Loudres v. State

614 S.W.2d 407, 1980 Tex. Crim. App. LEXIS 1344
CourtCourt of Criminal Appeals of Texas
DecidedSeptember 10, 1980
Docket63676
StatusPublished
Cited by28 cases

This text of 614 S.W.2d 407 (Loudres v. State) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Loudres v. State, 614 S.W.2d 407, 1980 Tex. Crim. App. LEXIS 1344 (Tex. 1980).

Opinions

OPINION

DALLY, Judge.

This is an appeal from a conviction for capital murder. The punishment is death.

The appellant contends that certain prospective jurors were improperly excused. We agree: the rationale of the decisions of the Supreme Court in Adams v. Texas, 448 U.S. 38, 100 S.Ct. 2521, 65 L.Ed.2d 581 (1980) and Witherspoon v. Illinois, 391 U.S. 510, 88 S.Ct. 1770, 20 L.Ed.2d 776 (1968), requires the reversal of the judgment in this case.

In Witherspoon v. Illinois, supra, the United States Supreme Court stated:

“... we hold that a sentence of death cannot be carried out if the jury that imposed or recommended it was chosen by excluding veniremen for cause simply because they voiced general objections to the death penalty or expressed conscientious or religious scruples against its infliction.”

391 U.S. at 522, 88 S.Ct. at 1776. Accord, Boulden v. Holman, 394 U.S. 478, 89 S.Ct. 1138, 22 L.Ed.2d 433 (1969); Maxwell v. Bishop, 398 U.S. 262, 90 S.Ct. 1578, 26 L.Ed.2d 221 (1970); Lockett v. Ohio, 438 U.S. 586, 98 S.Ct. 2954, 57 L.Ed.2d 973 (1978); Ocker v. State, 477 S.W.2d 288 (Tex.Cr.App.1972); Grider v. State, 468 S.W.2d 393 (Tex.Cr.App.1971); Ex parte Martin, 479 S.W.2d 280 (Tex.Cr.App.1972).

[408]*408The New Penal Code of 1974 provides a statutory scheme for imposition of the death penalty which includes the requirement that each juror take an oath that the mandatory penalty of death or imprisonment for life will not affect his deliberations on any issue of fact. V.T.C.A. Penal Code, Sec. 12.31(b). The jurors’ answers to certain factual questions determine whether a defendant found guilty of capital murder will be sentenced to death or to imprisonment for life. Art. 37.071, V-A-C.C.P. This Court has repeatedly found the holding in Witherspoon remains alive and well in light of this procedure. Hovila v. State, 532 S.W.2d 293 (Tex.Cr.App.1975); Livingston v. State, 542 S.W.2d 655 (Tex.Cr.App.1976), cert. denied 431 U.S. 933, 97 S.Ct. 2642, 53 L.Ed.2d 250 (1977); Brock v. State, 556 S.W.2d 309 (Tex.Cr.App.1977), cert. denied 434 U.S. 1002, 98 S.Ct. 647, 54 L.Ed.2d 498 (1977).

