Opinion ID: 765047
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: conclusion

Text: We should join the Seventh Circuit in adopting de novo review of the Batson prima facie inquiry. De novo review is consistent with our circuit's Title VII jurisprudence and with the Supreme Court's teachings in Batson, Hernandez, Ornelas, and the habeas cases discussed earlier. The two-tier standard preserves meaningful review with respect to one of the most important constitutional rights -- the right to be Judged by a jury chosen free of purposeful discrimination. NOTES: 1 The three elements of the prima facie case are: (1) proof of membership in a cognizable group and use of peremptory challenges to remove venire members of a cognizable group; (2) the presumption that peremptory challenges permit discrimination by those inclined to discriminate; and (3) a showing that the above facts and any other relevant circumstances raise an inference of discrimination. Batson, 476 U.S. at 96; see Powers, 499 U.S. at 402 (defendant and venire member need not be of the same cognizable group). Satisfying the three prima facie factors raises the necessary inference of purposeful discrimination to shift the burden to the other party to provide a neutral explanation for challenging the venire members at issue. Batson, 476 U.S. at 96-97; cf. Texas Dep't of Community Affairs v. Burdine, 450 U.S. 248, 254 n.7 (1981) (prima facie case in this context denote[s] the establishment of a legally mandatory, rebuttable presumption). 2 The four elements of the Title VII prima facie case are: (i) membership in a protected class; (ii) application and qualification for the job or satis factory performance in the job; (iii) rejection or discharge; and (iv) the employer's continued solicitation of similarly qualified applicants or replacement of the plaintiff with an equally or less qualified person. See McDonnell Douglas Corp. v. Green, 411 U.S. 792, 802 (1973), and its progeny.