Opinion ID: 2492640
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: The Defense's Batson Challenge

Text: ¶ 36. The defense made a Batson challenge after the State struck two African-American females. After looking at the racial composition of the jurors who already had been selected, the trial judge determined that the defense had not made a prima facie case of discrimination. At the time the defense made its Batson challenge, nine jurors had been selected; seven were African-American and two were white. Of the seven African-Americans selected, four were female. ¶ 37. When deciding whether a defendant has made a prima facie case of racial discrimination, the trial court should consider all relevant circumstances. Batson, 476 U.S. at 96, 106 S.Ct. at 1712. As such, the trial judge in today's case considered that the majority of the jurors who had been selected were African-American and consequently decided that the defense had failed to make a prima facie case of discrimination on the part of the State. The record does not reveal the racial composition of the jurors selected after Bailey's Batson challenge. ¶ 38. The trial court did not abuse its discretion in finding that Bailey had failed to make a prima facie case of discrimination. Bailey challenged the State's striking of two African-American females, yet the majority of the jurors at the time of Bailey's challenge were African-American females. Accordingly, Bailey's argument is without merit.