This Court, however in construing the statutory scheme enacted by the Texas Legislature, determined that a prospective jur- or might be disqualified from serving in a capital trial under Sec. 12.31(b) independent from any determination that his exclusion was consistent with Witherspoon. See, e. g., Moore v. State, 542 S.W.2d 664 (Tex.Cr.App.1976), cert. denied 431 U.S. 949, 98 S.Ct. 2666, 53 L.Ed.2d 266 (1977); Boulware v. State, 542 S.W.2d 677 (Tex.Cr.App.1976), cert. denied 430 U.S. 959, 97 S.Ct. 1610, 51 L.Ed.2d 811 (1977); Burns v. State, 556 S.W.2d 270 (Tex.Cr.App.1977), cert. denied 434 U.S. 935, 98 S.Ct. 422, 54 L.Ed.2d 294 (1977); Freeman v. State, 556 S.W.2d 287 (Tex.Cr.App.1977), cert. denied 434 U.S. 1088, 98 S.Ct. 1284, 55 L.Ed.2d 794 (1978); Hughes v. State, 562 S.W.2d 857 (Tex.Cr.App.1978), cert. denied 439 U.S. 903, 99 S.Ct. 268, 58 L.Ed.2d 250 (1978); Hughes v. State, 563 S.W.2d 581 (Tex.Cr.App.1978), cert. denied 440 U.S. 950, 99 S.Ct. 1432, 59 L.Ed.2d 640 (1979); Bodde v. State, 568 S.W.2d 344 (Tex.Cr.App.1978), cert. denied 440 U.S. 968, 99 S.Ct. 1520, 59 L.Ed.2d 784 (1979); Adams v. State, 577 S.W.2d 717 (Tex.Cr.App.1979), rev’d 448 U.S. 38, 100 S.Ct. 2521, 65 L.Ed.2d 581 (1980).

However, in the recent case of Adams v. Texas, supra, the majority of the United States Supreme Court reversed Adams v. State, supra, and rejected the contention that Sec. 12.31(b), supra, provides a basis for excluding a prospective juror independent of Witherspoon considerations. The Court held that the United States Constitution does not permit the State to exclude a prospective juror under Sec. 12.31(b), supra, on grounds which exceed the limitations set out in Witherspoon:

“The State could, consistently with With-erspoon, use Sec. 12.31(b) to exclude prospective jurors whose views on capital punishment are such as to make them unable to follow the law or obey their oaths. But the use of Sec. 12.31(b) to exclude jurors on broader grounds based on their opinions concerning the death penalty is impermissible.”

448 U.S. 48-49, 100 S.Ct. 2528.

Although a majority of this Court might well agree that Mr. Justice Rehnquist, in his dissenting opinion, states the proper view that Texas should be permitted under the Constitution to require each juror to swear that he or she will answer the punishment questions in a capital case without regard to their cumulative consequences, we must adhere to and implement the majority opinion, which is now the law.

In the present case, the appellant argues that the trial court erred in requiring the appellant to confine his voir dire examination of certain prospective jurors, who were excused for cause, to questions relating only to Sec. 12.31(b), supra, and not to Witherspoon.

The State moved to exclude venirewoman Betty Workman under Sec. 12.31(b), supra, because she could not state that her deliberations would remain unaffected by the mandatory penalty of death or imprisonment for life. The defense counsel, in his examination, asked:

“Q. ... Are you telling me that you would never, under any circumstances, take any affirmative action which would result in the imposition of the death penalty in any case, regardless of the facts?
[409]*409“MR. STRICKLAND [PROSECUTOR]: Your Honor, we would have to object to that question, of course, because it is outside the scope of this limited voir dire. Our inquiry should be limited to 12.31.
“THE COURT: I’ll sustain the objection.”

The defense counsel was not permitted to elicit an answer to this question from ve-nirewoman Workman in order to perfect his bill of exceptions. Venirewoman Workman was excused for cause under Sec. 12.31(b), supra.

Similarly, the State moved to exclude ve-nirewoman Beatrice Grant on Sec. 12.31(b), supra, grounds because of her inability to follow the required oath. The defense attorney objected that her exclusion was not required under Witherspoon. The defense attorney asked venirewoman Grant:

“Q. ... would you automatically answer the special issues ... posed to you by the Court’s instructions in the negative in any case regardless of the facts?
“MR. STRICKLAND [PROSECUTOR]: Your Honor, we have to object.
“Once again Mr. Snodgrass [Defense counsel] is confusing Witherspoon with 12.31. That’s a Witherspoon

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Loudres v. State
614 S.W.2d 407 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas, 1980)

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Bluebook (online)
614 S.W.2d 407, 1980 Tex. Crim. App. LEXIS 1344, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/loudres-v-state-texcrimapp-1980.