SUPERIOR COURT OF NEW JERSEY
APPELLATE DIVISION
A-6424-93T4
A-7006-93T4
STATE OF NEW JERSEY,
Plaintiff-Respondent,
v.
BRADFORD SCOTT,
Defendant-Appellant,
____________________________________________________________
STATE OF NEW JERSEY,
Plaintiff-Respondent,
v.
HERMAN RAINEY,
Defendant-Appellant.
____________________________________________________________
Argued: December 12, 1997 - Decided: February 11,
1998
Before Judges Dreier, Keefe and Wecker.
On appeal from the Superior Court of New Jersey,
Law Division, Essex County.
William F. Mueller, Designated Counsel, argued
the cause for appellant Bradford Scott (Ivelisse
Torres, Public Defender of New Jersey, attorney;
(Karin S. Riecker and Mr. Mueller on the brief).
Salvatore C. Adamo, Designated Counsel, argued
the cause for appellant Herman Rainey (Ivelisse
Torres, Public Defender of New Jersey, attorney;
Mr. Adamo, of counsel and on the brief).
Herman Rainey submitted two pro se briefs.
Daniel I. Bornstein, Deputy Attorney General,
argued the cause respondent (Peter Verniero,
Attorney General of New Jersey, attorney; Mr.
Bornstein, of counsel and on the brief).
The opinion of the court was delivered by
KEEFE, J.A.D.
A jury found defendants Herman Rainey, a.k.a. Michael Davis, and Bradford Scott guilty of the following offensesSee footnote 1: count one, second degree conspiracy to commit robbery in violation of N.J.S.A. 2C:5-2 and N.J.S.A. 2C:15-1; count four, second degree aggravated assault on Corey Johnson in violation of N.J.S.A. 2C:12-1b(1); count eight, third degree hindering apprehension in violation of N.J.S.A. 2C:29-3(b); count twelve, fourth degree assault on Pedro Zamora in violation of N.J.S.A. 2C:12-1b(4), a lesser included offense of second degree aggravated assault in violation of N.J.S.A. 2C:12-1b(1) for which they were indicted; count fifteen, first degree attempted murder of Robert O'Connor in violation of N.J.S.A. 2C:11-3 and N.J.S.A. 2C:5-1; count sixteen, second degree aggravated assault upon Robert O'Connor in violation of N.J.S.A. 2C:12-1B(1); count nineteen, first degree attempted murder of Yvette Lopez in violation of N.J.S.A. 2C:11-3 and N.J.S.A. 2C:5-1; count twenty, second degree aggravated assault upon Yvette Lopez in violation of N.J.S.A. 2C:12-1B(1); count twenty-two, fourth degree assault on Charles Cefalu in
violation of N.J.S.A. 2C:12-1b(4), a lesser included offense of
second degree aggravated assault in violation of N.J.S.A. 2C:12-1B(1) for which they were indicted; count twenty-three, third
degree unlawful possession of an assault weapon in violation of
N.J.S.A. 2C:39-5(f); count twenty-four, third degree unlawful
possession of a weapon, a shotgun, in violation of N.J.S.A.
2C:39-5(c); count twenty-five, third degree unlawful possession
of a handgun in violation of N.J.S.A. 2C:39-5(b); and count
twenty-six, second degree possession of a weapon for an unlawful
purpose in violation of N.J.S.A. 2C:39-4(a).
The jury found only Rainey guilty of the following offenses:
count two, first degree armed robbery of Corey Johnson in
violation of N.J.S.A. 2C:15-1; count three, first degree
attempted murder of Corey Johnson in violation of N.J.S.A. 2C:11-3 and N.J.S.A. 2C:5-1; count five, first degree kidnapping of
Corey Johnson in violation of N.J.S.A. 2C:13-1b(1); count six,
third degree possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose in
violation of N.J.S.A. 2C:39-5b; count seven, second degree
possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose in violation of
N.J.S.A. 2C:39-4a.
