Case Name: John Henry ALBURY, Appellant, v. The STATE of Florida, Appellee
Court: Florida District Court of Appeal
Jurisdiction: Florida
Decision Date: 1989-03-14
Citations: 541 So. 2d 1262
Docket Number: No. 88-491
Parties: John Henry ALBURY, Appellant, v. The STATE of Florida, Appellee.
Judges: Before SCHWARTZ, C.J., and NESBITT and FERGUSON, JJ.
Reporter: Southern Reporter, Second Series
Volume: 541
Pages: 1262–1262

Head Matter:
John Henry ALBURY, Appellant, v. The STATE of Florida, Appellee.
No. 88-491.
District Court of Appeal of Florida, Third District.
March 14, 1989.
Bennett H. Brummer, Public Defender, and Rosa C. Figarola, Asst. Public Defender, for appellant.
Robert A. Butterworth, Atty. Gen., and Joan L. Greenberg, Asst. Atty. Gen., for appellee.
Before SCHWARTZ, C.J., and NESBITT and FERGUSON, JJ.

Opinion:
ON CONFESSION OF ERROR
PER CURIAM.
To justify the exercise of a peremptory challenge, which led to the dismissal of the first of only two remaining African-American members of a panel of prospective jurors, the prosecutor explained that the juror was from a "lower socioeconomic background" (her father, allegedly, was a taxi driver). No explanation, at all, was given to explain the dismissal of a second black venireperson. The trial judge overruled the defendant's objections, swore the panel, and proceeded to trial. The defendant was convicted.
As the attorney general properly concedes — on the authority of State v. Slappy, 522 So.2d 18 (Fla.), cert. denied, - U.S. -, 108 S.Ct. 2873, 101 L.Ed.2d 909 (1988) —reversal is required. There was not a sufficient showing by the State to rebut the inference of discrimination in selecting jurors.
Reversed and remanded for a new trial.