Opinion ID: 2548141
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Batson Step One

Text: To establish a prima facie case, the objecting party must show: (1) the striking party's challenge was directed at a member of a cognizable group; (2) the challenge was peremptory rather than for cause; and (3) relevant circumstances sufficient to raise an inference that the peremptory was used to strike the venire-person on account of his being a member of that cognizable group. Batson, 476 U.S. at 96, 106 S.Ct. 1712; Sparks, 68 So.3d at 468; Givens, 776 So.2d at 449. If the trial court determines the opponent failed to establish the threshold requirement of a prima facie case (step one), then the analysis is at an end and the burden never shifts to the proponent of the strike to articulate neutral reasons (step two). Sparks, 68 So.3d at 468-89; State v. Duncan, 1999-2615 (La.10/16/01), 802 So.2d 533, 544. We find it is unnecessary to determine whether the trial court erred in finding the State satisfied the first step of Batson by making a prima facie showing of racial discrimination by defendants. Here, because defendants offered race-neutral reasons for their use of peremptory challenges, the preliminary issue of whether the State made a prima face showing is moot. Hernandez v. New York, 500 U.S. 352, 359, 111 S.Ct. 1859, 1866, 114 L.Ed.2d 395 (1991); Sparks, 68 So.3d at 473; State v. Allen, 2003-2418 (La.6/29/05), 913 So.2d 788, 798; State v. Jacobs, 1999-0991 (La.5/15/01), 803 So.2d 933, 941; State v. Myers, 1999-1803 (La.4/11/00), 761 So.2d 498, 502. We have previously held that the trial court may effectively collapse the first two stages of the Batson procedure, whether or not the [State] established a prima facie case of purposeful discrimination, and may then perform the critical third step of weighing the [State's] proof and the [defendant's] race-neutral reasons to determine discriminatory intent. Jacobs, 803 So.2d at 941. Our analysis proceeds to review of the trial court's application of steps two and three of Batson.