Opinion ID: 1725524
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: whether the trial court was arbitrary in its application of the law on peremptory challenges.

Text: ¶ 30. Sewell contends that the trial court improperly applied our law regarding peremptory challenges by applying disparate standards to the Batson inquiry requested by both parties. She argues that the judge required her to justify her peremptory challenges while not requiring the State to justify its peremptory challenges under what she perceives to be similar uses of the challenges. The inquiry with regard to this assignment of error requires a review of the trial court's application of our Batson law. ¶ 31. The availability of peremptory challenges is not a matter of constitutional right, but the use of such challenges, when available, must be constitutional. The genesis of current jurisprudence regarding peremptory challenges is Batson v. Kentucky, 476 U.S. 79, 106 S.Ct. 1712, 90 L.Ed.2d 69 (1986). In Batson, the United States Supreme Court held that a prospective juror may not be struck by the prosecution in a criminal case simply because that juror is black. Batson protection has been extended to strikes exercised by the defense, as in the instant case. Georgia v. McCollum, 505 U.S. 42, 112 S.Ct. 2348, 120 L.Ed.2d 33 (1992); Griffin v. State, 610 So.2d 354, 356 (Miss. 1992). ¶ 32. The Supreme Court recently outlined the Batson analysis in Hernandez v. New York : First, the [opponent of the strike] must make a prima facie showing that the [proponent] has exercised peremptory challenges on the basis of race. Second, if the requisite showing has been made, the burden shifts to the [opponent] to articulate a race-neutral explanation for striking the jurors in question. Finally the trial court must determine whether the [proponent] has carried his burden of proving purposeful discrimination. Hernandez v. New York, 500 U.S. 352, 358-59, 111 S.Ct. 1859, 114 L.Ed.2d 395 (1991) (citations omitted). ¶ 33. In the case sub judice, the State's first tender to Sewell was twelve jurors, three whites and nine blacks. The State exercised peremptory challenges on two of this panel, both black males. Sewell used five strikes on this panel, striking two blacks and three whites. Based upon Sewell's attempt to strike, for cause, 11 of the 14 whites on the venire, and the exercise of 3 of her peremptory strikes to remove every white potential juror on the tendered panel, the State raised a Batson challenge, requesting that Sewell justify the use of her peremptory challenges. Sewell raised her own Batson challenge, which the State characterized as a retaliation- Batson claim, and which the State contended was raised too late, as Sewell did not raise the claim at the time the panel was tendered. The trial judge, at that time, found that Sewell had not demonstrated that the State had engaged in a pattern of discrimination because the two blacks that the State had struck were replaced on the panel by two blacks. The court then required Sewell to go forward with her race-neutral reasons for her peremptory challenges and found her reasons to be acceptable. ¶ 34. The second panel tendered by the prosecution included the next five jurors on the list, with no State strike having been made. The first of these, prospective juror Janet Whitaker, was white and the remaining four were black. Sewell then struck the only white juror on the tendered panel, that being Whitaker. The State asked for, and the court required, Sewell to state a race-neutral reason for the challenge. Sewell stated that we adopt the reasons that were articulated in our challenge for cause, adding that she was one of the jurors who would not look me in the eye when I was interrogating them. The reasons put forth by Sewell during the for cause phase of jury selection were that [h]er husband is in law enforcement; he's a game warden, and I might also add that she's employed by Wilkinson Christian Academy.... It's a segregated institution. With respect to Sewell's for cause challenge related to Whitaker's employment by a segregated institution, the court had earlier responded, No, Sir, it's not; I happen to know. I'll dispute you on the record on that; they publish in the paper; that's not cause; I'm not going to grant that challenge. As to the peremptory objection, the trial judge found no reason in the world for excusing this juror, and that Sewell's attempted removal of all whites constituted a pattern of racial discrimination. He then reinstated Whitaker and allowed Sewell to use her sixth strike on another juror. ¶ 35. In the instant case, the State satisfied the first prong of the three step analysis by showing that Sewell used her peremptory strikes to strike every white on the panels tendered, which gives rise to a reasonable inference of purposeful discrimination. Batson, 476 U.S. at 94, 106 S.Ct. 1712 (the totality of the relevant facts gives rise to an inference of discriminatory purpose). Furthermore, it is also clear that Sewell offered appropriately facially race neutral reasons for exercising the strike, thus satisfying step two of Batson. The disposition of this issue, therefore, turns on whether the trial judge abused his discretion in his finding that Sewell's race-neutral reasons as to juror Whitaker were pre-textual, the so named third prong of Batson. ¶ 36. This step in the analysis requires the trial court to determine if the opponent of the strike has carried his overall burden of proving purposeful discrimination. Hernandez, 500 U.S. at 359, 111 S.Ct. 1859. Determination of pretext at prong three turns