Opinion ID: 1599358
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: the circuit court erred in disallowing the defendant's challenge to venire panelist number 19.

Text: ¶ 30. On review, the trial court's determinations under Batson are afforded great deference because they are, in large part, based on credibility. Coleman v. State, 697 So.2d 777, 785 (Miss.1997). This Court will not reverse any factual findings relating to a Batson challenge unless they are clearly erroneous. Id. ¶ 31. A party's peremptory challenge must pass constitutional muster. Batson v. Kentucky, 476 U.S. 79, 106 S.Ct. 1712, 90 L.Ed.2d 69 (1986). Batson protection has since been extended to civil trials, to strikes exercised by the defense, and to discriminatory strikes based on gender. See Edmonson v. Leesville Concrete Co., 500 U.S. 614, 631, 111 S.Ct. 2077, 114 L.Ed.2d 660 (1991) ( Batson extended to civil context); Georgia v. McCollum, 505 U.S. 42, 59, 112 S.Ct. 2348, 120 L.Ed.2d 33 (1992) (extending Batson to strikes exercised by criminal defendant); J.E.B. v. Alabama, 511 U.S. 127, 141, 114 S.Ct. 1419, 128 L.Ed.2d 89 (1994) (applying Batson to gender). ¶ 32. To determine whether a party improperly used a peremptory challenge to discriminate against a potential juror, the objecting party [opponent] must first make a prima facie showing of discrimination that race was the criteria for the exercise of challenge. Stewart v. State, 662 So.2d 552, 557-58 (Miss.1995). The burden then shifts to the party exercising the challenge [proponent] to offer a nondiscriminatory reason for its strike. Id. It is then left to the trial court to determine whether the objecting party has met its burden to prove there has been purposeful discrimination in exercise of the challenge. Id. We consider each prong of the Batson test separately.
¶ 33. Traditionally, a prima facie showing of discrimination required that the opponent of the strike show: 1. That he is a member of a cognizable racial group; 2. That the proponent has exercised peremptory challenges toward the elimination of veniremen of his race; and 3. That facts and circumstances raised an inference that the proponent used his peremptory challenges for the purpose of striking minorities. Batson, 476 U.S. at 96, 106 S.Ct. 1712. ¶ 34. This test has been modified somewhat by the Supreme Court's decision in Powers v. Ohio, 499 U.S. 400, 111 S.Ct. 1364, 113 L.Ed.2d 411 (1991). There, the Court held that Powers, a white, had standing to challenge the exclusion of black jurors on the grounds that the equal protection right of the juror to serve was protected by Batson. Powers, 499 U.S. at 406, 111 S.Ct. 1364. Essentially, this means that step three above becomes the pivotal inquiry to determine a prima facie case. See Davis v. State, 660 So.2d 1228, 1240 (Miss.1995). The decisive question is whether the opponent of the strike has met the burden of showing that the proponent has engaged in a pattern of strikes based on race or gender, or in other words the totality of the relevant facts gives rise to an inference of discriminatory purpose. Batson, 476 U.S. at 94, 106 S.Ct. 1712. ¶ 35. The State made a reverse Batson challenge due to the fact that Henley had used his first three peremptory challenges to strike three white females. This Court has examined the number of strikes on a particular class, the ultimate ethnic or gender makeup of the jury, the nature of questions asked during voir dire, and the overall demeanor of the attorney. See Coleman v. State, 697 So.2d 777, 786 (Miss.1997); Davis, 660 So.2d at 1263 (Banks, J., concurring); Mack v. State, 650 So.2d 1289, 1299 (Miss.1994), cert. denied, 516 U.S. 880, 116 S.Ct. 214, 133 L.Ed.2d 146 (1995). [T]he [opponent of the strike] is entitled to rely on the fact, ... that peremptory challenges constitute a jury selection practice that permits `those to discriminate who are of a mind to discriminate'. Batson, 476 U.S. at 96, 106 S.Ct. 1712 (citation omitted); Simon v. State, 688 So.2d 791, 808 (Miss.1997). ¶ 36. Courts, including this one, have recognized that such factual intensive inquiries give rise to a highly deferential standard of review. Batson, 476 U.S. at 98 n. 21, 106 S.Ct. 1712; Collins v. State, 691 So.2d 918, 926 (Miss.1997); Davis, 660 So.2d at 1242. Traveling under this deferential standard, it is clear that the judge was within his discretion in determining that a prima facie case of discrimination existed.
