Supreme Court adds death penalty case

WASHINGTON, Jan. 13 (UPI) -- The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to review a case in which a juror was dismissed because of his statements about the death penalty.

In that 1991 rape and murder case out of Washington state, Uttecht vs. Brown, a prospective juror said he would vote for the death penalty, but only if he was certain the defendant would kill again, The Washington Post reported Saturday.

The judge dismissed the juror from the jury pool. The defendant, Cal Coburn Brown, was eventually convicted.

The high court added four cases to its docket Friday. The justices also agreed to review an Arkansas tobacco case, Watson v. Phillip Morris. Phillip Morris successfully argued to have that case, which involved its advertising for "light" cigarettes, move to the federal court system, the Post reported.

The Supreme Court also agreed to review a case about lawyers fees and nude protesters in a Florida park and a U.S. Tax Court case.