Opinion ID: 1830890
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 21

Heading: WILLIE MANNING WAS DENIED A FAIR TRIAL BECAUSE THE STATE ONCE AGAIN ABUSED ITS PEREMPTORY CHALLENGES TO STRIKE BLACK JURORS IN VIOLATION OF BATSON v. KENTUCKY

Text: ¶ 27. Manning asserts that the prosecution exercised its peremptory challenges toward the elimination of blacks from the jury in violation of Batson v. Kentucky, 476 U.S. 79, 106 S.Ct. 1712, 90 L.Ed.2d 69 (1986). The Batson test involves a three-step process: First, the defendant must make a prima facie showing that the prosecutor has exercised peremptory challenges on the basis of race. Second, if the requisite showing has been made, the burden shifts to the prosecutor to articulate a race-neutral explanation for striking the jurors in question. Finally, the trial court must determine whether the defendant has carried his burden of proving purposeful discrimination.... Hernandez v. New York, 500 U.S. 352, 358-59, 111 S.Ct. 1859, 114 L.Ed.2d 395 (1991) (citations omitted).
¶ 28. Manning objected three times in the middle of jury selection to the prosecutor's use of peremptory challenges against black members of the first venire. Rather than finishing jury selection and holding a Batson hearing, Judge Montgomery allowed the prosecutor to offer race-neutral reasons for his peremptory strikes as they were made, ruling on their acceptability as jury selection progressed. When the prosecution gives race-neutral reasons for its peremptory strikes, the sufficiency of the defendant's prima facie case becomes moot. Hernandez, 500 U.S. at 352, 111 S.Ct. 1859; Woodward v. State, 726 So.2d 524, 529-30, 1997 WL 776557,  (Miss.1997). However, because the prosecutor used nine of its eleven peremptories to strike black members of the first venire, Manning's prima facie case would be easy to prove. ¶ 29. The next step is to determine whether the prosecution met its burden of showing sufficient race-neutral explanations for its strikes. Woodward, 726 So.2d at 529-30, 1997 WL 776557 at . On appeal the trial court's fact-finding regarding the bases for peremptory strikes is accorded great deference, because it is largely based on credibility. Lockett v. State, 517 So.2d 1346, 1349 (Miss.1987). `Great deference' has been defined in the Batson context as insulating from appellate reversal any trial findings which are not clearly erroneous. Id. at 1349-50 (citations omitted). If the defendant makes no rebuttal, the trial judge may base his decision solely on the reasons given by the State. Bush v. State, 585 So.2d 1262, 1268 (Miss.1991). ¶ 30. It is incumbent upon a defendant claiming that proffered reasons are pretextual to raise the argument before the trial court. The failure to do so constitutes waiver. Mack v. State, 650 So.2d 1289, 1297 (Miss.1994) (citation omitted). In this case, Manning only offered rebuttal to the prosecution's race-neutral reasons for striking Jurors Cynthia Purnell and Uyless Gray, Jr. Defense attorney Williamson disputed the prosecution's basis for striking Cynthia Purnell regarding her views on the death penalty, because the court had previously denied the State's challenge for cause against Ms. Purnell on that basis, and because she stated during individual voir dire that she could follow the law and the court's instructions. A peremptory challenge does not have to be supported by the same degree of justification required for a challenge for cause. Stewart v. State, 662 So.2d 552, 558 (Miss. 1995). Although the trial judge was able to sufficiently rehabilitate Ms. Purnell as a juror for purposes of denying the State's challenge for cause, her statements that she strongly disagrees with the death penalty and would be partial toward imposing a life sentence were a sufficient race-neutral basis for upholding the peremptory strike against her. Furthermore, the State's other reason for striking Ms. Purnell, her prior history of writing bad checks, has been approved by this Court as a proper race-neutral reason. Mack, 650 So.2d at 1299-1300. ¶ 31. Manning also attempted to rebut the State's rationale for striking Uyless Gray, Jr. based upon his reluctance to be a juror. During voir dire, Mr. Gray expressed concern about being sequestered, because he was scheduled to attend annual training at Camp Shelby. Judge Montgomery assured Mr. Gray that, as the State Judge Advocate, he would be able to make arrangements for Mr. Gray to be late for training. The prosecutor also offered as a race-neutral reason his own oversight in failing to voir dire Mr. Gray about his juror questionnaire response that he was unsure of his ability to ever vote for the death penalty. Defense attorney Mark Williamson objected to the State's proffered race-neutral explanations because of the court's reassurance to Mr. Gray that his scheduled training could be worked out, and because having no opinion on the death penalty is not one way or the other. Again, it is unnecessary for a peremptory strike to meet the same standard as a challenge for cause. Stewart, 662 So.2d at 558. While the trial court had no reason to excuse Mr. Gray due to his scheduled training at Camp Shelby, the prosecutor may still have had a lingering doubt as to Mr. Gray's willingness to serve on the jury. A juror's reluctance to serve or preoccupation with matters outside the courtroom is a valid race-neutral reason for purposes of Batson. Walker v. State, 671 So.2d 581, 627-28 (Miss.1995). Furthermore, while it is true that having no opinion about the