Court Opinion

ID: 9677313
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-24 05:49:02.047902+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:16:55.234468
License: Public Domain

GRANT, Justice,
dissenting.
What may appear to be a valid race neutral reason for striking a prospective juror when taken alone may be determined to be invalid if the other strikes were not consistent with this reason. The State’s two primary reasons for striking black prospective juror Reginald Pree were not consistent with the failure of the State to strike white prospective jurors for which the same reasons existed.
The State’s first reason for striking Pree was that Pree’s brother had been convicted of a misdemeanor threat violation. This was not consistent with keeping a white juror whose brother was in the Texas Department of Corrections for a murder conviction. Especially so, in light of the fact that this jury was being chosen for a trial upon murder charges.
The second reason given by the State for striking Pree was that the prosecutor did not want jurors who are about the same age as the defendant Murray. Murray was 20 years old. Pree was 26 years old. The State, however, did not strike white prospective jurors; one, age 19; two, age 20; and two, age 27. The trial court erred in accepting the State’s reasons, because these reasons are not race neutral when considered in light of the State’s other strikes.
Excusal of an unqualified venire person pursuant to the statute enumerating reasons for challenges for cause is qualitatively different from one in which a qualified venire person requests, based on a personal reason, excusal from jury service. Bases for cause challenge enumerated in the statute are, as a matter of law, the only ones which a party may request that the judge rule upon to disqualify a juror, while the judge may, in accordance with statutory provisions regarding excuses, consider any other excusal factor with or without prompting of counsel. Butler v. State, 830 S.W.2d 125 (Tex.Crim.App.1992). There are numerous cases in Texas allowing the trial judge broad discretion in granting excusal pursuant to Article 35.03, but all of these cases relate to personal reasons for not serving as a juror generally and are not reasons for cause related to the case before the court. Examples include: Narvaiz v. State, 840 S.W.2d 415 (Tex.Crim.App.1992) (juror excused on grounds that campaign for state political office precluded the potential juror’s concentration and ability to be fair); Butler v. State, 830 S.W.2d 125 (prospective juror concerned that she would be preoccupied with missing work); Moody v. State, 827 S.W.2d 875 (Tex.Crim.App.1992) (juror properly excused on the court’s own motion who had an out-of-town vacation schedule); Ellason v. State, 815 S.W.2d 656 (Tex.Crim.App.1991) (court properly sua sponte excused venire member due to her health problems); Johnson v. State, 773 S.W.2d 322 (Tex.Crim.App.1989) (prospective juror excused because of child care problem); Chambers v. State, 568 S.W.2d 313 (Tex.Crim.App.1978), cert, denied 440 U.S. 928, 99 S.Ct. 1264, 59 L.Ed.2d 484 (1979) (prospective juror would have to close down his business already in financial trouble).
A trial judge should not on his or her own motion excuse a prospective juror for cause unless the juror is absolutely disqualified from serving on the jury. Warren v. State, 768 S.W.2d 300 (Tex.Crim.App.1989). A prospective juror is absolutely disqualified from *56serving on a jury and must be excused from the panel according to Tex.Code CRImProc. Ann. art. 35.16 (Vernon 1989 & Supp.1993) if the prospective juror (1) has been convicted of a theft or any felony, (2) is under indictment or other legal accusation for theft or any felony, or (3) is insane.
Venire persons should not be dismissed for cause under the guise of Article 35.03. This rule was not intended to cover reasons that are the bases for challenges for cause, and the trial judge erred in the present case when he excused prospective juror Spencer sua sponte because his living in the community where the crime occurred could be a compelling influence on his decision-making ability. This amounts to a basis for a challenge for cause, to-wit that he had a bias or prejudice under Article 35.16(a)(9).
For these reasons, I respectfully dissent.