Opinion ID: 1134236
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: did the trial court err by denying johnson's motion to restrict prosecutorial strikes and by denying the motion of johnson to quash the petit jury panel because the selection process was discriminatory and unconstitutional?

Text: The defense contests the State's use of peremptory challenges as discriminatory based upon Batson v. Kentucky, supra . Batson held that the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment of the United States Constitution forbids a prosecutor to peremptorily challenge potential jurors solely based on their race or on the assumption that black jurors as a group will be unable to impartially consider the prosecution's case against a black defendant. The State used seven of its twelve peremptory challenges to strike five black and two white individuals from the jury panel, but did accept one black juror and one black alternate juror. The prosecutor stated his reasons for striking the five black individuals as follows: The State ... would state to the Court that as to Richard Kelly ..., the voir dire was taken in its totality by the Court as to Juror Kelly it would show during voir dire that he is originally from Choctaw, Alabama, heard something or read something in the paper; and would show that the defendant and his family ... are from Choctaw County, the State felt that this juror could have been or possibly was tainted as to any information received. As to Juror .. . Street  reflect that in voir dire process upon questioning by the State specifically as to the issue of religion and judgment, his responses were non-committal. We see that at one point he stated that he could not vote for a guilty verdict upon the State's showing evidence if it were a death penalty case. In addition, I've learned from law enforcement in this area that there's a possibility that this man is involved in some criminal activity. As to Juror Eppes the court record will show that she responded to several questions in voir dire by the Court, also responded in non-committal fashion to the State's questions concerning different issues, particularly to the death penalty. In addition, when defense counsel voir dired her indicated that there was possibly a problem with her grandchildren or children or someone not being able to take care of her children during the  if she was sequestered as a juror, and that was the basis of striking Eppes. Williams, due to Williams' age, due to Williams' non-answering, non-committal [responses] to the questions the State struck him. Also, due to his in and out of employment record I have notation of concerning that. The State struck Williams. As to Juror Elder, the State struck Mr. Elder, showed that he was a parttime school teacher, his wife was a school teacher. The State would show that Juror Barbara Helen Allred was also a school teacher which the State struck. Also, show that Mrs. Glenn Seay is a school teacher which the State struck. To constitute a prima facie showing of discrimination necessary to compel the State to come forward with a neutral explanation for challenging black jurors, a defendant must show that he is a member of a cognizable racial group, that the prosecutor has exercised peremptory challenges toward the elimination of veniremen of his race, and that facts and circumstances infer that the prosecutor used his peremptory challenges for the purpose of striking minorities. Lockett v. State, 517 So.2d 1346, 1349 (Miss. 1987). As in Lockett, this Court need not now engage in a careful analysis of Johnson's zeal in raising this issue in light of the prosecutor's voluntary adherence to that part of Batson, supra, dealing with expression of his motives for minority challenges, but may assume for purposes of this case that a prima facie showing was made, triggering the mandate that the prosecutor present a clear and reasonably specific explanation of his legitimate reasons for exercising the challenges. Id. The determination of whether purposeful discrimination has been shown largely turns on credibility, and thus ordinarily a reviewing court should give the trial court great deference, defined as insulating from appellate reversal any trial findings which are not clearly erroneous. In sum, a trial judge's factual findings relative to a prosecutor's use of peremptory challenges on minority persons are accorded great deference and will not be reversed unless they appear clearly erroneous or against the overwhelming weight of the evidence. Id. at 1349-50. Lockett cautioned that the prosecutor's explanation may not include his assumption or intuitive judgment that black jurors would be partial to the defendant because of their shared race. Id. at 1352. Finally, the prosecutor is not required to question prospective jurors about the racially neutral reasons later given, as long as the source of the information and the practice itself are not racially discriminatory. Id. at 1352-53. An appendix of racially neutral reasons upheld by other courts was included in Lockett as illustrative examples. Id. at 1353. The defendant may rebut any prosecutorial explanations, if he is able to do so. Harper v. State, 510 So.2d 530, 532 (Miss. 1987); Williams v. State, 507 So.2d 50, 53 (Miss. 1987). This Court has since found significant the lack of any rebuttal by the defendant of the prosecutor's asserted reasons. Taylor v. State, 524 So.2d 565 (Miss. 1988). Because Johnson has offered no rebuttal, all that this Court has before it is the reasons asserted by the prosecutor. This Court now examines those reasons. The record supports the reasons given for striking Kelly, a juror who had lived in the same Alabama county as the defendant. (It is interesting to note that Kelly also stated