Court Opinion

ID: 9715069
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-26 05:53:35.78841+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:23:31.247672
License: Public Domain

Mr. JUSTICE GEORGE J. MORAN, dissenting: In my opinion the errors committed during this trial compel a reversal and remandment for a new trial in spite of the overwhelming evidence of defendant’s guilt. There has never been a dispute in this country that a person’s right to due process is not measured by the degree of his guilt. In this case five members of the jury that convicted this defendant were members of the jury panel which had convicted a co-defendant one week earlier. Under the rationale of People v. Faulisi, 34 Ill. 2d 187, 215 N.E.2d 276, this was reversible error. Reversible error was also committed when the trial court overruled defendant’s challenge for cause to an obviously unqualified juror. In selecting the jury, defense counsel exercised all 20 of his preemptory challenges. Leslie Hunt was one of those people selected as a juror. On Friday, August 26,1976, voir dire was completed and the jury was sworn and told not to discuss the cause with anyone. The jurors were allowed to return to their homes for the weekend. When the presentation of evidence was about to begin on Monday, August 30,1976, it was brought to the trial court’s attention that when Leslie Hunt had been questioned while a member of co-defendant Taylor’s jury panel, she had volunteered the fact that her husband was a nephew of the decedent, Layton T. Davis. When further questioned by defense counsel, out of the presence of the other members of the jury, Mrs. Hunt indicated that her contact with the decedent had been distant. She had only talked with him five or six times at family gatherings. She explained that her husband had known the decedent all his life and had played with the decedent’s son frequently while growing up. She also indicated she had been receiving a great deal of pressure from her husband and inlaws over the weekend to not serve on the jury. Her family was so upset that they had contacted the State’s Attorney and explained their feelings. They had told her she should lie to be removed from the jury. In spite of this, Mrs. Hunt felt it would not influence her ability to judge the defendant fairly. While making this statement she appeared to be on the verge of tears. Before counsel’s arguments, Mrs. Hunt was allowed to return to the other jurors. She was not advised that she should not discuss this incident with the other jurors. Defense counsel then challenged her presence on the jury for cause, arguing that because of undue family influence it would be impossible for her to be fair. The challenge was denied and the trial court explained he was impressed with her honesty and intelligence and felt that, if anything, she would “lean over backward” not to be prejudiced in this case. During the two days evidence was presented, the jury was sequestered. Following the instruction conference, Mrs. Hunt was again separately called before the trial court. The prosecution at this point explained that because members of her family had admitted to defense counsel and the prosecutor that they had spoken to Mrs. Hunt about the cause after she had been sworn and she had told them she was not permitted to discuss the matter, he would concur with defense counsel’s motion to remove Mrs. Hunt from the jury and substitute an alternate. In excusing Mrs. Hunt the trial court stated that she had been sequestered from the other jurors during the evening and had been singled out for different treatment all the way through the trial. Before leaving the room Mrs. Hunt stated that although she had not explained this incident to the other jurors, she felt that the other jurors would be wondering where she went, particularly since two of the jurors lived in the same area as she. Under these circumstances, defendant was denied a fair trial by an impartial jury.