Court Opinion

ID: 9793491
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-31 02:48:34.424147+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T08:05:33.110079
License: Public Domain

LUMPKIN, Judge:
dissents.
¶ 1 With all due respect to my colleagues, the record on appeal in this case simply does not support the result the majority reaches, i.e. to reverse and remand this matter for a third sentencing proceeding. The Court’s analysis is weak. The opinion ignores established precedent and frequently employs twisted logic in reaching a decision which is clearly wrong. Therefore, I dissent.
¶ 2 In Morgan v. Illinois, 504 U.S. 719, 112 S.Ct. 2222, 119 L.Ed.2d 492 (1992), the United States Supreme Court held that those jurors who will automatically vote for the death penalty “will fail in good faith to consider the evidence of aggravating and mitigating circumstances as the instructions require him to do.” Morgan, 504 U.S. at 729, 112 S.Ct. at 2229. Therefore, a defendant may challenge for cause any such juror. Id. The Morgan decision requires that jurors be willing to go into the trial with no preconceived notions of either stance, death or life. Carter v. State, 1994 OK CR 49, 879 P.2d 1234, 1244.
¶ 3 Essentially, that is the same standard applied by this Court. Id. We have repeatedly held that a venireperson is only required to be willing to consider all the penalties provided by law and not be irrevocably committed before the trial has begun. Hain v. State, 1996 OK CR 26, 919 P.2d 1130, 1138; Neill v. State, 1994 OK CR 69, 896 P.2d 537, 549; Carter, 879 P.2d at 1244; Duvall v. State, 1991 OK CR 64, 825 P.2d 621, 630; Banks v. State, 1985 OK CR 60, 701 P.2d 418, 421-422; Davis v. State, 1983 OK CR 57, 665 P.2d 1186, 1190. In applying that standard, we look to the entirety of the juror’s voir dire examination to determine if the trial court properly excused the juror for cause. Castro v. State, 844 P.2d 159, 166 (Okl.Cr.1992); Davis, 665 P.2d at 1194. As the trial court personally observes the jurors and their responses, this Court will not disturb its decision absent an abuse of discretion. Rojem v. State, 753 P.2d 359, 363 (Okl.Cr.1988).
¶ 4 It is true that the trial court rejected a list of seven death penalty questions proposed by defendant in a pre-trial motion (O.R. at 729). However, a review of those questions indicates that they were redundant. Although worded differently, each question essentially sought the same information, i.e. whether the proposed juror was irrevocably committed to imposing the death penalty when a defendant was guilty of first degree murder.
¶ 5 Rather than submit this redundant list to the jury panel, the trial court decided to conduct its own voir dire regarding the death penalty. Thus, the trial court asked each potential juror the following questions:
The law of the State of Oklahoma in this case permits only three possible punishments for a person found guilty of murder in the first degree. Those punishments are life, life without parole, and death. Do you have any views or feelings about the death penalty or capital punishment that would prevent or substantially impair you from considering all three punishments in •reaching your verdict? If you are selected as a juror and find that the law and the evidence in this case warrants [sic] the recommendation of the death penalty, could you vote for that penalty.
*252This language should be familiar to the Court. We addressed identical language in Humphreys v. State, 1997 OK CR 59, 947 P.2d 565 and did not find it problematic.1 See Humphreys, 947 P.2d at 570 n. 4 (“During voir dire, the trial court modified OUJI-CR-104 Alternate 2 to conform with a resentenc-ing proceeding”). In addition, while it would have been better to use the instruction as approved by this Court in the uniform instructions, it substantially complies with Instruction No. 1-5(12) Alternate 2 (Death Penalty), of the Oklahoma Uniform Jury Instructions — Criminal (2nd).
¶ 6 Humphreys is proeedurally indistinguishable from the instant case. There, the trial court asked each juror the same questions referenced above and determined they had been death qualified. Thereafter, during general voir dire, the trial court advised defense counsel it would not allow argument about the death penalty because the jurors had been death qualified. Humphreys, 947 P.2d at 572. Defense counsel then asked a prospective juror if she believed the death penalty should be reserved for special instances. Id. The State objected, and the trial court told defense counsel he could voir dire the prospective jurors about aggravating and mitigating circumstances. Id. Defense counsel then asked most of the prospective jurors if they could consider a sentence of life or life without parole. Id. Thereafter, we held “[bjecause the trial court allowed defense counsel to life qualify prospective jurors, we find no Morgan error occurred.”
¶7 This case is no different. Although defense counsel was initially denied the ability to ask a laundry list of questions set forth in its pre-trial motion, defense counsel was allowed to ask its own questions during general voir dire. During that time, defense asked many of the jurors life-qualifying questions. Thus, defense counsel asked: “you still think, even though he has admitted to all, and he will admit to all of the circumstances concerning the murder and the shooting in Muskogee County, that he still should have an opportunity to present to you mitigating circumstances on why his life should not be taken?”; “Benny Jones intends to testify ... I committed that murder ... Do you think that in and of itself should cause him to be given the death penalty?”; “would you be able to listen to Benny Jones in order to determine whether there has been a change in his life that ... should be taken into consideration on whether or not the death penalty should be given?”; “would you be able to consider any other facts in evidence in this case in trying to determine whether he should be given life or life without parole?”; “At this point in time, do you feel you are biased against Benny Jones?”; “could you still give consideration to mitigating circumstances, and if you found that those mitigating circumstances were strong enough, would you be able to consider life without parole or life, even if you found aggravating circumstances?”; “Do you feel that because he admits to the crime ... that he should be given the death penalty without any other consideration?”; and “Does any of the research or anything that you did, do you think in any way gives you some preconceived notions as to whether or not Benny Jones should be sentenced to death?” (Tr. at 182, 183,184,185, 186-187,189,194).2
¶ 8 Appellant points to one place in the record where his counsel asked whether the death penalty “ought to be imposed for every particular class of crime, like a murder? For every murder that ought to have the death penalty?” (TR. at 249). The State objected to this question, and, just as in Humphreys, the trial court cautioned counsel because the trial court had already made inquiry into the death penalty. However, defense counsel was still allowed to ask the juror if he understood he was not obligated to invoke the death penalty and that he still had the options of life or life without parole if he found the mitigating circumstances were such that the death penalty should not be invoked. *253(O.R. at 251). The juror indicated he understood these points.
¶ 9 Morgan states that a defendant is entitled, “upon his request,” to inquire to discern those jurors who are predetermined to impose the death penalty. Morgan, 504 U.S. at 736, 112 S.Ct. at 2233. I see nothing in the record which demonstrates defense counsel was denied any such request during general voir dire. I see nothing in the record to support the majority’s statement that “counsel was prevented from similarly questioning any other panel member.”3 Here, the trial court informed the potential jurors of the three possible punishments and asked if the juror had feelings about capital punishment which would prevent or substantially impair him or her from considering all possible punishments. Just as in Hain, 919 P.2d at 1139, we should find no error in this inquiry. The sentence should be affirmed with respect to this point.

. Remarkably, Humphreys, a case in which each of my colleagues voted to affirm a death penalty conviction on resentencing, involved the exact same trial judge.

. The majority's conclusion that questions regarding a juror’s ability to consider mitigating circumstances do not expose a juror's inclination to impose the death penalty automatically, but only show a willingness to "consider not imposing the death penalty” is baffling to say the least.

. One of the jurors originally seated was later excused after receiving a threatening phone call. Defense counsel objected to the trial court's decision to excuse this juror, indicating "I think the jurors, as set up, was (sic) a fair and impartial set of jurors...." (Tr. at 416).