State v. Douglas

800 P.2d 288, 310 Or. 438, 1990 Ore. LEXIS 342
CourtOregon Supreme Court
DecidedOctober 25, 1990
DocketCC J88-0944; SC S36035
StatusPublished
Cited by35 cases

This text of 800 P.2d 288 (State v. Douglas) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Oregon Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State v. Douglas, 800 P.2d 288, 310 Or. 438, 1990 Ore. LEXIS 342 (Or. 1990).

Opinions

[440]*440GRABER, J.

A jury convicted defendant of aggravated murder by solicitation, ORS 163.095(1)(b),1 and he received a sentence of death. The case is before us on automatic and direct review. ORS 163.150(l)(f) (1987). We affirm the conviction of aggravated murder, vacate the sentence of death, and remand the case for a new penalty phase proceeding.

We state the facts in the light most favorable to the state. State v. Brown, 310 Or 347, 350, 800 P2d 259 (1990). In March 1987, Rene Wright separated from her boyfriend, Chuck Pease, and moved in with defendant. On March 18, Wright and defendant drove to Reno and were married. Shortly thereafter, Wright left defendant and returned to Pease.

Defendant was angry that Wright had left him. He threatened her and demanded that she return to him. He then focused his anger on Pease. Defendant, a methamphetamine dealer, told friends that he thought that Pease was a drug enforcement agent, who had blackmailed Wright into leaving him. He also told friends that he was going to have Pease killed. A1 Henderson testified that defendant had hired him to kill Pease for $5,000, but that Henderson had abandoned the contract.

In July 1987, an acquaintance of defendant’s, Zane Justesen, arranged a meeting between defendant and Dave Marr to discuss a contract to kill Pease. Ladd Justesen, Zane’s brother and a friend of Marr, testified that Marr offered him $4,000 to help find Pease.

On September 16, 1987, Marr and Ladd Justesen drove to Pease’s home in Myrtle Creek. Pease was not there, so they drove to a nearby grocery store. By unfortunate coincidence, Pease and Wright were at the store. Justesen told Pease that Justesen’s pickup had broken down. He offered [441]*441Pease $10 to give him a ride to the pickup. Pease agreed, but said that he first had to take Wright home. While Pease drove Wright home, Marr drove the pickup to a quiet spot on Highway 42.

Pease returned to the grocery store and drove Justesen to the pickup. Marr approached and asked Pease if he would help retrieve some bags of marijuana from the bushes at the side of the road. Pease agreed. As the men walked down the embankment, Marr moved behind Pease, reached around him, and cut his throat. A police officer discovered Pease’s body the next day.

Defendant made a series of admissions during the following months. For example, he told his uncle that he had paid Marr $10,000 to kill Pease.

On appeal, defendant raises eight assignments of error, the first two of which relate to the guilt phase of the trial. In his first assignment of error, defendant challenges the trial court’s denial of his motion to excuse juror Oswald for cause. He points to several statements that Oswald made during voir dire, which, he asserts, demonstrated that she could not be fair to him.

Defendant used a peremptory challenge to remove Oswald from the panel. Although he exhausted his peremptory challenges, he did not object to any of the jurors who ultimately heard the case. In that circumstance, we need not decide whether the challenge for cause should have been allowed. This court held, in State v. Megorden, 49 Or 259, 263-64, 88 P 306 (1907), that:

“The erroneous overruling of a good challenge for cause, thereby compelling the use of a peremptory challenge, is not prejudicial error where it does not appear that the challenger was compelled to accept an objectionable juror.”

State v. Rathie, 101 Or 339, 348-49,199 P 169, 200 P 790 (1921), reached the same result, although this court characterized the defendant’s failure to object to any of the remaining jurors as a “waiver.” We think that State v. Megorden, supra, more accurately described the reason for the rule, which is a lack of demonstrated prejudice:

“ ‘The simple question, after the peremptory challenges are [442]*442exhausted is: “Is the jury which finally tries the case impartial?” If so, we cannot imagine that the accused has any just ground of complaint with regard to it. All that the constitution, all that the law, requires and demands is a trial “by an impartial jury.” If he makes no complaint or has no complaint to make of it as finally organized, the presumption is legitimate that it is impartial.’ ” 49 Or at 264 (quoting Loggins v. The State, 12 Tex App 65, 85 (1882)).

In State v. Farrar, 309 Or 132, 786 P2d 161 (1990), this court held that the defendant, who had challenged the trial court’s denial of his motion to dismiss a juror for cause, was not entitled to relief. Although the court noted that the defendant in Farrar had unused peremptory challenges remaining, its other reasoning applies here with equal force:

“Defendant acknowledges that he removed the juror thereafter from the jury panel through his use of a peremptory challenge. Consequently, the juror did not actually sit on the jury that was empaneled for trial. * * * Defendant did not and does not argue that any member of the jury panel that actually decided his guilt should have been excused for cause. Moreover, he did not [and] does not * * * contend that his use of a peremptory challenge to excuse the juror forced him to accept a jury that he otherwise would not have accepted. Defendant fails to identify any prejudice that may have resulted from the ruling even if it were error.” 309 Or at 158.

Defendant has not even argued, let alone demonstrated, that the final jury panel was inappropriate in any way. He has, therefore, failed to show that the trial court’s decision to deny the motion to dismiss juror Oswald for cause was reversible error.

In his second assignment of error, defendant argues that the trial court improperly admitted, under OEC 804(3)(a),2 former testimony given by Carol and Bob Cooper. The Coopers had testified against defendant at his security release hearing. When the time for trial arrived, however, Bob [443]*443Cooper, who was facing prosecution on racketeering charges, invoked his constitutional privilege against self-incrimination. Carol Cooper also invoked the privilege, but only as to questions about controlled substances.

The trial court ruled that the Coopers were “unavailable” within the meaning of OEC 804(1)(a)3 and that defendant had had “an opportunity and similar motive to develop [their] testimony,” as required by OEC 804(3)(a), at the security release hearing. “The court determines under Rule 104(1) whether the requirements of unavailability have been satisfied.” Kirkpatrick, Oregon Evidence 618, § 804 (2d ed 1989).

“[OEC 104(1)] assigns to the trial judge the responsibility for making certain preliminary determinations regarding * * * admissibility. * * * Is a witness whose former testimony is offered unavailable? * * *
“To the extent that these preliminary inquiries are factual, the judge will necessarily receive evidence and act as a trier of fact. * * * Preliminary questions may also call for an evaluation of evidence in terms of a legal standard. * * * The judge is to make these decisions as well.” Id. at 28.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
800 P.2d 288, 310 Or. 438, 1990 Ore. LEXIS 342, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-douglas-or-1990.