Opinion ID: 1778765
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 16

Heading: Troy Fairley

Text: ś 113. Manning asserts that the State gave no reason at all for striking this juror, and as such, this case should be reversed. Troy Fairley was the State's ninth peremptory strike. The State argues that the defense never requested that the State give a race-neutral reason for this strike, and as such Manning is barred from challenging her dismissal. It is true that there was no request by the defense after this strike for a race-neutral reason. However there is some confusion in the record as to whether the court wanted reasons stated piecemeal or entirely. The following occurred after the State had submitted its second set of jurors to the defense. BY MR. ALLGOOD[sic]: Uh, your Honor, again we're going to object to theâ the State's striking of, uhâ BY THE COURT: Look, if you want to do a Batson objection do it after the State has exercised its peremptories. Dontâ BY MR. WILLIAMSON: Okay. BY THE COURT: You want him to state his race neutral reasons for the strikes he's exercised on these, is that correct? Do you want to do it piecemeal? If that's soâ BY MR. WILLIAMSON: Well weâ we can do it entirely; that's fine. BY THE COURT: If that's so, if he's already done it, then state your race neutral reasons that you have for exercising those challenges on Juror Number 32 and Juror Number 35, please, Mr. Allgood. It seems that Mr. Williamson had agreed to have the race-neutral reasons all stated at once at the end of the State's peremptories. However, the judge, even after this exchange, required the State to state its reasons for its strikes into the record, in piecemeal fashion. When Troy Fairley, Juror Number 42, was struck later, no race-neutral reason was given for her strike, nor was one requested. Manning argues in his reply brief that this is because the trial judge had asked the defense if they wanted to ascertain the State's reasons entirely at the end or piecemeal. The course of action taken by the court (in continuing to conduct the challenges on a piecemeal basis) should have caused defense counsel to ask for a race-neutral reason for Troy Fairley's strike. Further, even with defense counsel's understanding that all reasons for the strikes would be given at the end, when that was not done, defense counsel should have requested it. We can see no reason why the State would not have given a reason for striking Troy Fairley, when it had given one for every other juror struck, except for the fact that it was not asked to give one. ś 114. Additionally, the State argues, and we agree that there were sufficient race neutral reasons for striking Troy Fairley apparent in the record to indicate why the prosecution would not prefer her as a juror. She stated on her jury questionnaire that she mildly disagreed with the death penalty. She also stated in voir dire that she would have to know the motive for the killing before she could return the death penalty. She later said that motive would not be a requirement but that she would consider it. This statement would have been sufficient to challenge Fairley because there was no direct evidence of motive in this case. The record also reveals that Fairley was late for court one morning indicating a possible lack of commitment. ś 115. The record is sufficient to show that the State did not strike Troy Fairley because she is black. There were sufficient reasons for the State to strike her that are race-neutral. We find no reversible error in the striking of this potential juror.