Opinion ID: 1824793
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: did the trial court err in failing to sustain porter's batson challenge?

Text: When a prima facie case of discrimination in the exercise of peremptory challenges has been made, the prosecution must supply racially neutral reasons for using peremptory challenges on minority members. Bush v. State, 585 So.2d 1262, 1268 (Miss. 1991), aff'd, 597 So.2d 656 (Miss. 1992). The defendant may then rebut the reasons offered by the prosecution. Bush, 585 So.2d at 1268, citing Taylor v. State, 524 So.2d 565 (Miss. 1988). We give great deference to the trial court's findings of fact regarding whether the prosecution articulated neutral, non-race-based explanations for striking jurors. Willie v. State, 585 So.2d 660, 672 (Miss. 1991). If the trial court was within its authority in making this determination, we will not reverse. Id. Two of the Black veniremen the State struck were challenged for the reason that they were of an age to be employed and had no occupation. Porter argues that the prosecution accepted three White veniremen who were unemployed, two who were homemakers and the third who was retired. The State responded that the retired venireman was of retirement age and that homemaking was a valid occupation. Porter has satisfied the first two prongs of Batson. Porter is Black and the prosecution exercised peremptory challenges toward the elimination of four members of the Black race. But has Porter shown that the prosecution used peremptory challenges to purposefully exclude veniremen because they were Black? Any racially discriminatory effect of excluding two Black veniremen because they were acquainted with Porter or with her family was incidental, therefore insufficient to satisfy the third prong of Batson. We are of the opinion that there exists a difference other than race between the two Black unemployed veniremen of employable age and the three Whites. Two of the Whites were employed, as homemaking is an honorable if somewhat tedious profession. The third White venireman was retired and of retirement age. Though the call is a very close one, we are of the opinion that the State successfully rebutted Porter's Batson challenge. There is no merit to this assignment of error.