State v. Brunson

The opinion of the Court was delivered by

STEIN, J.

In this case appellant contests the validity of the procedure employed by the trial court for the exercise of peremptory challenges. Appellant was entitled to twenty peremptory challenges and the State to twelve. Rather than alternate the exercise of peremptory challenges between the State and appellant, the trial court required appellant to exercise two challenges and the State one challenge for eight successive rounds of challenges. During the last four rounds, each side was to alternate in exercising its remaining challenges. The State or…