¶ 37. All that is required here is that the proponent of the strike give race or gender neutral reasons for the strike. Batson, 476 U.S. at 97, 106 S.Ct. 1712. Any reason which is not facially violative of equal protection will suffice. Purkett v. Elem, 514 U.S. 765, 767-68, 115 S.Ct. 1769, 131 L.Ed.2d 834 (1995). Henley's gender and race neutral explanations for striking panelist # 19 was that she was a housewife and unemployed. Additionally, he felt that she could not be fair and impartial, but was unable to give specific reasons because the information was received in confidence. While being a housewife is by its definition not gender neutral, Henley's other reasons are not facially violative of equal protection, and thus they pass the second prong of the Batson analysis. However, the teachings of Purkett make clear that a facially neutral reason under step two is not necessarily a non-pre-textual one under step three.
¶ 38. This prong requires that the trial court determine if the opponent of the strike has carried his overall burden of proving purposeful discrimination. Primarily, this determination will turn on whether the proponent's proffered reasons are pretextual. The court will examine the reasons given by the proponent; and, as explained in Purkett, at that stage, implausible or fantastic justifications may (and probably will) be found to be pretexts for purposeful discrimination. Purkett, 514 U.S. at 768, 115 S.Ct. 1769. ¶ 39. Determination of pretext involves an analysis of factual findings which are similar to those found under step one: the extent and nature of voir dire on the grounds upon which the strike is being exercised; [6] the relation between the reasons for the strike and the facts of the case; [7] the demeanor of the attorney and the prospective juror; [8] and, disparate impact upon a minority or gender class. [9] ¶ 40. The term housewife necessarily limits the class to females. This is not a gender neutral reason and can be dismissed. This Court has previously held that unemployment is a valid, racially neutral reason for striking a potential juror. See, e.g., Mack, 650 So.2d at 1299. The trial judge did not state his reasons for seeing this explanation as pretextual. Nor, did he say that the reason was pretextual; we infer pretext because the trial judge disallowed the challenge when Prather would not state additional reasons into the record. Apparently, the trial court focused on the fact that Prather would not state his additional reasons into the record, which implies that the court regarded unemployment as a pretext for purposeful discrimination. ¶ 41. In Mack, we recognized that the stronger the prima facie case, the more cogent the explanations from the proponent and supporting evidence must be and vice versa. Mack, 650 So.2d at 1298. In other words, the relative strength of the prima facie case of purposeful discrimination established at step one will often directly color the inquiry into whether any given reason is mere pretext. Id. These determinations fall squarely within the province and expertise of the trial judge, who will not be reversed except upon a showing of clear error. Batson, 476 U.S. at 98 n. 21, 106 S.Ct. 1712; Collins, 691 So.2d at 926; Davis, 660 So.2d at 1242. Viewing the record as a whole, we cannot say that the trial judge was clearly erroneous in disallowing Henley's peremptory challenge of # 19. The State made a reverse Batson challenge based on the fact that Henley had used his first three strikes on three white female jurors. At least one of Henley's proffered reasons, that # 19 was a housewife, was not gender neutral. The trial judge had the opportunity to judge the demeanor of the attorney making the proffer and examine his reasons while observing the attorney. While unemployment is facially neutral, it is apparent that the trial judge viewed this reason as a pretext for purposeful discrimination. When Henley failed to give additional reasons for his challenge, the trial judge declined to accept unemployment as a nondiscriminatory reason. Under the facts contained in the record before us, we cannot say that this determination was clearly erroneous.