The jury found both defendants not guilty of: count eleven,
first degree attempted murder of Pedro Zamora in violation of
N.J.S.A. 2C:11-3 and N.J.S.A. 2C:5-1; count thirteen, first
degree attempted murder of Jose Montalvo in violation of N.J.S.A.
2C:11-3 and N.J.S.A. 2C:5-1; count fourteen, second degree
aggravated assault upon Jose Montalvo in violation of N.J.S.A.
2C:12-1b(1); count seventeen, first degree attempted murder of
William Connolly in violation of N.J.S.A. 2C:11-3 and N.J.S.A.
2C:5-1; count eighteen, second degree aggravated assault upon
William Connolly in violation of N.J.S.A. 2C:12-1b(1); count
twenty-one, first degree attempted murder of Charles Cefalu in
violation of N.J.S.A. 2C:11-3 and N.J.S.A. 2C:5-1.
On defendants' motion, the trial judge dismissed count nine,
first degree attempted murder of Robert Russo in violation of
N.J.S.A. 2C:11-3 and N.J.S.A. 2C:5-1, and count ten, second
degree aggravated assault upon Robert Russo in violation of
N.J.S.A. 2C:12-1B(1) pertaining to both defendants, and count
twenty-seven, fourth degree unlawful possession of "dum dum"
bullets in violation of N.J.S.A. 2C:39-3(f) pertaining only to
defendant Scott.
Defendant Rainey was sentenced to the following: on count
five (kidnapping of Johnson), to an extended term of life
imprisonment with a twenty-five year period of parole
ineligibility; count sixteen was merged into count fifteen and on
count fifteen (attempted murder of O'Connor), to a consecutive
term of twenty years, with a ten year period of parole
ineligibility; count twenty was merged into count nineteen and on
count nineteen (attempted murder of Lopez), to a consecutive term
of twenty years, with a ten year period of parole ineligibility;
count four was merged into count three and on count three
(attempted murder of Johnson), to a concurrent term of twenty
years, with a ten year period of parole ineligibility; count one
was merged into count two and on count two (robbery), to a
concurrent term of twenty years, with a ten year period of parole
ineligibility; on count six (unlawful possession of a handgun),
to a concurrent term of five years, with a two and one-half year
period of parole ineligibility; count seven was merged into
counts two and three; on count eight (hindering apprehension), to
a concurrent term of five years, with a two and one-half year
period of parole ineligibility; on count twelve (aggravated
assault), to a concurrent term of eighteen months, with an
eighteen month period of parole ineligibility; on count twenty-two (aggravated assault), to a concurrent term of eighteen
months, with an eighteen month period of parole ineligibility; on
count twenty-three (unlawful possession of an assault weapon), to
a concurrent term of five years with a two and one-half year
period of parole ineligibility; on count twenty-four (unlawful
possession of a shotgun), to a concurrent term of five years with
a two and one-half year period of parole ineligibility; and on
count twenty-five (unlawful possession of handguns), to a
concurrent term of five years, with a two and one-half year
period of parole ineligibility. In sum, Rainey's aggregate
sentence is life imprisonment, plus forty years, with a forty-five year period of parole ineligibility. He was also assessed a
$2,400.00 V.C.C.B. penalty.
Scott was sentenced as follows: count sixteen was merged
into count fifteen and on count fifteen Scott was sentenced to an
extended term of life imprisonment with twenty-five years parole
ineligibility for the attempted first degree murder of Officer
O'Connor; count twenty was merged into count nineteen and on
count nineteen to a consecutive term of twenty years imprisonment
with ten years parole ineligibility for the attempted first
degree murder of Officer Lopez; on count four, to a consecutive
term of ten years imprisonment with five years parole
ineligibility for the second degree aggravated assault of
Johnson; on count one, to a concurrent sentence of ten years
imprisonment with five years parole ineligibility for conspiracy
to commit the second degree robbery of Johnson; on count eight,
five years imprisonment with two and one-half years parole
ineligibility for third degree hindering apprehension; on counts
twenty-three, twenty-four, and twenty-five, five years
imprisonment with two and one-half years parole ineligibility
for each of the third degree unlawful possession of weapons
counts; and on counts twelve and twenty-two, eighteen months
imprisonment with eighteen months parole ineligibility for each
of the two fourth degree aggravated assault counts. The court
merged count twenty-six, second degree possession of a weapon for
an unlawful purpose, with counts twelve, fifteen, nineteen, and
twenty-two. Thus, Scott's aggregate sentence is life
imprisonment plus thirty years, with forty years of parole
ineligibility. The court also imposed a $2,200.00 V.C.C.B.
