Opinion ID: 1195594
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: A Batson Challenge

Text: Before trial, the government used a peremptory challenge to strike prospective juror number 44, an African American woman. Bolden argued the strike violated Batson v. Kentucky, 476 U.S. 79, 106 S.Ct. 1712, 90 L.Ed.2d 69 (1986), which held that it is a violation of the Equal Protection Clause for the government to use a peremptory challenge to strike a prospective juror solely on the basis of race. After the district court ruled that Bolden established a prima facie case of discrimination, the government claimed that it struck juror 44 for a race-neutral ground  because, when asked to elaborate on her questionnaire response that the criminal justice system should use legal students for research, she explained that she believed based on twelve years of legal training that using legal students for research would assist the criminal justice system. The government expressed concern that she might give more weight to her legal training than is warranted and that there was no way to know how this experience might affect the deliberation process. [2] The district court found that this was a race-neutral reason, comparing the strike of juror 44 with the government's strike of juror 142, a white high school teacher who said he often discussed constitutional law issues with his students. The court rejected Bolden's assertion that juror 44 should be compared with non-stricken white juror 176, a deputy clerk for a Missouri court who stated in her questionnaire that her passion is to see criminals convicted, and that she has a favorable view of the court system based upon her son's fair treatment for pending drug related charges. The court's ultimate finding was that Bolden failed to prove that the strike of juror 44 was motivated by race discrimination. On appeal, Bolden argues the district court clearly erred when it denied his Batson challenge because the government's purported race-neutral reason for striking juror 44 was implausible. We review the court's Batson rulings for clear error, keeping in mind that the ultimate burden of persuasion regarding racial motivation rests with, and never shifts from the party opposing the strike. Purkett v. Elem, 514 U.S. 765, 768, 115 S.Ct. 1769, 131 L.Ed.2d 834 (1995); see Snyder v. Louisiana, ___ U.S. ___, 128 S.Ct. 1203, 1208, 170 L.Ed.2d 175 (2008). After careful review of the questionnaire responses and voir dire testimony, and giving the district court's findings the great deference Batson requires, 476 U.S. at 98 n. 21, 106 S.Ct. 1712, we conclude that the district court did not clearly err in finding that the government stated a race-neutral reason for striking juror 44 that was adequately supported by the record. Compare United States v. Ortiz, 315 F.3d 873, 896-97 (8th Cir.2002), cert. denied, 540 U.S. 1073 (2003).