Davis v. State, 6 Div. 194

• Decision Date: 12 October 1976
• Docket Number: 6 Div. 194
• Citation: 338 So.2d 507
• Parties: Willis Jack DAVIS v. STATE.
• Court: Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals

Page 507

338 So.2d 507

Willis Jack DAVIS v. STATE.

6 Div. 194.

Court of Criminal Appeals of Alabama.

Oct. 12, 1976.

Fite, Davis & Fite, Hamilton, for appellant.

William J. Baxley, Atty. Gen., and Milton C. Davis, Asst. Atty. Gen., for the State.

TOM BRINDLEY COGGIN, Circuit Judge.

Appellant was indicted by the Grand Jury of Marion County, Alabama, for the first degree murder of Charles Woodrow Pharr, by shooting him with a rifle. The jury returned a verdict of guilty of manslaughter in the first degree and fixed appellant's punishment at ten years in the penitentiary.

Upon appeal two issues were raised by the appellant. The first being whether or not the trial court erred in granting the State's challenge for cause of a member of the venire because of his opinion concerning penitentiary confinement and the second being whether or not the trial court erred in allowing into evidence two gruesome pictures of the deceased taken at the scene of the crime, the appellant having stipulated that on the date of the death, appellant did in fact shoot the decedent with a rifle; that he fired three times, and that each of the three bullets entered the body of Woodrow Pharr and caused his death.

With regard to the first issue which concerns the granting of the State's challenge for cause of the venireman, Roy Clay, the following occurred:

'MR. GUYTON: Is there any member of the jury that feels that, regardless of what the evidence from the stand was, no matter how overwhelming the evidence was, that you just feel like you couldn't send a man to the penitentiary for the rest of his life? That you are so opposed to penitentiary confinement that it just goes against the grain? Is there any member that fits in that category?

'JUROR ROY LEE CLAY: (holds up hand.)

'JUROR ARTHUR WAYNE NELSON: (Holds up hand).

'MR. GUYTON: Do you feel like you just couldn't put a man in jail?

'JUROR NELSON: Not for life.

'MR. GUYTON: Anyone else in that category? It just goes against your grain? 'Is there any member of the jury panel that is opposed to any type of penitentiary punishment? Any member of the jury panel that feels you couldn't send a man to the penitentiary for any length of time, regardless of what the evidence shows?

'MR. GUYTON: Comes now the State and does challenge for cause the following members of the jury venire: Roy Clay and Wayne Nelson, who said they could not imprison a defendant for life . . .'.

'MR. ATKINSON: I would like to inquire further. Again, this is not for the purpose of embarrassing anyone in any way, because you are entitled to your belief concerning penitentiary punishment, but it is an important issue and I would like to inquire further, particularly as to Mr. Clay and Mr. Nelson. Let me ask you this: You know the defendant is charged with murder in the first degree and the punishment under the indictment could be up to life imprisonment, and I believe that you two gentlemen answered previously that you had strong reservations about imposing penitentiary punishment for life, so I would like to ask you this: Would the fact that you are opposed to penitentiary punishment for life so bias your opinion, should you sit on this jury in the case, that regardless of the evidence . . . regardless of what the evidence might be in this case that you just simply would not vote to give a penitentiary sentence for life if you were to sit as a juror on this case. Mr. Clay?

'MR. ROY CLAY: I have never been on anything like that before, but putting anybody away for life, I just couldn't do it . . .'

'MR. ATKINSON: All right, Mr. Nelson, (To the Court) Again, the State would like to renew its challenge for cause to Roy Clay for the same reason given in its previous challenge for cause regarding Mr. Clay, and, further, for the reason that in response to the question that his feelings toward life imprisonment would so bias his opinion that, regardless of the weight of the evidence, he would not as a juror vote to impose life...