Defendant then broke three glass display cases and took various items of jewelry, including some gold rings and necklaces. Defendant also stole two pistols. On 22 January 1996 defendant was indicted for the first-degree murder of Danny Cook and robbery with a dangerous weapon. Defendant was tried capitally, and the jury returned verdicts finding him guilty of robbery with a firearm and first-degree murder on the theory of premeditation and deliberation and under the felony murder rule. The trial court sentenced defendant accordingly and further sentenced him to 101 to 131 months' imprisonment for the robbery with a firearm conviction.
Defendant presents fourteen issues for review.
Because we find Batson error in the selection of defendant's jury, we discuss only that issue. Defendant argues the trial court erred by overruling his objections to the State's use of peremptory challenges to remove four black prospective jurors from the venire . A three- step process has been established for evaluating claims of racial discrimination in the prosecution's use of peremptory challenges. First, defendant must establish a prima facie case that the peremptory challenge was exercised on the basis of race. Second, if such a showing is made, the burden shifts to the prosecutor to offer a racially neutral explanation to rebut defendant's prima facie case.