Opinion ID: 2551919
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 13

Heading: issues

Text: Defendant raises several claims of error regarding the penalty phase and the validity of his death sentence, but we need consider only one. During jury selection, the defense alleged that the prosecutor had improperly used peremptory challenges against five Hispanic prospective jurors, and the trial court found a prima facie case of invidious discrimination, but the court erroneously permitted the prosecutor to give his reasons for the peremptory challenges in ex parte hearings, out of the presence of defendant and his attorney. Although the record of voir dire failed to support some of the reasons that the prosecutor gave, the trial court accepted every reason without inquiry and denied the defense motion, with the result that no Hispanic served on the jury that returned the death verdict. We will conclude that the denial of the defense motion was prejudicial error requiring reversal of the death sentence.