death penalty may not be a legitimate justification, having doubts as to one's ability to follow the law and vote for the death penalty when appropriate is a sufficient race-neutral reason. Johnson v. State, 529 So.2d 577, 584-85 (Miss.1988). As the State points out in its brief, there is nothing in the record to support Manning's assertion that the prosecutor purposely declined to voir dire Mr. Gray on his death penalty views so that he might strike him. Manning also argues that the prosecution's disparate treatment in failing to strike white jurors who were unsure about the death penalty supports his theory of discrimination. However, as previously discussed, the State was able to articulate an additional race-neutral reason regarding Mr. Gray's unwillingness to serve on the jury, and the prosecutor exercised peremptory strikes against two white jurors based upon their death penalty views. Manning's theory of disparate treatment, therefore, must fail. See Woodward, 726 So.2d at 531, 1997 WL 776557 at ; Mack, 650 So.2d at 1298. Manning has failed to meet the clearly erroneous standard required for reversal on this issue. ¶ 32. Manning waived discussion of the other allegedly discriminatory strikes on the first venire by failing to argue pretext at trial. Mack, 650 So.2d at 1297. However, a brief examination of our prior rulings on the legitimacy of raceneutral Batson explanations reveals that Judge Montgomery properly held that the justifications offered by the prosecution for its strikes were all sufficient to survive Manning's Batson objection. The prosecution struck Juror #32, Jerry Devon Brown, based upon his lack of employment, his previous convictions for DUI and public drunk, his arrest for simple assault, and his cousin's murder conviction. Similarly, Juror # 8, Yolanda Lawrence, was struck, because of her previous conviction for shoplifting. This Court has recognized unemployment as a race-neutral reason and sufficient basis for a peremptory strike. Woodward, 726 So.2d at 530, 1997 WL 776557 at . In Foster v. State, 639 So.2d 1263, 1279-80 (Miss.1994), we also approved a juror's prior conviction as a proper race-neutral reason. The prosecutor struck Juror # 15, Gloria Sherrod, based upon her acquaintance with Manning's mother. We have condoned a peremptory challenge against a juror who was acquainted with the defendant's family. Porter v. State, 616 So.2d 899, 907 (Miss. 1993). Juror # 21, Lena Smith, was struck by the State, because Manning's attorney, Mark Williamson, previously represented a member of her family. Connection with the defense attorney is a  Batson -conforming explanation for a peremptory strike. Chisolm v. State, 529 So.2d 630, 632-33 (Miss.1988). We have also recognized that a juror's equivocating or anti-death penalty views establish a race-neutral reason, justifying the State's reason for striking Juror # 2, Marty G. Price, Juror # 39, Fredrick Akins, Juror # 42, Dewitt C. Carmichael, Jr., Juror # 45, Lachanjo Scales, and Juror # 50, Carla Jones. Underwood, 708 So.2d at 28; Foster, 639 So.2d at 1279-80; Davis v. State, 551 So.2d 165, 171 (Miss.1989), vacated on other grounds, 655 So.2d 864 (Miss.1995). Based upon current case law, we hold that Judge Montgomery's decision to allow the State's peremptory strikes on the first venire was not clearly erroneous.
¶ 33. Although Manning did not object to any specific strikes made by the prosecutor during voir dire of the second venire, he entered an objection based upon the racial composition of the jury at the close of jury selection, which was overruled by Judge Montgomery without a hearing. The State argues that Manning's objection to the racial make-up of the jury was not equivalent to a Batson challenge. Since Batson proscribes purposeful racial discrimination and not mere incidental exclusion of blacks from a jury, Govan v. State, 591 So.2d 428, 430 (Miss.1991) (emphasis in original), the State maintains that Judge Montgomery was correct in summarily overruling Manning's objection to the racial composition of the jury. However, where the grounds for objection are apparent from the context, we have held the error preserved for appeal. See Barnette v. State, 478 So.2d 800, 803 (Miss. 1985). Manning's objection to the racial composition of the jury was sufficiently clear to require a Batson hearing in this case. ¶ 34. Unlike the process followed in the first venire, the State did not offer race-neutral reasons for the two peremptory strikes used in the second venire. Judge Montgomery erred in failing to require the State to articulate sufficient race-neutral reasons for its strikes on members of the second venire. Such failure to follow the proper procedure required after a Batson challenge requires reversal for a Batson hearing. Batson, 476 U.S. at 100, 106 S.Ct. 1712; Berry v. State, 703 So.2d 269, 295 (Miss.1997); Thorson v. State, 653 So.2d 876, 896 (Miss.1994); Bush, 585 So.2d at 1268; Baskins v. State, 528 So.2d 1120, 1122 (Miss.1988); Abram v. State, 523 So.2d 1018, 1019 (Miss.1988); Dedeaux v. State, 519 So.2d 886, 891 (Miss.1988); Joseph v. State, 516 So.2d 505 (Miss.1987); Harper v. State, 510 So.2d 530, 532 (Miss. 1987); Williams v. State, 507 So.2d 50, 53-54 (Miss.1987). Following these cases, we remand this case for the trial court to conduct a Batson hearing, at which the State will be allowed to offer any raceneutral reasons for its peremptory strikes on members of the second venire, and Manning will be afforded an opportunity to rebut those reasons.