Opinion ID: 1501117
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: The Batson Challenges

Text: Prior to Batson v. Kentucky, 476 U.S. 79, 106 S.Ct. 1712, 90 L.Ed.2d 69 (1986), no reason needed to be given for using a peremptory challenge to a particular member of the venire. Traditional trial preparation often involved lawyers deciding in advance, by factors that included race and gender, what kinds of jurors they wished to eliminate. [3] These factors also include job, age, neighborhood, religion, socio-economic status and other characteristics, in addition to the prospective jurors' answers to voir dire questioning. Batson prohibited peremptory strikes based on race. In J.E.B. v. Alabama, 511 U.S. 127, 114 S.Ct. 1419, 128 L.Ed.2d 89 (1994), the Supreme Court extended the Batson prohibition to strikes based on gender. The Batson doctrine's unassailable purpose, however, conflicts with the traditional notion and practice of peremptory strikes. The principle is easier to state than to follow. We have a procedure for a trial judge to assess whether race or gender was the real reason for the strike, but ultimately [We] leave to the trial judge, as finder of fact, to discern whether or not race or gender discrimination was involved. The trial court's determination is a finding of fact that will not be overturned on appeal unless clearly erroneous. State v. Barnett, 980 S.W.2d 297, 302 (Mo. banc 1998) In Missouri, if the appellant wishes to challenge the state's peremptory strike, the appellant must first raise the challenge by identifying the cognizable racial or gender group to which the stricken venireperson belongs. State v. Jones, 979 S.W.2d 171, 185 (Mo. banc 1998). The trial court will require the state to give an explanation that is neutral as to race or gender for striking the venireperson. Id. Then, the defendant has the opportunity to show that the proffered reasons are merely pretextual and that the strike is actually based on race or gender. Id. The justification for a peremptory strike need not rise to the level of justification for a challenge for cause. Id. In many instances, the defense will have no evidence of race or gender discrimination, but may rely on the argument that the prosecutor's proffered reason is preposterous and, thus, pretextual, or the argument that the prosecutor's stated reasons are so rife with racial or gender stereotyping as to constitute evidence of discrimination. Or, the defense may argue that African-Americans or women were eliminated by peremptory challenges, where similarly situated whites or males were not. As stated, we rely on the trial judge's role as fact-finder, and the judge's finding will not be overturned on appeal unless clearly erroneous. State v. Brooks, 960 S.W.2d 479, 488 (Mo. banc 1997). In this case, the Batson challenges based upon race were made and ruled upon at the original trial. While the appeal was pending in this Court, the United States Supreme Court extended Batson to gender bias in the J.E.B . case. When we remanded the case for the trial court to decide the issues as to alleged gender discrimination, the original trial judge had retired and the matter was assigned to a different judge. At the hearing on remand, which occurred about seven years after the original trial, the prosecutor reconstructed from his trial notes the reasons for strikes and articulated neutral reasons for his decisions. The trial judge found no discrimination and, according his findings the deference they are due, we find no error. We review the findings as to raceruled upon at trialand gender heard and ruled upon at the remand hearing. Our analysis follows.
Brown contends that the trial court erred when it overruled its objections to the prosecutor's use of its peremptory strike to strike five African-Americans. Brown alleges that the prosecutor pretextually struck the African-Americans without a race-neutral reason. After the state's peremptory strikes were made, Brown unsuccessfully asked the court to quash the jury panel because the strikes were made in a racially discriminatory manner.