Opinion ID: 1036479
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Jury Selection in Lee’s Trial

Text: Initially, the state trial court granted deferrals for hardship and inconvenience. Then outside the venire’s presence, Lee’s trial counsel moved to require the prosecutor to turn over the criminal histories of all venire members.13 The prosecutor replied that he would provide the criminal history of anyone he struck on that basis. 12 We primarily look to Supreme Court holdings extant at the time of Lee’s 2000 trial and 2001-2003 direct appeal. Although Johnson, Miller-El, and Snyder were decided after Lee’s trial and direct appeal, we find their holdings consistent with principles already set forth by the Supreme Court in Batson, Purkett, and Hernandez, which were decided before Lee’s trial and direct appeal. See McGahee v. Ala. Dep’t of Corr., 560 F.3d 1252, 1261 n.13 (11th Cir. 2009). 13 Lee’s counsel had made a pretrial request for this information too. 57 Case: 12-14421 Date Filed: 08/01/2013 Page: 58 of 128 The trial court had each potential juror give his or her name, occupation, marital status, and if married, his or her spouse’s name and occupation. The court asked the venire a series of general questions, after which the attorneys questioned the venire. Given the capital murder charges against Lee, the primary focus of voir dire was the venire members’ views on the death penalty. That afternoon, the state trial court broke the venire into smaller panels, and the court, prosecution, and defense asked questions of each panel regarding the death penalty. The defense moved once again to receive copies of all venire members’ criminal histories, and the prosecution gave them to the defense. The parties then exercised strikes. After cause strikes, there were 53 venire members remaining, consisting of 32 black persons (60.4%) and 21 white persons (39.6%). After peremptory challenges, the final jury consisted of 9 black jurors (75%) and 3 white jurors (25%), with one black alternate and one white alternate. The defense used its 20 peremptory strikes on 18 white and 2 black venire members. The State used all of its 21 peremptory strikes on black venire members. The record indicates that each party’s last strike still sat as an alternate.14 Before the jury was sworn, Lee’s counsel made a Batson motion, stressing 14 We recognize that it is arguably inconsistent to say that a party’s stricken juror still sat as an alternate. But that is what the record shows occurred. And as noted later, the State’s last strike—alternate juror Kevin Stevens—was ultimately seated on the jury at the end of the guilt phase. 58 Case: 12-14421 Date Filed: 08/01/2013 Page: 59 of 128 the State’s use of all of its peremptory strikes against black venire members. Lee’s counsel asserted that this district attorney’s office had a “history of racial discrimination in making jury selection[s]” and “many cases overturned with Batson problems.” The trial court asked, “How long have they had that problem? I don’t ever remember [prosecutor Edgar] Greene having one.” Lee’s counsel cited only one case, “Robert Thomas v. State,” and stated that “given the fact that the State [h]as exercised all of their peremptory challenges striking all Blacks,” the defense had made a prima facie case under Batson. The trial court required the State to respond with reasons for its strikes. Prosecutor Greene responded that “[f]irst of all, Judge, there’s no history of racial discrimination in striking the jury either in the District Attorney’s Office or in this Circuit.” Greene added that “[t]here’s been very few cases, if any, overturned on that basis.” Next Greene said, “Secondly, such action has not been done in this case. Most of the strikes the State has made in this case are based on the opposition of jurors to the death penalty, and we’re trying a death penalty case.” Although the State did not make its own Batson motion, Greene did point out that “the defense, most of its strikes, were striking White jurors. In fact, I think all but three or four were exercised to remove White jurors from the panel.” 59 Case: 12-14421 Date Filed: 08/01/2013 Page: 60 of 128 Prosecutor Greene then explained his specific race-neutral reasons for each of the State’s 21 peremptory strikes. We quote what Greene said to the trial court because the state appellate court quoted it too, and we review these reasons later on. Prosecutor Greene gave his strike reasons for each venire member: [A]s to strike number 139, Demond Martin, [he] has a general opposition to the death penalty, and does have a bit of an arrest record. The next strike was number 194, Alice Scott who has an arrest record of some note. Number 88 was the next strike, David Gutridge—no, Johnnie Hall, he opposed the death penalty. Didn’t want to answer questions about it, does have an arrest record. Our number 17 [Angela Blythe] was strike number four. .... Mrs. Blythe [was] opposed to the death penalty. Strike number five was number 56, Jerry Edwards. Opposed to the death penalty. Strike number six was juror number 100, Jessica Howard, opposed to the death penalty. Strike number seven was number 23, Mona Brown, opposed to the death penalty. Strike number eight was juror number five, Sherry Baker. Opposed to the death