Opinion ID: 2533185
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Batson's Burden-Shifting Framework

Text: When a party raises a Batson challenge, the trial court uses a three-part burden-shifting framework to assess whether the challenged peremptory strike is based on an impermissible discriminatory motive. See Batson, 476 U.S. at 93-98, 106 S.Ct. 1712. First, the objecting party must make a prima facie case that opposing counsel exercised a peremptory challenge on the basis of a protected class. Hernandez v. New York, 500 U.S. 352, 358-59, 111 S.Ct. 1859, 114 L.Ed.2d 395 (1991). To establish a prima facie case of purposeful discrimination, the objecting party must show that the other party challenged members of a specific group and that the totality of the circumstances raises an inference of discriminatory motive. See Batson, 476 U.S. at 96-97, 106 S.Ct. 1712. Second, if a prima facie case is established, the burden shifts to the challenged party to present a nondiscriminatory reason for striking the jurors in question. See id. at 97, 106 S.Ct. 1712. At this stage, proffered explanations are deemed valid unless discriminatory intent is inherent in the challenged party's explanation. Although the [challenged party] must present a comprehensible reason, `[t]he second step of this process does not demand an explanation that is persuasive, or even plausible'; so long as the reason is not inherently discriminatory, it suffices. Rice v. Collins, 546 U.S. 333, 338, 126 S.Ct. 969, 163 L.Ed.2d 824 (2006) (quoting Purkett v. Elem, 514 U.S. 765, 767-68, 115 S.Ct. 1769, 131 L.Ed.2d 834 (1995)). Finally, if a valid reason is articulated, the trial court considers the totality of the circumstances to determine whether the objecting party has carried its burden of proving purposeful discrimination by a preponderance of the evidence. Hernandez, 500 U.S. at 363-64, 111 S.Ct. 1859. Despite Batson's three part framework, the ultimate burden of persuasion regarding improper motivation rests with, and never shifts from, the opponent of the strike. Rice, 546 U.S. at 333-34, 126 S.Ct. 969 (quoting Purkett, 514 U.S. at 768, 115 S.Ct. 1769).