Opinion ID: 513263
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: racially motivated jury selection

Text: 91 Relying on Batson v. Kentucky, 476 U.S. 79, 106 S.Ct. 1712, 90 L.Ed.2d 69 (1986), Nelson argues that the Government violated his fifth amendment rights by using its peremptory challenges to exclude blacks from the petit jury. For the reasons discussed below, we find this argument to be without merit. 92  In Batson v. Kentucky, the Supreme Court eased the burden of proving that the prosecution engaged in purposeful discrimination by exercising its peremptory challenges to strike blacks from the petit jury. The Court ruled that a defendant may establish a prima facie case of purposeful discrimination in the selection of the petit jury solely on evidence concerning the prosecutor's exercise of peremptory challenges at the defendant's trial. Id. at 94-98, 106 S.Ct. at 1722-23. To establish a prima facie case, the defendant must first show that he is a member of a cognizable racial group, and that the prosecutor has exercised peremptory challenges to remove members of his race from the venire. Id. at 96-98, 106 S.Ct. at 1723. 13 He then must show that these facts and any other relevant circumstances raise an inference that the prosecutor used [peremptory challenges] to exclude the veniremen from the petit jury on account of their race. Id. at 96-98, 106 S.Ct. at 1723. If the defendant is able to show these factors are present in the impanelling of the petit jury, an inference of purposeful discrimination arises. Ibid. 93 The district court must examine all relevant circumstances in determining whether a prima facie case has been shown.For example, a pattern of strikes against black jurors included in the particular venire might give rise to an inference of discrimination. Similarly, the prosecutor's questions and statements during voir dire examination and in exercising his challenges may support or refute an inference of discriminatory purpose. These examples are merely illustrative. 94 Ibid. Although both the defense and the prosecution may have a great interest presenting their views on this issue, the trial court bears the ultimate responsibility for determining whether a prima facie case has been established. See, Ibid. (We have confidence that trial judges, experienced in supervising voir dire, will be able to decide if the circumstances concerning the prosecutor's use of peremptory challenges creates a prima facie case of discrimination against black jurors.). 95 Once a defendant has made a prima facie case, the burden shifts to the [prosecutor] to come forward with a neutral explanation for challenging black jurors. Ibid. In the instant case, however, the burden never shifted because the district court found that Nelson had failed to establish a prima facie case of purposeful discrimination. Where this burden-shifting step is never reached, the only issue for review is whether the district court erred in determining there was no prima facie case shown. B 96 We have difficulty considering Nelson's contention because of his failure to establish a full record for intelligent appellate review. In order to meet the first two requirements of a prima facie case, we must know the race of the defendant, and whether the prosecutor has exercised a peremptory challenge to exclude at least one person of that race. However, it will be relevant to the third and crucial requirement of a prima facie case to know: 1) the racial composition of the initial group seated and the final jury panel sworn; 2) the number of peremptory strikes allowed each side; and 3) the race of those who were struck or excused from the jury panel throughout the voir dire (whether for cause or by a peremptory challenge), the order of strikes, and by whom they were exercised. 14 In an appropriate case, it may also be useful to consider evidence as to the percentage of the cognizable racial group in the jury pool, or the racial composition of the district wherein the jury pool is selected. United States v. Clemons, 843 F.2d 741, 748 n. 5 (3d Cir.1988). 97 The defendant has the burden of producing a record in support of a prima facie case of purposeful discrimination. The prosecutor may assist the defense in creating a record, as the Government did here, but is under no obligation to help establish a prima facie case. The district court must provide the defense some leeway to enable it to produce a proper record, but ultimately this is an issue committed to its sound discretion. 98 In reviewing the record, we are able to discern the following information. In the first trial held in this case, a jury was impanelled consisting of 8 whites and 4 blacks. After the district court conducted voir dire, the government exercised two challenges--against 1 white and 1 black juror. The defense exercised 7 challenges, all against whites. Subsequently, there were three more sets of strikes, but there is no record of the race of those excluded or of the racial composition of the final jurors chosen. Eventually, a mistrial was declared and the jury was dismissed. 99 Although we have considerably more information concerning the second trial, the information is not complete. The original panel of twelve potential jurors seated consisted of 7 blacks and 5 whites. Two jurors were excused for cause; two persons took their place. In the first round of strikes, 7 potential jurors were excused. The government struck 3 blacks; the defense struck 1 black and 3 whites. That left 3 blacks and 2 whites, all of whom were eventually sworn. Seven more persons were added to the panel to reach a full complement of twelve. The court conducted voir dire as to the seven. 100 In the second round of strikes, 5 of the 7 new jurors were excused. It is unclear how many of these 5 were excluded by the Government, although we do know that such strikes as it used were against blacks. After these 5 were excluded, the jury contained 5 blacks and 2 whites, which meant that 2 additional blacks were seated after the second round of strikes. These 2 blacks were eventually sworn. Five more persons were seated to reach a full complement of twelve, one of whom was subsequently replaced for cause. 