penalty.
Defendants' convictions stemmed from related incidents that
began at approximately 4 p.m on May 28, 1991, involving Corey
Johnson. Johnson was in a liquor store when he was approached by
Rainey and co-defendant Maurice Davis who robbed him of $114.00
at gunpoint and attempted to abduct him. Johnson resisted their
efforts to force him into a gray Cadillac Seville and escaped,
but in doing so was shot in the head. Investigation would later
reveal that the Cadillac Seville was owned by Milda Rainey,
Maurice Davis's mother.
Eric Hankerson (Eric) informed Officers Lopez and O'Connor
that he believed the individuals involved in shooting Johnson
were in a white Chevette. The three individuals, later
identified as the three defendants, Rainey, Scott and Davis, had
previously approached Eric and asked him if he knew "Malik."
Scott was then armed with a shotgun. Eric also reported that he
saw an Uzi in the backseat of the car that Rainey was driving
with Scott and Davis as passengers. Eric said that he had seen
the same three men in a gray Cadillac Seville two days before,
and the same three in the same car the day before Johnson was
shot.
Later that evening, Lopez and O'Connor stopped the Chevette
that Eric described. Shots were fired from the Chevette at the
officers, and a chase ensued. Rainey, who was driving the car,
jumped out of the car while it was moving and exchanged gunfire
with two other police officers, Cefalu and Zamora. Rainey ran
from the scene and was apprehended later in a garage.
In the meantime, the driverless Chevette crashed. By this
time, the four police officers already identified were joined by
three more, Connolly, Montalvo and Russo. Scott and Davis fired
at the officers, and the officers returned the fire. Defendant
Scott was shot in the buttock and defendant Davis was shot in the
shoulder during the incident. Davis was found in the backseat of
the car in a fetal position cradling a machine gun in his arms.
Scott was found to be in possession of a loaded .380 semi-automatic in an ankle holster. An expert witness would later
testify that the bullet that wounded Johnson came from that gun.
A shotgun was also recovered from the scene. Evidence offered at
trial showed that the shotgun was owned by Samuel Johnson, who
lived in Virginia with his daughter, Laverne Scott. The State
contended that Laverne Scott was defendant Scott's wife.
Tony Hankerson (Tony), Eric's brother, gave a statement to
the police concerning his knowledge of the incident resulting in
the shooting of Johnson. He said that on May 28, 1991, at
approximately 4 p.m., he was in a delicatessen in Newark when he
saw defendant Scott get out of a gray Cadillac Seville and walk
into the delicatessen. Scott then asked those in the store if
anyone had seen "Fella," Corey Johnson's apparent nickname.
Scott also inquired about a person named "Skeet." Tony replied
that he had not seen either "Fella" or "Skeet." Tony then left,
and last saw Scott using the telephone inside the store. The
evidence would reveal that the delicatessen was only a few
buildings away from the liquor store where Johnson was accosted
by Rainey and Davis. Tony later recanted his statement
concerning his encounter with Scott in the delicatessen, but his
statement was admitted into evidence.