that two weeks before his wife had had a stroke which left her totally paralyzed on the right side so that being away from home would be a hardship and his wife's condition might prevent him from listening to the testimony with undivided attention.) Living near the defendant was a sufficient reason in Taitano v. State, 4 Va. App. 342, 358 S.E.2d 590 (1987). Such a reason is enhanced in a case such as this where there has been a change of venue because of the high amount of publicity. Kelly's statements of minimal knowledge of the case add to the reason of the prosecutor. Cf. Hughes v. State, 257 Ga. 200, 357 S.E.2d 80 (1987). The prosecutor's statements, that Street gave non-committal responses as to religion and judgment and that, notwithstanding the State's evidence, he said he could not vote for a death penalty verdict, are supported in the record. The State's information from law enforcement as to the possibility of Street's involvement in criminal activity is not in the record, but again, it does not have to be. Lockett, 517 So.2d at 1352-53. As to Street's possible criminal activity, this Court upheld as a race neutral explanation the conviction of the brother of the potential juror in Lockett, 517 So.2d at 1351. Other similar reasons have been upheld as follows: The previous arrest of the juror, Yarbough v. State, 732 S.W.2d 86, (Tex. Ct. App. 1987); the potential juror's criminal record, People v. Cartagena, 128 A.D.2d 797, 513 N.Y.S.2d 497 (1987); the imprisonment of the juror's father, Williams v. State, 507 N.E. 2d 997 (Ind. App. 1987); the juror's friend having been charged with a crime, Smith v. State, 734 S.W.2d 694 (Tex. Ct. App. 1987); and the juror having two sons in trouble with the law, U.S. v. Forbes, 816 F.2d 1006 (5th Cir.1987). Street's statements appear to be a good example of the hostility to the prosecution spoken of in Lockett, 517 So.2d at 1351-52. (As to the non-committal responses, compare Townsend v. State, 730 S.W.2d 24 (Tex. App. 1987) (indefinite answer on juror's card).) Finally, Street's religious scruples about the death penalty are comparable to the race neutral reason for striking the minister in Lockett, 517 So.2d at 1351, that is, the perceived sympathy of ministers toward the accused. Scruples against the death penalty are clearly race neutral. Next, Epps non-committal response as to the death penalty is supported by her statements that she would not want to vote for it. Her concern over care of her grandchildren is likewise supported in the record. Again Epps' death penalty scruples are clearly race neutral. These scruples coupled with the possibility of resentment as to care of the children are sufficiently race neutral reasons. In Lockett, it was sufficient reason that a prospective juror cared for her invalid mother, rolled her eyes to express her disapproval when denied excusal for this reason and thereafter became unresponsive. 517 So.2d at 1351. Williams' non-answering, non-committal responses are reflected by the court reporter's notations of inaudible and shakes head negatively. This came in the context of Williams stating that he had been the victim of a theft. A prosecutor may sense by a juror's demeanor that he is hostile to being in court and thus fear that the juror might respond negatively to the prosecution simply because the government was responsible for calling him to jury duty. Id. Not only has this Court recognized demeanor as a race neutral reason, but so have others. Taitano, supra,; Yarbough, supra ; Forbes, supra . In addition to demeanor, Williams' age and employment history reflect instability. Instability was held in Lockett to be a racially neutral criterion relevant to the prosecution as it would tend to produce a juror unsympathetic to the State. Age has been held to be a racially neutral reason by other courts. Taitano, supra; Chambers v. State, 724 S.W.2d 440 (Tex. App. 1987). Short-term employment and employment history have been held to be sufficient reasons. Townsend, supra ; Cartagena, supra . It is this Court's opinion that the prosecutor stated more than one sufficient race neutral reason for each of the above four prospective jurors. As to Elder, only one reason was stated. Elder was struck because he was a part-time school teacher, married to a school teacher, which facts are supported in the record. Not only his marriage to a teacher, but also the fact that the other two teachers were stricken, adds strength to the prosecutor's reason and shows consistency of action along racially neutral lines. But is the fact of being a school teacher a sufficiently race neutral reason? An Alabama court affirmed a case wherein one of the neutral explanations was that she was a teacher and I know I strike all teachers. In all cases. Funches v. State, 518 So.2d 781, 783 (Ala. Cr.App. 1987). The Louisiana Supreme Court has accepted the reason that the prospective juror was a school teacher and the mother of four children which could have rendered her sympathetic to a young defendant. State v. Thompson, 516 So.2d 349, 354 (La. 1987). A Texas court upheld the reason that the prosecutor felt the prospective juror had an attitude toward police credibility that would be detrimental to the State's case since, as a teacher, she was accustomed to hearing excuses from her students. Rasco v. State, 739 S.W.2d 437, 439 (Tex. App. 1987). Finally, as to all the prospective jurors in this case, it has been held that the fact that a prosecutor distrusts a juror is a sufficient race neutral reason for striking that juror. Rodgers v. State, 725 S.W.2d 477 (Tex. App. 1987). The prosecutor had racially neutral explanations regarding his exercise of peremptory challenges. It is this Court's opinion that there is no merit to Johnson's Batson argument.