Court Opinion

ID: 9722749
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-26 09:48:46.676337+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:24:39.648210
License: Public Domain

FRANSON, Acting P. J.
I concur in the affirmance of the judgment. However, in my opinion, the trial court erred in not granting appellant’s challenge for cause of juror Howard. At the outset of his voir dire, Mr. Howard stated that he was a friend of California Highway Patrol Officer Kroeze and that he would have no reason to disbelieve the officer’s testimony—in fact he would have “a tendency to believe his testimony.” Mr. Howard explained that he would use a different standard of credibility as to Officer Kroeze than he would apply to other witnesses. Finally, Howard said that he would not want to be a defendant in a case where 12 jurors were similarly acquainted with Officer Kroeze. What more is needed under the law to prove bias and disqualification of a person to sit as an impartial juror?
At this point, appellant’s challenge for cause should have been honored without further comment by the court or opposing counsel. Every juror who admits an original bias usually can be rehabilitated by adroit questioning by opposing counsel and the court—all of which is mere window dressing, i.e., an attempt by the juror to cover up the originally revealed bias.
*143Nevertheless, because Officer Kroeze’s testimony was not contradicted, i.e., his credibility was unimpeached, the denial of appellant’s challenge to juror Howard was harmless.
I find no merit in appellant’s contention that she was unduly restricted in questioning Mr. Howard.
Nor do I find any merit in appellant’s contention that she was prejudiced by the trial court’s refusal to grant an additional peremptory challenge to replace her 10th peremptory challenge which was used to excuse Mr. Howard. There is nothing in the record to show that appellant was not tried by 12 impartial jurors.