California, United States of America
The following excerpt is from People v. Hoyt, 257 Cal.Rptr.3d 784, 456 P.3d 933, 8 Cal.5th 892 (Cal. 2020):
The additional questions on the subject proposed by defendantwhich asked, for example, for the jurors "first reaction" to hearing "this is a kidnapping murder case "were not well-tailored to meaningful further exploration of the jurors views on the death penalty in this context. And to the extent defendant sought the jurors predictions about how their judgment would be affected by "detailed account[s]" of the crime or other prosecution evidence, it is well established that a defendant has "no right to ask specific questions that invite[ ] prospective jurors to prejudge the penalty issue ... [or] to educate the jury as to the facts of the case." ( People v. Burgener (2003) 29 Cal.4th 833, 865, 129 Cal.Rptr.2d 747, 62 P.3d 1, citations omitted.)
The above passage should not be considered legal advice. Reliable answers to complex legal questions require comprehensive research memos. To learn more visit www.alexi.com.