Court Opinion

ID: 9679685
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-24 07:02:21.402837+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:17:18.069947
License: Public Domain

STEPHENS, Chief Justice,
concurring and dissenting.
I certainly concur with the majority’s result, in reversing the appellant’s murder conviction, and I also concur with most of the admonitions and directions suggested by the majority in the event of a retrial. However, what disturbs me about the majority opinion is that it fails to acknowledge what is, in my opinion, an obvious fact; viz., that the appellant (although clearly guilty of the homicide) did not receive a fair trial.
It is beyond cavil that every defendant, no matter how heinous the crime, must receive the protections afforded him or her by the United States Constitution, the Kentucky Constitution, the Kentucky statutes, the rules of this Court and the precedents of this Court and the rules and precedents of the United States Supreme Court which interpret these basic rights. All judges have taken a solemn oath to preserve and protect those rights, in spite of the nature of the crime, the status of the victim or the pressures of an outraged community.
These principles of justice are easy to state: they are not always easy to apply. For this reason, appellate judges are thus properly isolated from the local' situation and its concomitant pressures. It is the obligation of an appellate court to guarantee fairness and objectivity in all cases, no matter how unpleasant it may be. It is in this spirit that I concur, but respectfully suggest that Fred Grooms did not get a fair trial, and that at retrial, certain changes must be made.
SHOULD A CHANGE OF VENUE HAVE BEEN GRANTED?
I fully acknowledge that wide discretion is (as it should be) given to the trial court in determining this question. Hurley v. *143Commonwealth, Ky., 451 S.W.2d 838 (1970). The question we determine as appellate judges, is whether the trial court abused his discretion in denying a change of venue. I believe it is clear that the trial judge did so in this case.
At the hearing to determine this question, it was clearly established that the crimes were extremely well publicized by all of the local and regional media. It literally was the “talk of the town”. In a somewhat unusual move, appellant introduced a public opinion survey, prepared by a psychologist who testified as to its contents. It showed that 98% of the people in Lyon County knew about the homicide; that 55% of the residents of Lyon County believed appellant to be guilty; that 58% of Lyon Countians preferred the death penalty; and that only 54% of Lyon Countians believed Grooms could get a fair trial in their county. In addition, 13 affidavits of Lyon County citizens were filed which indicated that appellant could not receive a fair trial in Lyon County. The only response by the Commonwealth was the filing of two affidavits to the effect that appellant could indeed receive a fair trial in that venue.
The majority opinion disposes of the poll by stating that a majority of Lyon Coun-tians believed Grooms could receive a fair trial. That “majority” is the 54% referred to above. The fact that only 54% of the citizens believed appellant could get a fair trial in Lyon County is, in my opinion, by itself, sufficient to show that Grooms could not get a fair trial there. These statistics mean that 46% of the people felt that he could not get a fair trial. To permit a trial in such a location is similar to playing Russian roulette with 46% of the gun’s chamber being loaded. Is that a fair trial? Is that due process of law? Any substantial community feeling against the accused should militate that a change of venue should be granted. Here, 98% of the people knew of the crime; 55% of the people thought Grooms to be guilty and 58% preferred the death penalty.
I believe the evidence is overwhelming that the trial court abused its discretion, and I would accordingly reverse on this ground and direct that any retrial be conducted in a venue where a fair trial can occur. See Ice v. Commonwealth, Ky., 667 S.W.2d 671 (1984).
DID THE TRIAL COURT ERR IN LIMITING INDIVIDUAL VOIR DIRE EXAMINATION TO THEIR OPINIONS AS TO THE DEATH PENALTY?
As the majority opinion states, counsel for appellant was never permitted to learn what information or prior knowledge prospective jurors had about the case. The majority states “the better procedure is to question jurors separately and out of the presence of each other on such matters”. This procedure was denied by the trial court. Why? It would have only taken a little more time, and when an accused’s life is at stake, that time is a small price to pay. I cannot argue that the majority is legally incorrect when it says that the matter is within the sound discretion of the trial judge. But, I believe that, on retrial, the trial court should be directed to permit individual, separate examination. Ultimate fairness in this case requires it.
WAS THE JUROR SELECTION CORRECT?
Under the majority opinion, this case is reversed because of the improper selection of one juror — Mr. Veech. The majority is absolutely correct in its analysis of that issue. I part company with the majority because numerous other jurors were approved who clearly should not have been. In addition, I find several other questionable practices in the overall selection of the jury panel. One is, as indicated above, the failure to allow any individual inquiries as to the veniremen’s knowledge of the case.
Appellant was unable to remove for cause, but was forced to exercise peremptory challenges, to eight persons who had a close relationship with the victim’s family or with Kentucky State Prison employees. Since appellant was confined at the state prison, and the victim was a well-known, loved and valued employee of the prison, it *144was clearly error not to remove these persons for cause.
The majority correctly states the law, when it held that whenever a trial court abuses its discretion in denying a challenge for cause, it is reversible error where the defendant exhausts all his peremptory challenges after electing to use a peremptory challenge to excuse the jurors.
I will not belabor this opinion with an extensive discussion of each of the eight disputed challenges. A summary will suffice to show that the trial court seemed almost oblivious of his duty to see that a fair and impartial jury should be selected in this case.
Mr. Henderson was a brother to one Kentucky State Penitentiary employee, and a brother-in-law to another. He conceded that he “had some thoughts” on what should be “done” to the person who killed the victim. Moreover, his stepfather (a former guard at Kentucky State Penitentiary) was held hostage by a prisoner and his grandfather was knifed by an inmate. He also stated that he did not like the fact that Grooms (a black man) had developed a “crush” on the white female victim.