101 In the third round, 2 more jurors were excluded, but the record does not reflect their race. However, the record does reflect that the jury then consisted of 7 blacks and 3 whites, which meant that of the 3 persons added after the third round of strikes, 2 were black and 1 was white. Two more persons were seated to reach a full complement of twelve, one of whom was replaced for cause. 102 In the fourth round, the 2 replacements were excluded. The Government struck 1 black. That left, as before, 7 blacks and 3 whites on the jury. Two more persons (race unknown) were again added, one of whom was struck in the fifth round. An additional person (race unknown) was seated, and he was acceptable to both sides, inasmuch as the sixth round of strikes did not produce any exclusions. An alternate was added, and she was not struck in the seventh, and final, round. Although the racial composition of the jury that was eventually sworn is not known, the record establishes that the final jury panel contained at least 7 blacks. C 103 Nelson, who is black, argues here, as he did unsuccessfully below, that all of the prosecutor's challenges in the second trial were against blacks. The district court concluded that Nelson failed to make a prima facie showing of purposeful discrimination. We agree. The only evidence that Nelson proffers in support of his prima facie case is the fact that all the Government's peremptory challenges were against blacks. Although the record supports this contention, standing alone it does not raise the necessary inference of purposeful discrimination. In reaching this conclusion, we emphasize the important role that the district court plays in making this assessment, and this court's deference to that finding. See Batson, 476 U.S. at 96-98, 106 S.Ct. at 1723. 104 We reject Nelson's underlying premise that an inference of intentional discrimination will always arise if, without more, there is a showing that the prosecution used all its peremptory challenges to exclude blacks. We reject such a per se rule, particularly because it does not take into account considerations that may be very relevant, including the percentage of the racial group in the district jury pool or original jury; the pattern of strikes exercised by the defense; the number of strikes available to the government; and the composition of the ultimate jury sworn. 105 The Supreme Court's mandate in Batson to consider all the facts and circumstances means that we cannot lay down clear rules as to the specific numbers or percentages that will constitute or refute a prima facie case. However, we can state a number of factors which tend to support or refute the inference of discrimination necessary to make a prima facie case. Our discussion of these factors assumes a case such as we have here, where the government's peremptory challenges have all (or mostly) been against members of a cognizable racial group to which the defendant belongs. 106 If, after the jury selection process has ended, the final jury sworn has a percentage of minority members that is significantly less than the percentage in the group originally drawn for the jury (or in the whole jury pool or in the district), then that would be a factor pointing toward an inference of discrimination. If, on the other hand, the percentage of minority members in the ultimate jury is the same or greater, that would be a factor tending to negate the inference of discrimination. 107 If there are minority members on the jury but the prosecutor did not use all its peremptory challenges, that would be a factor tending to refute discrimination. However, if all the prosecutor's challenges were used, that fact would point toward an inference of discrimination. 108 Moreover, if the defense did not display a pattern of strikes against non-minority members, that fact might support an inference of discrimination. Yet, if the defense has clearly engaged in a pattern of striking non-minority members, that might make an inference of discrimination arising from the prosecution's opposing strikes less tenable. As an extreme example, if the defense strikes all six whites from an original jury panel of six blacks and six whites, there is a lesser inference of discrimination from the fact that the prosecution's subsequent strikes fall solely on the six remaining blacks. 15 109 Nelson failed to present information concerning these relevant factors, and much of this information cannot be gleaned from the record. Nevertheless, this information was within the purview of the able and experienced trial judge in this case, and we see no reason to overturn her judgment. 110 In assessing all relevant circumstances, as directed by the Supreme Court, the district court found it significant that the jury which eventually was selected in the second trial consisted of a majority of blacks. To be sure, the inclusion of blacks on a jury will not always bar a prima facie case, especially where other facts and circumstances give rise to an inference of purposeful discrimination. As the Third Circuit has said, 111 [W]e doubt the significance of including a single black on a panel if, at the same time, the government used most of its peremptory challenges (e.g., thirteen of sixteen) to strike blacks with backgrounds similar to white jurors ultimately selected. In that case, the mere presence of a single black on the jury would not necessarily prevent a finding of a prima facie case. 112 Clemons, 843 F.2d at 747. However, the facts and circumstances in the instant case reveal that the government accepted many blacks throughout the jury selection process, and ultimately accepted a jury with a majority of blacks. We thus cannot say the district court erred in concluding that Nelson failed to raise an inference of purposeful discrimination on the basis of race. United States v. Montgomery, 819 F.2d 847, 850-51 (8th Cir.1987); United States v. Dennis, 804 F.2d 1208, 1210-11 (11th Cir.1986), cert. denied, --- U.S. ----, 107 S.Ct. 1973, 95 L.Ed.2d 814 (1987). 113 Having considered the remaining contentions, and finding them without merit, we AFFIRM all the convictions. 114