State v. Wade

373 N.E.2d 1244, 53 Ohio St. 2d 182, 7 Ohio Op. 3d 362, 1978 Ohio LEXIS 513
CourtOhio Supreme Court
DecidedMarch 22, 1978
DocketNo. 77-716
StatusPublished
Cited by286 cases

This text of 373 N.E.2d 1244 (State v. Wade) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Ohio 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. Wade, 373 N.E.2d 1244, 53 Ohio St. 2d 182, 7 Ohio Op. 3d 362, 1978 Ohio LEXIS 513 (Ohio 1978).

Opinion

Locher, J.

I.

Appellant, has presented eight propositions of law to' support various claims of error in the trial court proeéedT ings. In his first proposition, he alleges a denial of a fair and impartial jury because of being denied the. right to examine prospective jurors as to their views on capital punishment. In State v. Lane (1976), 49 Ohio St. 2d 77, 79, [184]*184a similar contention, “that by restricting voir dire examination on the question of capital punishment, the court prevented a venireman’s possible partiality to emerge and be met by challenges for cause or peremptory challenges,” was considered and rejected by this court.

Appellant’s attempt to apply the decision of the United States Supreme Court in Witherspoon v. Illinois (1968), 391 U. S. 510, to the instant cause is indeed strained. In Witherspoon, supra, the court was confronted with a situation where state law required the systematic exclusion of jurors possessing general conscientious scruples against capital punishment from a jury which returned a guilty verdict and sentenced the defendant to death. There, thus, exist two relevant distinctions between Witherspoon, supra, and the instant cause. The jury in the cause sub judice,, in accordance with the Ohio statutory scheme, determined only the issue of guilt and did not prescribe the death penalty. Additionally important is the fact that the jurors in this case and in State v. Lane, supra, contrary to those in Witherspoon, supra, were neither included nor excluded because of their beliefs on the subject of capital punishment.

Moreover, not a scintilla of evidence is presented to this court demonstrating that prohibiting an inquiry into the jurors’ beliefs precluded a fair and impartial determination. Indeed, State v. Lane, supra, represents that instructions concerning the limited jury function may be an adequate substitute for an injuiry into whether a juror could render an impartial decision in spite of his views on capital punishment. The record of this case is replete with statements informing the jurors that their function is the determination of guilt and not the imposition of the penalty. In Witherspoon, supra, it is significant to note that the Supreme Court of the United States could not conclude, on the basis of the record and data before it, "that the exclusion of jurors opposed to capital punishment results in an unrepresentative jury on the issue of guilt or substantially increases the risk of conviction.” Witherspoon, at page 518. Thus, in this case, where the jurors are neith[185]*185er included nor excluded because of their beliefs on capital punishment and are adequately informed that they are to determine only the issue of guilt and not impose sentence, we are constrained to find the existence of a representative jury on the issue of guilt and no substantial increase in the risk of conviction and thereby reject appellant’s antithetical assertion.

Additionally, appellant’s request for a commutation of his sentence of death to life imprisonment because of this alleged error is non sequitur. Imposition of the sentence lies solely with the judge, not the jury, and this proposition has failed to advance any claims of error relating to the sentencing procedures.

Accordingly, we find appellant’s first proposition of law to be without merit.

11.

Appellant next asserts a denial of his rights to a fair and impartial jury, due process and equal protection of the laws, because the prospective jurors were asked their views on capital punishment by a questionnaire prior to their selection as prospective jurors and the appellant was not allowed to inquire into their opinions on capital punishment.

We concur with appellant that the question, “Opposed to capital punishment-,” was improper. However, we are restrained from agreeing with appellant that he was denied a fair and impartial jury because the questionnaire was sent to prospective jurors, and, from those served, a panel of veniremen was chosen for his trial. First, appellant has failed to present evidence demonstrative of any resultant prejudice. Secondly, as noted by the Court of Appeals, appellant did not challenge the array on the basis of the questionnaire at the proper time, i. e., the trial. The time for challenging the array is clearly specified in Crim. R. 24(E):

“* * * A challenge to the array shall be made before the examination of jurors pursuant to subdivision (A) and shall be tried by the court.”

Having failed to timely raise this challenge to the ar[186]*186ray and not presenting the challenge to the trial court, appellant may not attempt to take advantage of it for the first time on review. Appellant’s second proposition of law, therefore, is overruled.

III.

In Griffin v. California (1965), 380 U. S. 609, the United States Supreme Court held the Fifth Amendment privilege against self-incrimination applicable to the states by virtue of the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution. Appellant, in the instant cause, proposes that the constitutional guarantee against self-incrimination established in Griffin v. California, supra, was violated bj certain prosecution comments, i. e„, “uncontradicted evidence,”- “two-way street” and “anybody’s testimony,” allegdly referring to appellant’s failure to testify.

From an examination of the record, it appears that appellant is foreclosed from asserting this proposition with regard to all but one of the comments, because of his failure to timely object to the prosecutor’s alleged improper remarks. The third paragrah of the syllabus in State v. DeNicola (1955), 163 Ohio St. 140, reads, in relevant part:

“Improper remarks of counsel during argument, unless so flagrantly improper as to prevent a fair trial, should be at once objected to * * *; otherwise error cannot be predicated upon the remarks alleged to have been improper.”

Nor, upon consideration of the entire record and the context of the prosecutor’s comments, do we find any inflammatory statements or conduct prejudicial to the rights of appellant. This finding is consistent with our previous holding in State v. Lockett (1976), 49 Ohio St. 2d 48, 65, that statements made by the prosecutor to the effect that the evidence against the appellant was uncontradicted and unrefuted did not constitute a comment by the prosecutor upon the defendant’s failure to testify.

Appellant’s third proposition of law is, therefore, rejected.

IV.

In his fourth proposition of law, appellant asserts a claim of misconduct by the trial judge, predicated upon [187]*187specific statements directed to appellant’s counsel and the alleged failure of the trial judge in two instances to give his complete and undivided attention to the trial. This court can discern no useful purpose in setting forth all seven of the challenged verbal exchanges. The following segment is illustrative:

“By Mr.

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Bluebook (online)
373 N.E.2d 1244, 53 Ohio St. 2d 182, 7 Ohio Op. 3d 362, 1978 Ohio LEXIS 513, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-wade-ohio-1978.