Defendants have raised numerous issues on appeal. We have
reworded and reorganized them for discussion as follows:
I. WHETHER THE TRIAL COURT'S REFUSAL TO ENTERTAIN ALTERNATIVE
REMEDIES TO A POTENTIAL GILMORE VIOLATION BY THE PROSECUTOR
DURING JURY SELECTION, AND SUBSEQUENT FAILURE TO QUESTION
THE PROSECUTOR AS TO HIS REASONS FOR STRIKING BLACK JURORS
FROM THE PANEL, WAS REVERSIBLE ERROR?
II. WHETHER THE JURY VERDICT SHOULD BE SET ASIDE BASED UPON
ALLEGED JUROR MISCONDUCT?
III. WHETHER DEFENDANTS' CONVICTION SHOULD BE REVERSED
BECAUSE THE TRIAL COURT DENIED A MOTION TO SEVER THE
CHARGES RELATING TO THE INCIDENT ON MAY 28, 1991, FROM
THE CHARGES RELATING TO THE INCIDENT ON MAY 29, 1991?
IV. WHETHER DEFENDANT SCOTT'S CONVICTION ON COUNTS ONE AND FOUR
OF THE INDICTMENT, RELATING TO THE MAY 28, 1991, INCIDENT,
SHOULD BE REVERSED BECAUSE THE TRIAL COURT IMPROPERLY DENIED
DEFENDANT SCOTT'S MOTION FOR A JUDGMENT OF ACQUITTAL ON
COUNTS ONE TO SEVEN?
V. WHETHER DEFENDANT SCOTT'S CONVICTION SHOULD BE REVERSED
BECAUSE THE COURT ALLOWED A WITNESS TO READ FROM PRISON
RECORDS?
VI. WHETHER DEFENDANT SCOTT'S CONVICTION SHOULD BE REVERSED
BECAUSE THE PROSECUTOR BROUGHT ATTENTION TO DEFENDANT
SCOTT'S FAILURE TO TESTIFY DURING THE PROSECUTOR'S OPENING
STATEMENT?
VII. WHETHER THE TRIAL COURT ERRED IN DENYING DEFENDANT
SCOTT'S MOTION FOR A WADE HEARING REGARDING TONY
HANKERSON'S PHOTO IDENTIFICATION?
VIII. WHETHER DEFENDANTS' CONVICTION SHOULD BE REVERSED
BECAUSE THE TRIAL COURT PROHIBITED CROSS-EXAMINATION OF
TWO POLICE WITNESSES REGARDING PENDING CRIMINAL CHARGES?
A. WHETHER THE COURT IMPERMISSIBLY LIMITED
THE CROSS-EXAMINATION OF POLICE OFFICER
BAZYT BERGUS REGARDING THE CRIMINAL CHARGE
FOR RAPE PENDING AGAINST HIM?
B. WHETHER THE COURT ERRED IN PRECLUDING
DEFENSE COUNSEL FROM CROSS-EXAMINING
POLICE OFFICER MONTALVO REGARDING THE
CRIMINAL CHARGE OF FALSIFYING POLICE
RECORDS PENDING AGAINST HIM?
IX. WHETHER DEFENDANT SCOTT'S CONVICTION SHOULD
BE REVERSED BECAUSE OF DETECTIVE GOLD'S FAILURE
TO TURN OVER HIS NOTES RELATING TO HIS APRIL 9,
1992, INTERVIEW WITH TONY HANKERSON?
X. WHETHER DEFENDANT SCOTT'S CONVICTION SHOULD BE
REVERSED BASED UPON THE TRIAL COURT'S DECISION TO
RESTRICT DEFENSE COUNSEL'S CROSS-EXAMINATION OF
SPENCER CLARK?
XI. WHETHER DEFENDANT SCOTT'S CONVICTION SHOULD BE REVERSED
BECAUSE THE PROSECUTOR BOLSTERED THE CREDIBILITY OF ONE
OF THE PRIMARY POLICE WITNESSES?
XII. WHETHER DEFENDANT SCOTT'S OR DEFENDANT RAINEY'S SENTENCE
IS EXCESSIVE?