Ms. Baker reluctantly admitted not only that she knew the victim, but in fact, she had been a student of hers.
John Choat’s mother was a fellow employee of the victim at the prison.
Mr. Patton’s wife is the secretary of the warden of the prison. Furthermore, he had previously sat on a jury which convicted another defendant of murder.
Mr. Trimm had served as a juror within the past year and implied he had “feelings” about the case.
Ms. Buchanan’s husband was superintendent at the Lyon County schools. She knew the victims son and had “sympathy” for him. She also did not approve of the appellant’s “affection” for the victim for racial reasons.
Mr. Mayes knew people who worked at the prison, and more importantly, said he “would wonder” why a defendant didn’t testify on his own behalf.
Mr. Veech was the other questioned juror, and he stated that he would automatically vote for the death penalty if he found appellant guilty.
Taken individually, I cannot say that the trial court clearly abused its discretion. However, the overall conclusion that I have reached is that not excusing the jurors for cause is part of a cumulative set of circumstances which made it impossible for the defendant to receive a fair trial. “It is the probability of bias or prejudice that is determinative in ruling on a challenge for cause.” Pennington v. Commonwealth, Ky., 316 S.W.2d 221, 224 (1958).
Moreover, I believe that the trial court erred in excusing ⅛1 jurors, without notice. Nearly half of the panel was not available for this trial. According to the trial judge’s own notes, eleven percent of those excused by the trial court were excused without good cause. KRS 29A.070.
The picture one gets from a study of the entire record with respect to jury selection is that there is a fundamental lack of fairness in the selection process. Standing alone, one could argue that, technically speaking, there was not a “clear abuse of discretion.” However, when an accused’s life is at stake, a special effort to insure a fair trial should be made. Because of my belief that the entire process of jury selection was unfair, I would also reverse on this ground.
SHOULD THE APPELLANT HAVE BEEN TRANSPORTED TO LOUISVILLE FOR MENTAL EXAMINATION?
The majority simply states that, in a new trial, the matter of the necessity of mental examination “can be considered anew at that time.” I concur, as far as this statement goes. However, I would direct the trial court to order the transporting of the defendant to a proper facility for a mental examination, if such is requested by either party.
WAS IT ERROR FOR ONE OR MORE JURORS TO TAKE THE BIBLE INTO THE JURY ROOM DURING THE PENALTY PHASE OF THE TRIAL?
It is not denied that one or two of the jurors had a Bible with them at the penalty *145phase of the trial. The bailiff informed the trial court, who in turn informed the prosecutor, but not defense counsel. The prosecutor later informed defense counsel who then made a motion for a mistrial. No admonition was given to the jury and the motion for mistrial was denied.
Defense counsel interviewed a juror and filed an affidavit, part of which is as follows:
I was advised that a particular passage [from the Bible which “was taken to the jury room”] played a major role in deliberation and, in the opinion of the juror, in the sentence of death which the jury recommended. I was referred to the Book of Numbers, Chapter 35, Verse 16 which the juror read as follows: “And if he smites [sic] him mth an instrument of iron, so that he dies [sic], he is a murderer: the murderer shall surely be put to death.” I suggested to him that the verse sounded familiar, meaning familiar to the facts in Grooms. He answered that more than one juror referred to the verse as the ‘word of God’ in regard to the issue of penalty that was the subject of their deliberation [TR 1404; AI 160].
It cannot be doubted that this passage had a heavy effect on the jury’s ultimate decision to impose the death penalty.
It is clear that error — highly prejudicial error, occurred here. No extraneous matter is permitted in the jury room. Remmer v. United States, 347 U.S. 227, 74 S.Ct. 450, 98 L.Ed. 654 (1954). A dictionary is not permitted when its presence in the jury room prejudices the defendant. Cole v. Commonwealth, Ky., 553 S.W.2d 468, 471 (1977). Nor may a jurors notes (taken at trial) be taken in the jury room. Harper v. Commonwealth, Ky., 694 S.W.2d 665, 669-70 (1985).
What the Bible says about the appropriateness of a death penalty in a particular case is not a legitimate concern of a penalty phase jury. “The law specifies when the death penalty is appropriate, and neither the prosecutor nor the defense counsel should be permitted to adduce evidence as to how [a capital] case should be decided on religious grounds.” Ice v. Commonwealth, Ky., 667 S.W.2d 671, 676 (1984). If evidence of biblical references to capital punishment is not competent during the penalty phase of a capital trial, it is axiomatic that a jury may not independently consult the biblical scriptures for guidance in reaching its life and death decision.
The prosecutor and judge both admit that at least one juror brought a Bible into the jury room during the penalty phase of Grooms’ trial, thus consulting what he or she believed to be a religious authority when making the life or death decision. “The misconduct is obvious.” NeCamp v. Commonwealth, Ky., 225 S.W.2d 109, 112 (1949). Even more alarming are the references in the uncontested affidavit filed in support of Grooms’ motion for a new trial. Not only does the affidavit confirm the existence and use of a Bible during the deliberations, it also establishes that a particular passage from the Book of Numbers, calling for murderers to “be put to death”, played a “major role” in the jury’s decision that Fred Grooms should be executed.
I have dwelled on this particular issue because of the trial courts failure to do anything — either grant a mistrial on the penalty issue or give an appropriate admonition to the jury. I also believe it should have been discussed and used as an additional ground for reversal in the majority opinion.
SHOULD THE ATTEMPTED MURDER CONVICTION HAVE BEEN REVERSED?
I believe so. Since many of the errors occurred in the guilt phase, logic would require that the error applied to all counts of the indictment. Both convictions were rendered by the same jury. I therefore dissent on that part of the opinion which affirms the convictions of attempted murder.
LEIBSON, J., joins in this opinion.