Opinion ID: 2336472
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: commonwealth's use of peremptory strikes

Text: Appellant is African-American, while the victim was Caucasian, as are Bradley and Neill. Of the thirty-three (33) prospective jurors called in Appellant and Bradley's case, four were African-American. The Commonwealth used its peremptory challenges to strike three of the four African-Americans from the jury and Appellant challenged the Commonwealth's use of peremptory strikes as racially motivated. Before the jury was sworn, the trial judge overruled Appellant's objection to the Commonwealth's use of its peremptory challenges. The Commonwealth indicated at the bench conference that prospective Juror # 52 had been stricken because the prosecutor had tried a murder case against her son, who was ultimately convicted of murder. Prospective Juror # 40 was stricken because her brother had successfully sued, and recovered a judgment against a police officer, and/or department, for false arrest. Finally, the Commonwealth asserted that prospective Juror # 66 was stricken because she had been approached by a witness in the case and had spoken about the case, and she had recently been stopped by Paducah police and charged with a series of traffic offenses. Appellant asserted then, and now, that those reasons were merely pretextual, noting that none of these issues were raised by the Commonwealth during voir dire. Also, prospective Juror # 40 was questioned about her ability to be fair if she served on the jury and she repeatedly indicated that she could be fair. The Commonwealth argues that this issue has not been properly preserved, as the objection was not raised until after the prospective jurors who had been stricken had been discharged and had left the courtroom. This assertion is without merit. The Commonwealth cites Simmons v. Commonwealth, Ky., 746 S.W.2d 393 (1988), wherein a Batson challenge was held to be untimely where defense counsel specifically stated that he had no objection to the jury, the prospective jurors who were not chosen for the jury had been discharged, and the jury had been sworn. In the case at bar, the names of the fourteen (14) jurors were called, immediately after which the trial judge began to thank the potential jurors who were not selected and to discuss his own experiences as a juror. Appellant raised the objection as soon as was practicable, under the circumstances, and before the jury had been sworn. Washington v. Commonwealth, Ky., 34 S.W.3d 376 (2000). Thus, the objection was timely and the issue was properly preserved for appeal. In Batson v. Kentucky, 476 U.S. 79, 106 S.Ct. 1712, 90 L.Ed.2d 69 (1986) the United States Supreme Court outlined a three-step process for evaluating claims that prospective jurors were stricken on the basis of race in violation of the Equal Protection Clause. First, the defendant must make a prima facie showing of racial bias for the peremptory challenge. Second, if the requisite showing has been made, the burden shifts to the Commonwealth to articulate `clear and reasonably specific' race-neutral reasons for its use of a peremptory challenge. While the reasons need not rise to the level justifying a challenge for cause, `self-serving explanations based on intuition or disclaimer of discriminatory motive' are insufficient. Stanford v. Commonwealth, Ky., 793 S.W.2d 112, 114 (1990) (quoting Batson, supra, at 98, 106 S.Ct. 1712). Finally, the trial court has the duty to evaluate the credibility of the proffered reasons and determine if the defendant has established purposeful discrimination. Washington v. Commonwealth, Ky., 34 S.W.3d 376 (2000). A judge cannot merely accept the reasons proffered at face value, but must evaluate those reasons as he or she would weigh any disputed fact. In order to permit the questioned challenge, the trial judge must conclude that the proffered reasons are, first, neutral and reasonable, and second, not a pretext. These two requirements are necessary to demonstrate `clear and reasonably specific . . . legitimate reasons.' Wright v. State, 586 So.2d 1024 (Fla.1991). (quoting State v. Slappy, 522 So.2d 18 (Fla.1987)). With respect to the first prong of the Batson test, this Court has found that once the Commonwealth has offered a race-neutral explanation for the peremptory challenge and the trial court has ruled on the ultimate issue of discrimination, the preliminary issue of whether the defendant has made a prima facie showing is moot. Commonwealth v. Snodgrass, Ky., 831 S.W.2d 176 (1992). (citing Hernandez v. New York, 500 U.S. 352, 111 S.Ct. 1859, 114 L.Ed.2d 395 (1991)). Thus, the first prong of Batson has been rendered moot by the circumstances herein. The Commonwealth has clearly met the second prong of the Batson three-prong test. The Commonwealth articulated clear and reasonably specific race-neutral reasons for its use of the peremptory challenges, in that one juror's son had been prosecuted by the prosecutor in the case sub judice, one juror had talked with a witness in the trial, and, less impressively, had recently received a number of traffic citations from the Paducah police, and that the third juror stricken had a close relative who had filed suit for false arrest and had recovered against the police officer and/or department. As to Appellant's assertion that the Commonwealth should have inquired into these incidents with each potential juror, this Court has previously held that such inquiry is not required before exercising a peremptory challenge. Commonwealth v. Snodgrass, Ky., 831 S.W.2d 176 (1992). In the third prong of the Batson test, the trial judge weighed the evidence before him and decided that Appellant had not shown purposeful discrimination in the Commonwealth's use of its peremptory challenges. The trial court is afforded great discretion in making its determination under Batson . The trial court may accept at face value the explanation given by the prosecutor depending upon the demeanor and credibility of the prosecutor. Stanford v. Commonwealth, 793 S.W.2d 112 (1990). The trial judge's decision is not clearly erroneous and thus will not be set aside. Hernandez v. New York, 500 U.S. 352, 111 S.Ct. 1859, 114 L.Ed.2d 395 (1991), Commonwealth v. Snodgrass, Ky., 831 S.W.2d 176 (1992).