XIII. WHETHER THE TRIAL COURT ERRED IN DENYING DEFENDANT
RAINEY'S PRETRIAL MOTION TO DISMISS COUNTS NINE THROUGH
TWENTY-TWO OF THE INDICTMENT AND WHETHER THE EVIDENCE
WITHHELD FROM THE GRAND JURY WAS CLEARLY EXCULPATORY?
XIV. WHETHER THE TRIAL COURT RULING PROHIBITING THE DEFENDANT
FROM USING POLICE REPORTS TO IMPEACH THE CREDIBILITY OF
COREY JOHNSON VIOLATED DEFENDANT RAINEY'S RIGHT TO
CONFRONT WITNESSES AGAINST HIM IN VIOLATION OF THE 14TH
AND 6TH AMENDMENTS OF THE UNITED STATES CONSTITUTION AND
ARTICLE 1, PARAGRAPH 10 OF THE NEW JERSEY STATE
CONSTITUTION OR WHETHER THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE THAT ANY OF
THE INFORMATION IN THE REPORT CAME FROM COREY JOHNSON?
XV. WHETHER THE PROSECUTOR'S CROSS-EXAMINATION OF DEFENDANT
RAINEY VIOLATED THE TRIAL COURT'S PRIOR SANDS/BRUNSON
RULING AND DEPRIVED DEFENDANT OF A FAIR TRIAL AS
GUARANTEED BY THE 14TH, 5TH AND 6TH AMENDMENTS TO THE
UNITED STATES CONSTITUTION AND SIMILAR RIGHTS UNDER THE
NEW JERSEY CONSTITUTION?
XVI. WHETHER THE CROSS-EXAMINATION OF DEFENDANT RAINEY'S
SILENCE AT OR NEAR THE TIME OF HIS ARREST VIOLATES
DEFENDANT'S NEW JERSEY COMMON LAW RIGHT TO REMAIN SILENT?
XVII. WHETHER THE TRIAL JUDGE'S DECISION TO ALLOW OFFICERS
O'CONNOR AND LOPEZ TO TESTIFY THAT ERIC HANKERSON HAD
STATED THAT HE RECEIVED INFORMATION FROM AN UNKNOWN
SOURCE THAT THE THREE MEN WHO SHOT COREY JOHNSON WERE
RIDING AROUND THE AREA OF AVON AVENUE, AND TO ADMIT A
PORTION OF TONY HANKERSON'S STATEMENT WHERE HE STATED
THAT HE THOUGHT THAT THE THREE DEFENDANTS WERE ROBBERS,
CONSTITUTES REVERSIBLE ERROR?
XVIII. WHETHER THE STATE'S EXPERT, LIEUTENANT DOBAK, WAS
IMPROPERLY ALLOWED TO TESTIFY AS TO THE DAMAGE TO
PATROL CAR 753 AND TO ANOTHER VEHICLE SO THAT DEFENDANT
WAS DEPRIVED OF A FAIR TRIAL?
XIX. WHETHER THE LOWER COURT IMPROPERLY ADMITTED THREE BULLET
FRAGMENTS ALLEGEDLY TAKEN FROM COREY JOHNSON'S HEAD AND
WHETHER THERE WAS ANY FOUNDATION ESTABLISHED TO SHOW THAT
THE BULLET FRAGMENTS WERE THE SAME FRAGMENTS REMOVED FROM
COREY JOHNSON'S HEAD?
XX. WHETHER THE CUMULATIVE ERROR DOCTRINE APPLIES IN THIS
CASE?
We have reviewed the record in light of the issues presented
and are satisfied that any error that we shall identify herein
did not have the capacity to affect the result. Accordingly, we
affirm the judgments under review.
[At the request of the court, only point I merits
publication, and, therefore, the remaining points are omitted.]
During the jury selection phase of the trial, the attorney
for Rainey requested that the trial court compel the prosecutor
to disclose his reasons for challenging five particular jurors.
