Opinion ID: 1756872
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: Point Two: Batson Challenge

Text: In the second point, Appellant argues the trial court erred in overruling a Batson [3] challenge for juror Cottman. The State used a peremptory challenge to strike Cottman and Appellant made a Batson challenge. In response to the Batson challenge, the State's race-neutral reasons were Cottman's unwillingness to answer death penalty questions and her role as a foster parent with Annie Malone Children's Home, which provided services to Appellant as a youth. Appellant's only response was that another juror was a foster parent. The trial court allowed the strike. [4] Appellant preserved this point by objecting at trial and raising the issue in the motion for new trial. A peremptory strike may not be based on an improper purpose, such as race or gender, and is objected to by a Batson challenge. Johnson I, 207 S.W.3d at 35. A Batson challenge has three components: (1) the defendant must object that the state's peremptory challenge is based on an improper purpose, (2) the state has the burden to prove a race-neutral reason for the strike, and (3) the defendant has the burden to prove the reason is pretextual. State v. Edwards, 116 S.W.3d 511, 524 (Mo. banc 2003). To determine if pretext exists, this Court considers a non-exclusive list of factors including: the explanation in light of the circumstances; similarly situated jurors not struck; the relevance between the explanation and the case; the demeanor of the state and excluded venire members; the court's prior experiences with the prosecutor's office; and objective measures relating to motive. Id. at 527. The trial court's ruling is reversed only for clear error. Id. at 525. Failing to raise a Batson challenge with the trial court does not preserve the argument for appeal. State v. Strong, 142 S.W.3d 702, 713 (Mo. banc 2004). However, when the non-preserved claim involves a constitutional issue, it is reviewed for plain error. Id. at 714. During voir dire, Appellant argued the State's explanation for striking Cottman was pretextual because another member of the venire was also a foster parent but not struck. A review of the record shows no other venire member was involved with Annie Malone Children's Home, which was significant because it previously provided services to Appellant. The trial court did not err in finding the explanation was not pretextual. Because the trial court found one race-neutral reason to strike Cottman, it is unnecessary to review Appellant's argument that Cottman's unwillingness to answer death qualification questions was pretextual. See State v. Taylor, 18 S.W.3d 366, 370 n. 6 (Mo. banc 2000). Appellant also argued that the prosecutor's demeanor and that the trial court's previous experience with the prosecutor's office warrants pretextual behavior. As noted above, the prosecutor's decision to strike Cottman was not pretextual. There is no evidence that the State engaged in improper behavior to constitute a Batson violation regarding Cottman. A previous Batson violation by the same prosecutor's office does not constitute evidence of a Batson violation in this case, absent allegations relating to this specific case. The trial court did not err. The point is denied.