed counsel to ask, “[w]ell assume there’s a murder, two murders with aggravating circumstances proved to your satisfaction, would you be able to, considering your opinion previously stated, would you be willing or able to consider a sentence less than death under those circumstances and follow the law that allows it?”
The majority implies that this question was improper because it solicited “the juror’s views on evidence not yet presented and the law to be applied in the case at hand.” I fail to see how the question solicited the juror’s views on the law except as it attempted to ascertain whether the juror would be able to follow the law, which, in my view, was not improper. The only items of evidence mentioned are: “two murders” and “aggravating circumstances.”
I realize that questions incorporating facts yet to be proved are often improper. Waters v. State, 248 Ga. 355 (3) (283 SE2d 238) (1981). Neither party is entitled, as of right, to outline all the evidence and then ask a juror what his verdict would be on that evidence. Ibid. However, except in cases of treason or aircraft hijacking, the death penalty may not be imposed unless a murder has been committed and statutory aggravating circumstances have been proven. OCGA § 17-10-30 (c) (Code Ann. § 27-2534.1); Coker v. Georgia, 433 U. S. 584 (97 SC 2861, 53 LE2d 982) (1977). A question which merely inquired whether a juror could consider a sentence less than death would be useless. Presumably, no one would contend that the death penalty should be imposed in all criminal cases. The important question is whether a juror authorized to impose the death penalty would automatically do so.
I would hold that the only portion of counsel’s question which was possibly objectionable was his reference to “ two murders.” In my view, counsel was entitled to inquire whether the juror was “willing or able to consider a sentence less than death” in a case involving murder with aggravating circumstances.
3. I cannot agree with the majority’s implicit suggestion that a juror’s answer to a question that may be, in part, objectionable, will not, under any circumstances, disqualify the juror. In Aycock v. State, 188 Ga. 550 (12) (4 SE2d 221) (1939), this court recognized that an answer of a juror might disqualify him even if the question were *673improper. As we noted, if the allegedly improper questions had not been posed, “and the prospective jurors had voluntarily stated their opposition to a conviction upon circumstantial evidence, it would have been the duty of the court to disqualify them.” Id. at 569. See also, Bradham v. State, 243 Ga. 638 (256 SE2d 331) (1979) (reversing 148 Ga. App. 89 (250 SE2d 801) (1978); s.c. after remand, 150 Ga. App. 540 (258 SE2d 252) (1979)).
4. I cannot agree with the majority’s finding that the juror’s answer was not “a clear, adamant expression of a fixed opinion that would be unyielding in spite of law or evidence which required a contrary finding.” The majority misstates the test for disqualification. If a defendant is convicted of murder (as Godfrey had already been at the time of this voir dire) and a statutory aggravating circumstance is shown, the jury may, in its discretion, impose a death or a life sentence; neither is required. I believe the test should be whether a juror authorized to impose a death penalty would automatically do so, regardless of the evidence.
To counsel’s query, “... would you be willing or able to consider a sentence less than death under those circumstances and follow the law that allows it?” — the juror answered, “No, I’d go for the death sentence.”
The juror’s answer could not have been clearer. He was neither willing nor able to even consider a life sentence or to follow the law that allows it. I would hold that he was disqualified to serve in this case.
5. Under the circumstances of this case, I cannot agree that the juror was rehabilitated. The majority notes that the day after this juror underwent voir dire, the court reminded the entire panel that, “You can and should consider the life sentence in any event based on the evidence. I would ask all of you if you have any pre-judgment that you could not follow those instructions if you’re selected as a juror.” It is doubtful that a negative answer to this question could rehabilitate the juror in any event, in view of our holding in Cofield v. State, 247 Ga. 98 (2) (274 SE2d 530) (1981), that it is not sufficient that a juror be willing to “consider” the death penalty if he or she is committed to automatically vote against the death penalty after having “considered” it. Moreover, in this case, we cannot know for sure that the juror in question was present when the panel was asked the rehabilitative question.
6. I would hold that the trial court erred by refusing to exclude the aforementioned juror and would reverse.