Opinion ID: 1776668
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 11

Heading: Whether the trial court erred in the selection of the jury and in the State's use of peremptory challenges.

Text: ¶ 41. Randolph asserts that the trial court erred in ruling that the defense did not make a prima facie case under Batson v. Kentucky, 476 U.S. 79, 106 S.Ct. 1712, 90 L.Ed.2d 69 (1986). The State struck seven (7) African-American jurors from the venire out of ten total peremptory challenges exercised by the State. Randolph is African-American. Furthermore, Randolph claims that the facts and circumstances raise the inference that the seven strikes were made for the sole purpose of striking minorities. In support of his argument, Randolph asserts that the State, in response to defense counsel's remark to the trial court that the State used seven challenges to remove African-Americans, replied Damn right. The response by the State is, in Randolph's opinion, evidence that the strikes were intentionally used to keep African-Americans off the jury panel.