He maintained that the court had authority to do so pursuant to
State v. Gilmore,
103 N.J. 508 (1986). His request was based on
the following observation:
[A]ccording to what I saw, juror number 920,
black male, had no answers positive to any of
the questions that were asked by the Court,
either yesterday or today; juror number 836,
another young black male, also no answers to
any of the questions; juror number 709, a
black female, did have some answers to some
questions yesterday regarding guns, police
officers, victim of a crime; juror number
950, a black female, had no answers; elderly
woman, one sitting in seat 14--juror number
948, again, just recently, his last
challenge, only answers to any questions she
had, that she sat on a civil jury.
However, counsel said he was not making a formal Gilmore motion
because he did not want the court to dismiss the jurors who had
been selected and did not want the court to quash the remaining
venire. Counsel for Scott and Davis subsequently joined in the
motion.
Judge Cooper stated that, in light of defendants' narrow
request, he would not order the prosecutor to provide reasons for
any of his peremptory challenges, unless defendants wanted the
court to strike the existing jury panel, since that was the
remedy that the Supreme Court provided for in State v. Gilmore.
Judge Cooper explained that, under Gilmore, if a defendant
establishes that the prosecutor has improperly excluded potential
jurors on the basis of race, then the entire panel had to be
dismissed and the jury selection process must begin anew.
Defense counsel disagreed with Judge Cooper's interpretation of
Gilmore, arguing that the discharge of the entire panel was not
the sole remedy provided by the Gilmore decision. We agree with
Judge Cooper's interpretation of Gilmore.
In Gilmore, our Supreme Court determined that under our
state constitution a state prosecutor is forbidden from
exercising "peremptory challenges to remove potential petit
jurors who are members of a cognizable group on the basis of
their presumed group bias." 103 N.J. at 517. The Gilmore
decision followed the decision of the Supreme Court of the United
States in Batson v. Kentucky,
476 U.S. 79,
106 S. Ct. 1712,
90 L.Ed.2d 69 (1986), in which the Court held that the use of
peremptory challenges to discriminate on the basis of race is a
denial of equal protection of the laws. There, the United States
Supreme Court set forth a burden shifting test to determine
whether or not a challenge was made on a discriminatory basis,
requiring the defense to make a prima facie showing that the
prosecutor exercised his peremptory strikes in a discriminatory
manner toward a protected cognizable group, and then, once that
burden is met, the State has the burden of coming forward with a
neutral explanation for challenging the jurors. Batson, supra,
476 U.S. at 97, 106 S. Ct. at 1712, 90 L.Ed.
2d at 88. Although
for the purposes of this case we need not recount in detail that
process, suffice it to say that our Supreme Court in Gilmore
adopted essentially the same procedure as a matter of state
constitutional law as the Batson Court did on federal
constitutional grounds. See Gilmore, supra, 103 N.J. at 533-39;
103 N.J. at 545-46 (O'Hern, J., concurring).
The crux of this appeal deals not with the process of
determining a Batson-Gilmore violation, but rather requires us to
determine the appropriate remedial action a trial court should
take if in fact a violation exists. On this issue, the United
States Supreme Court left the task of prescribing the appropriate
remedy to the states.
In light of the variety of jury selection practices
followed by our federal and state trial courts, we make
no attempt to instruct these courts how best to
implement our holding today. For the same reasons, we
express no view on whether it is more appropriate in a
particular case, upon a finding of discrimination
against black jurors, for the trial court to discharge
the venire and select a new jury from a panel not
previously associated with the case . . . or to
disallow the discriminatory challenges and resume
selection with the improperly challenged jurors
reinstated on the venire . . . .
[Batson, supra, 476 U.S. at 100 n.24, 106 S. Ct. at
1725 n.24, 90 L.Ed.
2d at 90 n.24.]
