Case Name: STATE of Louisiana v G. L. GRAY
Court: Louisiana Supreme Court
Jurisdiction: Louisiana
Decision Date: 1973-10-29
Citations: 285 So. 2d 199
Docket Number: No. 53590
Parties: STATE of Louisiana v G. L. GRAY.
Judges: SANDERS, C. J., concurs in the result.
Reporter: Southern Reporter, Second Series
Volume: 285
Pages: 199–203

Head Matter:
STATE of Louisiana v G. L. GRAY.
No. 53590.
Supreme Court of Louisiana.
Oct. 29, 1973.
Rehearing Denied Nov. 30, 1973.
Carey J. Ellis, Jr., Ellis & Ellis, Ray-ville, for defendant-appellant.
William J. Guste, Jr., Atty. Gen., LeRoy A. Hartley, Asst. Atty. Gen., Don K. Carroll, Dist. Atty., Lowen B. Loftin, Asst. Dist. Atty., for plaintiff-appellee.

Opinion:
TATE, Justice.
The defendant Gray was convicted of aggravated battery, La.R.S. 14:34, and sentenced to four years in the penitentiary. On his appeal, he relies upon one bill of exceptions.
The bill was reserved when the trial court denied the defendant's motion for a new trial. This black defendant grounds his motion on the state's systematic exclusion of Negroes from jury service.
In the present case, the state exercised three peremptory challenges to exclude three Negroes of the venire from service on the defendant's petit jury. The evidence also shows that the state used peremptory challenges to exclude all blacks from the petit juries in the two cases tried in the parish during the previous eight years which involved a black defendant and a white victim, as well as that no black jurors were chosen in the other two such cases tried during the period.
We do not find merit in the bill. In State v. Rossi, 273 So.2d 26S, 266 (La.Sup.Ct.1973), we rejected a similar claim of discriminatory exercise by the state of its peremptory challenges and stated " the motive for the exercise of peremptory challenges is not subject to judicial review and presents no constitutional issue of abuse." See also: State v. Smith, 263 La. 75, 267 So.2d 200 (1972); State v. Amphy, 259 La. 161, 249 So.2d 560 (1971); State v. Squire, 257 La. 743, 244 So.2d 200 (1971).
In Swain v. Alabama, 380 U.S. 202, 85 S.Ct. 824, 13 L.Ed.2d 759 (1965), the United States Supreme Court discussed at length the issue before us. In affirming the conviction the court held that the discriminatory exercise of peremptory challenges did not, in a particular case, deny the equal protection of the laws, having in mind the historic purpose of peremptory challenges.
The court further indicated, however, that the consistent and systematic exclusion of Negroes from petit jury service over a period of time "may well require a different answer." 85 S.Ct. 837. See: United States v. Pearson, 448 F.2d 1207 (CA 5, 1971); Geeslin, Peremptory Challenge— Systematic Exclusion of Prospective Jurors on the Basis of Race, 39 Miss.L.J. 157 (1968).
Althc.igh the question is close, we do not believe we here reach the issue of systematic exclusion.
During the previous eight years, there were only thirteen jury trials in the parish. Negroes were selected on several of the petit juries involved. It is true that, of the four that involved black defendants and white victims, no black juror was chosen, but in only two of them was this due to the use of peremptory challenges by the state.
Considering that the record shows an increasing number of black petit jurors serving on criminal cases in recent years, and in the absence of a more concrete showing that the motive for the use of peremptory challenges was to enforce an invidious discrimination, we are not prepared to hold that the issue is presented to us by the üpresent case solely on the basis of the two instances involved during the period in question.
The conviction and sentence are affirmed.
Affirmed.
SANDERS, C. J., concurs in the result.
BARHAM, J., dissents with reasons.