Bethel v. State

The defendant appeals his conviction and sentence for grand theft of a motor vehicle and burglary of a dwelling. He argues that the trial court erred in denying his cause challenge to a potential juror who was an assistant state attorney in the same state attorney’s office as the prosecutor. We agree with the defendant and reverse for a new trial.

Because the state’s answer brief relies heavily on the potential juror’s responses and the trial court’s statements during voir dire, we provide a detailed recitation of those portions of the record here.

During the trial court’s questioning of…