Court Opinion

ID: 9739650
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-26 20:19:02.883167+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T07:24:13.329202
License: Public Domain

JUSTICE HEIPLE, also dissenting: The evidence at trial in this case showed that Geary Dow was killed when defendant, a member of the Black Disciples street gang, shot Dow repeatedly in attempted retaliation for a prior shooting by a rival gang. In affirming the appellate court’s reversal of defendant’s conviction, the majority here rules that the trial judge erred when he refused defendant’s request to ask potential jurors two questions defendant had submitted regarding gangs. The Illinois Constitution requires jurors to be impartial. Ill. Const. 1970, art. I, § 8. To this end, potential jurors are typically asked whether they have any relationship with or sympathy toward certain people, such as law enforcement officers or convicted criminals, which may affect the jurors’ ability to be impartial. Because the evidence in this case indicated that the shooting was gang-related, the trial judge asked all potential jurors if they had any involvement with or exposure to gangs. Those who answered in the affirmative were questioned further as to the details of their involvement and whether they could nevertheless be impartial. For example, when one potential juror indicated that his brother had been attacked by gang members in high school, the judge asked, “If you learn during the course of the case the defendant is or was a member of a gang, would you hold that against him since your brother was beaten up by gang members?” The venire member responded in the negative. Unsatisfied with the extent of the questioning, defendant requested that the judge also ask all potential jurors two additional questions: “1. If you learned the defendant is a member of a gang, would this make him less believable? 2. If you learned the defendant is and was a member of a gang would it make it more likely than not that he’s guilty of a gang shooting?” These two requested questions were not allowed by the trial judge. He ruled correctly. The jurors’ reaction to gangs and gang membership had previously been adequately addressed. This court has consistently held that potential jurors may not be asked about their anticipated responses to specific items of evidence. People v. Buss, 187 Ill. 2d 144, 179-80 (1999). Allowing an attorney to survey the reaction of potential jurors to specific items of evidence facilitates the seating of a partial rather than an impartial jury. Furthermore, the majority’s per se rule sets a troubling precedent. As a result of today’s decision, other litigants will now demand that jurors be questioned about an endless list of potential biases and asked to explain their reactions. Under the majority’s revolutionary rule, a defendant becomes entitled to question potential jurors on a particular subject merely by showing that (1) evidence concerning the subject will play a major role in the trial; and (2) “segments of our society” regard the subject with “considerable disfavor.” 194 Ill. 2d at 477. While this court is entirely free to interpret the Illinois Constitution and United States Constitution differently, the United States Supreme Court has wisely read the federal document to require particularized questioning concerning bias in only two subject areas: (1) racial bias; and (2) attitudes toward the death penalty in capital cases. Ham v. South Carolina, 409 U.S. 524, 35 L. Ed. 2d 46, 93 S. Ct. 848 (1973); Witherspoon v. Illinois, 391 U.S. 510, 20 L. Ed. 2d 776, 88 S. Ct. 1770 (1968). Unlike these well-settled areas, questions concerning a potential juror’s attitudes toward gangs are unnecessary and may even be counterproductive. Although unacknowledged by the majority, the primary decision upon which the appellate court in the instant case relied has now been overturned by the en banc United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit. Gardner v. Barnett, 199 F.3d 915 (7th Cir. 1999). In reversing the decision of a three-judge panel which had required gang bias questioning similar to that sought in the instant case, the en banc court wrote: “The subject matter of gangs and the unlawful activities their members engage in is delicate and long inquiries can be more detrimental to a fair trial than serve to expose an unwarranted prejudice. Not only does it invite a trip through a mine field it can actually serve to educate some persons whose understanding of gangs is limited, and ere-ate prejudice where none existed before.” Gardner, 199 F.3d at 921. Finally, the nature and extent of venire questioning on such issues is decidedly best left to the discretion of the trial court. The judge in this case did an admirable job of balancing the need for inquiry into jurors’ own exposure to gangs against the need to prevent corruption of the jury by premature exposure to evidence. The trial judge should be affirmed and the conviction and sentence reinstated. For the reasons given, I respectfully dissent. JUSTICE BILANDIC joins in this dissent.