penalty. Strike number nine was Quintin Alexander, juror number one. He has knowledge of the defendant. Knew his family. Very uncomfortable about it. Strike number 10 was juror number 149, [Ora] Moore. Opposed to the death penalty. Didn’t want to serve. Very uncooperative about the questions I asked. Strike number 11 was 126 Mary Kelley. Opposed to the death penalty. Strike number 12, number 171, Genett Pettway, opposed to the death penalty. Strike number 13 was 191, Vernell Saterfield. [She] was generally opposed to the death penalty. Has been involved in an incident where her spouse was charged with a drug offense and been found not guilty, and she was involved in some type of altercation with somebody. Strike number 14 was 155, Josephine Murry. Opposed to the death penalty. Strike number 15, was number 123, Towanda Jones. Opposed to the death penalty. Strike number 16 was 105, Ethel Hunter. Opposed to the death penalty. Strike number 17 was 246, Johnny Wilmer. Opposed to the death penalty. Strike number 18 was 146, Mary Mitchell. Opposed to 60 Case: 12-14421 Date Filed: 08/01/2013 Page: 61 of 128 the death penalty. Strike number 19 was number 86, David Gutridge. Family member involved and convicted of a property crime. Opposed to the death penalty. Very uncooperative about answers. He had to be struck. Number 20 was number 57, [Annie] Ellis. Opposed to the death penalty. Very cooperative [sic] about the answer. Our final strike was number 213, Kevin Stevens. Child support hearing this week. Wanted to be off for that. I only assume we’re prosecuting same. Struck him for that reason. In summary, the prosecutor’s reasons were: (1) 13 venire members were struck because they opposed the death penalty; (2) five venire members were struck for being opposed to the death penalty and other reasons, including because the venire member had an arrest record, was uncooperative in answering questions, had a spouse charged with a drug offense, and/or was involved or had a family member involved in a property crime; (3) one venire member was struck because of a pending child-support prosecution, probably by the same prosecutor’s office; (4) one venire member was struck due to an arrest record; and (5) one venire member was struck because he knew the defendant. After prosecutor Greene’s statement of reasons, the state trial court found, “It appears you have given factually race valid reasons for striking.” The trial court also pointed out the makeup of the impaneled jury, noting that only 30% of the selected jury was white. The record confirms that, after cause and before peremptory challenges, the jury venire was about 40% white and 60% black, and the selected jury with alternates was 30% white and 70% black. 61 Case: 12-14421 Date Filed: 08/01/2013 Page: 62 of 128 Without counting the alternates, the 12 member jury was 25% white and 75% black. After the trial court’s comments, Lee’s counsel did not contest, dispute, or otherwise object to any of the prosecutor’s reasons for 20 of the 21 struck venire members. Instead, he challenged only the prosecutor’s child-support prosecution reason for striking Kevin Stevens, venire member 213, as follows: Judge, for the record, and to preserve the record, we’re going to object to the last strike, Kevin Stevens, No. 213. The District Attorney gave the reason being he’s going to be in child support court. There’s no indication that there’s any problem with him being in child support with any animosity towards the District Attorney’s Office or him going to court. The mere fact that he’s appeared in court is no reason why he should be struck from the jury. Even as to Stevens, Lee’s counsel did not dispute the truth of the factual premise of prosecutor Greene’s stated reason that Stevens was going to be in a child-support hearing prosecuted by Greene’s office, but argued only that it was no valid reason to strike that venire member. In response, Greene explained that his office prosecuted child-support cases and “[u]nfortunately that tends to create some difficulty with defendants that come before the Court. They feel somehow we’re prosecuting them for a crime.” The trial court then stated to the defense: “All right, I’m going to overrule your motion.” After closing arguments in the guilt phase and outside the jury’s presence, 62 Case: 12-14421 Date Filed: 08/01/2013 Page: 63 of 128 the trial court determined that one juror had not appeared for trial that day, Darrell Minter, a black juror, and therefore, an alternate juror would be used. The two alternate jurors were the last strikes of the State (Kevin Stevens, who is black) and the defense (Melinda Poe, who is white). Without objection, the trial court seated Stevens. Consequently, even with the use of an alternate, Lee’s jury was still 75% black. The trial court observed that “since Kevin Stevens was the only one defense objected to on Batson [grounds], I guess that takes care of that too.” In his direct appeal, Lee raised several new Batson arguments that were not made in the trial court. We focus on the state appellate court’s decision because it is the last reasoned decision of the state courts on Lee’s Batson claim. See Greene v. Upton, 644 F.3d 1145, 1155 (11th Cir. 2011); Sweet v. Sec’y, Dep’t of Corr., 467 F.3d 1311, 1317 (11th Cir. 2006).