In Gilmore, our Supreme Court directed the trial courts on
how to proceed after it has determined that the prosecutor
exercised challenges in an unconstitutional manner:
In the final analysis, the trial court must
judge the defendant's prima facie case
against the prosecution's rebuttal to
determine whether the defendant has carried
the ultimate burden of proving, by a
preponderance of the evidence, that the
prosecution exercised its peremptory
challenges on constitutionally-impermissible
grounds of presumed group bias. If the
defendant is found to have sustained this
burden,
the court must then conclude that
the jury as constituted fails to
comply with the representative
cross-section requirement, and it
must dismiss the jurors thus far
selected. So too it must quash any
remaining venire, since the
complaining party is entitled to a
random draw from an entire venire--not one that has been partially or
totally stripped of members of a
cognizable group by the improper
use of peremptory challenges. Upon
such dismissal a different venire
shall be drawn and the jury
selection process may begin anew.
[State v. Gilmore, supra, 103 N.J. at 539 (citing
People v. Wheeler,
583 P.2d 748, 765 (Cal.
1978))(emphasis added).]
In the present case, the attorneys for the defendants did
not want the court to strike the jury panel. Thus, they withdrew
their motions. In doing so, however, the defendants eschewed the
only remedy that the Gilmore decision permits when the State has
impermissibly exercised peremptory challenges. Their argument on
appeal that the trial court should have fashioned some other
remedy is without support in New Jersey. The only appropriate
remedy is to start with a new venire that has not been
impermissibly stripped of minority membership. Accordingly, we
find no error in the trial court's ruling on this issue.
Our decision in this regard is not without consideration of
the decisions from other jurisdictions that have implemented
other remedies to a Batson-Gilmore type violation. Our research
reveals that the majority of jurisdictions having addressed the
issue leave the decision of determining the appropriate remedy
within the discretion of the trial judge to reseat the wrongfully
challenged venireperson. See Morning v. Zapata Protein, Inc.,
128 F.3d 213, 215 (4th Cir. 1997); United States v. Forbes,
816 F.2d 1006, 1011 (5th Cir. 1987); Lewis v. Commonwealth,
492 S.E.2d 492 (Va. Ct. App. 1997); Jones v. State,
683 A.2d 520, 529
(Md. 1996); Ezell v. State,
909 P.2d 68, 72 (Okla. Crim. App.
1995); Commonwealth v. Fruchtman,
633 N.E.2d 369, 373 (Mass.
1994); Ellerbee v. State,
450 S.E.2d 443, 448 (Ga. Ct. App.
1994); People v. Stiff,
620 N.Y.S.2d 87, 92 (App. Div. 1994);
Maxwell v. State,
620 So.2d 93, 98 (Ala. Crim. App. 1993); State
v. Bowman,
885 S.W.2d 421, 425 (Tex. Crim. App. 1993)(en banc);
Jefferson v. State,
595 So.2d 38, 41 (Fla. 1992); Griffin v.
State,
610 So.2d 354, 356 (Miss. 1992). Only a handful of
jurisdictions have taken the position that the entire venire must
be discharged. See State v. McCollum,
433 S.E.2d 144, 159 (N.C.
1993); State v. Jones,
358 S.E.2d 701, 704 (S.C 1987); People v.
Wheeler,
583 P.2d 748, 765 (Cal. 1978).
It may be that in making their argument to Judge Cooper,
defendants were referring to those out-of-state cases that permit
"other remedies" short of dismissing the venire. Nonetheless, we
are bound by the holding of Gilmore. Gilmore unequivocally
requires that the entire venire be discharged and the selection
process begin anew where there has been an unconstitutional use
of a peremptory challenge. We find it to be no coincidence that
the decision relied on most heavily in Gilmore, People v.
Wheeler, supra, expressly adopts the same remedy. If the rule in
Gilmore is to be reevaluated and modified in light of the weight
of authority across the nation, that direction can only be given
by our Supreme Court.
Affirmed.
Footnote: 1 Maurice Davis was also tried with Rainey and Scott. His appeal has been withdrawn. Separate appeals were filed by Rainey and Scott. They were scheduled back-to-back on our calendar. We now consolidate them for the purpose of this opinion.