Opinion ID: 1133476
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: Was Webster's use of his peremptory challenges racially motived?

Text: ¶ 6. Webster first argues that the Court of Appeals' opinion is in conflict with Batson v. Kentucky, 476 U.S. 79, 106 S.Ct. 1712, 90 L.Ed.2d 69 (1986). Specifically he argues that he gave a race neutral reason for striking Morris Favi from the panel in that he was in a position of management at Cooper Rubber and Tire when his attorney, Cheryl Webster, successfully sued the company for discriminatory employment practices. He further argues he did not strike two other jurors, one of which was white and one of which was African American, who worked for the same company because they were labor, not management. Webster goes on to state that because Favi was allowed to serve on the jury, he was judged by a tainted juror and two people who worked for the tainted juror. ¶ 7. On this issue, the Court of Appeals found: In the case sub judice, Webster exercised his first five peremptory challenges on white jurors. Webster then attempted to strike Juror No. 2, and the State objected challenging the strike under Batson and its progeny. It is this Court's finding that determination of whether a prima facie case exists must focus on whether Webster was excluding all or almost all of the potential white jurors. Since that occurred here, an explanation was required. Webster then gave his explanation for striking Juror No. 2, and the court rejected it holding that it was not race-neutral. Webster attempted to further justify the strike, but the court refused to change its ruling. As stated above, trust is placed in a trial judge to determine whether or not a discriminatory motive drives the reasons given for striking a potential juror. The determination of discriminatory intent will likely turn on a trial judge's evaluation of a presenter's credibility and whether an explanation should be believed. Id.; Batson, 476 U.S. at 98[, 106 S.Ct. 1712]. Thus, trial courts are given great deference in their findings of fact surrounding a Batson challenge. Lockett, 517 So.2d at 1350. This deference specifically includes a trial judge's determination of any racially discriminatory motive underlying any articulated reasons given. Harper, 635 So.2d at 868. The following dialogue occurred between the parties when Webster attempted to strike Juror No. 2: BY MR. ROSSI: Your Honor, the State would challenge under [ Batson ] and its progeny. The defense's strikes, they have levied a total of five strikes striking all white jurors with those five strikes and several of these jurors have not responded to any questions regarding any of the things that the Court or the attorneys asked in the open court, to differentiate them from any other jurors that are left on the panel. BY THE COURT: All right. Ms. Webster, what is your reasons [sic] for striking D-1 which is Juror No. 2? BY MS. WEBSTER: Oh, Morris Favi, is because I had sued Cooper Tire when he was plant manager for discrimination and that the party that I had sued him for, I believe, was Anna Webster. BY THE COURT: Who is Anna Webster? BY MS. WEBSTER: Anna Webster is J.W. Webster's sister-in-law and I won. And so I would strike Morris Favi because of that particular conflict. . . . . BY MR. ROSSI: First of all Mr. Favi was asked whether or not he knew Mr. Webster, the attorney, and he indicated he did not. The fact that he works at a company that has been sued by Ms. Webster, and I don't doubt that she has represented she has sued that company, that [she has] is not grounds to then strike Mr. Favi. I further point out that there are other Cooper Tire employees who are on the list, who are black, who have not been struck. BY MS. WEBSTER: Well, he was the plant manager, I believe, at the time. BY THE COURT: In view of the fact that there are other jurors similarly situated, Ms. Webster, who were not stricken and those other jurors being white and the first one that I see is Henry Larry, the Court reinstates Juror No. 2 who becomes our first juror. BY MS. WEBSTER: Did you say Henry Larry was white? BY MR. ROSSI: No, Henry Larry, I believe is black. BY THE COURT: Is a black person who works at the same company who was not stricken. BY MS. WEBSTER: Well, yes, but I have no idea that he was even working there at the time when the lawsuit took place. BY THE COURT: Okay. Well, you may make exception to the Court's ruling but the Court has ruled.... As stated in the aforementioned, Webster gave additional reasons to justify the strike after the judge's ruling stating that he had accepted a white juror who was an employee of the same company, and that Juror No. 2 was in management with the company and the other jurors from the same company were not. However, the trial judge did not change his ruling. After careful review of the limited information contained in the record before us, it is this Court's finding that the trial judge's determination of this issue warrants our giving him great deference in his determination. Since his ruling was not clearly erroneous or against the overwhelming weight of the evidence, we find this issue to be meritless. Webster v. State, 755 So.2d 455, 455-58 (Miss.Ct.App.1999). ¶ 8. Pursuant to Batson v. Kentucky, 476 U.S. 79, 106 S.Ct. 1712, 90 L.Ed.2d 69 (1986), the party objecting to the peremptory challenge must first make a prima facie showing that race was the criteria for the strike. 476 U.S. at 96-97, 106 S.Ct. 1712; Stewart v. State, 662 So.2d 552, 557 (Miss.1995). The burden then shifts to the party exercising the challenge to offer a race-neutral explanation for striking the potential juror. Batson, 476 U.S. at 97-98, 106 S.Ct. 1712; Stewart, 662 So.2d at 558. Finally, the trial court must determine whether the objecting party has met its burden by showing that there has been purposeful discrimination. Batson, 476 U.S. at 98, 106 S.Ct. 1712; Stewart, 662 So.2d at 558. ¶ 9. In this case, the State argued that Webster had used his first five peremptory strikes against white jurors, thereby giving rise to a reasonable inference of purposeful discrimination. See Batson, 476 U.S. at 97, 106 S.Ct. 1712 (stating that pattern of strikes may suffice for prima facie showing). Webster attempted to offer race-neutral reasons for his actions, claiming that Favi had worked at Cooper Rubber and Tire when Webster's attorney had successfully sued the company for discriminatory employment practices. The State responded that Webster had left two other employees of Cooper Tire and Rubber on the jury. The trial court found the strike to be racially motivated. ¶ 10. Great deference is accorded to the trial court in determining whether the offered explanation under the unique circumstances each case presents is truly a race-neutral reason. Stewart at 558. The Court will not reverse a trial judge's factual findings regarding a Batson issue unless they appear clearly erroneous or against the overwhelming weight of the evidence. Stewart at 558 (quoting Lockett v. State, 517 So.2d 1346, 1350 (Miss. 1987)). The demeanor of the attorney using the strike is often the best evidence on the issue of race-neutrality. Stewart, 662 So.2d at 559 (citing Hernandez v. New York, 500 U.S. 352, 365, 111 S.Ct. 1859, 114 L.Ed.2d 395 (1991)). The credibility of the one making the challenge is often decisive. Id. In addition to the demeanor of the attorney, the trial court must consider all other relevant circumstances, such as the way prior peremptory strikes have been used and the nature of the questions on voir dire. Stewart, 662 So.2d at 559. ¶ 11. However, this Court has also said: A peremptory challenge does not have to be supported by the same degree of justification required for a challenge for cause. Batson, 476 U.S. at 97, 106 S.Ct. at 1723, 90 L.Ed.2d at 88; Harper v. State, 635 So.2d 864, 867 (Miss.1994); Benson v. State, 551 So.2d 188, 192 (Miss.1989). Stewart at 558. In this case, Webster offered a sufficient race neutral reason for striking the juror, i.e. he was a member of management at Cooper Rubber and Tire when his attorney successfully sued the company for discriminatory employment practices on behalf of Webster's sister-in-law. Therefore appears that the trial court's decision was clearly erroneous and against the overwhelming weight of the evidence, and we reverse and remand on this issue for a new trial.