on several specific findings similar to those at step one. Stewart v. State, 662 So.2d 552, 559 (Miss.1995). Additionally, this Court has stated that the relative strength of the prima facie case of purposeful discrimination will often influence this inquiry. Mack v. State, 650 So.2d 1289, 1298 (Miss.1994), cert denied, 516 U.S. 880, 116 S.Ct. 214, 133 L.Ed.2d 146 (1995). ¶ 37. Furthermore, this Court accords great deference to the trial court in determining whether the offered explanation under the unique circumstances of the case is truly a race-neutral reason. Stewart v. State, 662 So.2d 552, 558 (Miss.1995). This Court will not reverse a trial judge's factual findings regarding this issue unless they appear clearly erroneous or against the overwhelming weight of the evidence. Id. (quoting Lockett v. State, 517 So.2d 1346, 1350 (Miss.1987)). ¶ 38. In the instant case, Sewell exercised peremptory strikes against every white on the panels tendered by the State. The trial judge had ample evidence to determine that the reasons for objecting to Whitaker were pre-textual and we find that this determination is supported by the record. ¶ 39. As to Sewell's retaliation Batson claim regarding the State's use of its peremptory challenges, the trial judge found that there was no pattern of purposeful discrimination. The court noted that the two jurors challenged by the State were replaced on the panel by two blacks, thereby mitigating against a pattern of racial discrimination. Beyond that, Sewell tardily raised her Batson challenge. We cannot say that the trial judge abused his discretion finding that no pattern of racial discrimination was evident in the State's exercise of its peremptory challenges. ¶ 40. As the discussion, supra, demonstrates, the trial judge applied our Batson law properly to both Sewell and the State, and did not abuse his discretion. Therefore, Sewell's assertion that the trial judge arbitrarily applied our Batson law is not supported by the record. ¶ 41. Sewell further asserts that her due process rights were abridged by the refusal to allow her the opportunity to establish that juror Whitaker, who had been the subject of an unsuccessful peremptory challenge as discussed, supra, had not been truthful during the questioning of the venire. During voir dire, the court and later Sewell, asked if any of the potential jurors or anyone related by blood or marriage to the potential jurors had written letters to the Attorney General or other officials expressing an opinion concerning voter fraud in Wilkinson County, and Whitaker did not indicate that she did. ¶ 42. Sewell discovered from a review of the letters produced by the State, apparently after the trial, a letter Whitaker's husband had written to the Attorney General regarding the issue of vote fraud in the recent Wilkinson County Sheriff's race/election and subsequent trial. On Sewell's motion for a new trial, Whitaker's husband, Eli, testified that his wife was unaware that he had written that letter. The trial judge refused to allow juror Whitaker to testify regarding her knowledge of the letter, relying on the results of the rather exhaustive examination during voir dire on that issue to form his decision as to Sewell's motion for a new trial. ¶ 43. In Odom v. State , this Court expounded the test for determining whether a new trial should be granted upon a showing that a juror wrongfully withheld information during voir dire to the prejudice of the defendant: Therefore, we hold that where, as here, a prospective juror in a criminal case fails to respond to a relevant, direct, and unambiguous question presented by defense counsel on voir dire, although having knowledge of the information sought to be elicited, the trial court should, upon motion for a new trial, determine whether the question propounded to the juror was (1) relevant to the voir dire examination; (2) whether it was unambiguous; and (3) whether the juror had substantial knowledge of the information sought to be elicited. If the trial court's determination of these inquiries is in the affirmative, the court should then determine if prejudice to the defendant in selecting the jury reasonably could be inferred from the juror's failure to respond. If prejudice reasonably could be inferred, then a new trial should be ordered. Odom v. State, 355 So.2d 1381, 1383 (Miss. 1978). ¶ 44. This Court has also made clear that no precise formula exists for answering these three questions, but rather the trial court must make an ad hoc determination based on the facts before it. Odom v. State , 355 So.2d at 1383. It is, of course, a judicial question as to whether a jury is fair and impartial and the court's judgment will not be disturbed unless it appears clearly that it is wrong.... [N]o firm, unbending rule can be laid down that would control every situation that might arise on the voir dire of prospective jurors. Therefore, each case must be decided on an ad hoc basis considering the facts then before the court. Id. Accord Brown v. State, 529 So.2d 537, 539 (Miss.1988); Logan v. State, 465 So.2d 339, 340 (Miss.1985); Tolbert v. State, 511 So.2d 1368, 1377 (Miss.1987). Understandably, such a fact intensive inquiry results in a very deferential standard of review, at least with respect to the question of whether each discrete part of Odom is satisfied, thus giving rise to presumptive prejudice. See Lewis v. State, 580 So.2d 1279, 1283 (Miss.1991). Here, the question of whether Whitaker or her husband had written a letter was obviously relevant and unambiguous, and the critical inquiry was whether Whitaker had substantial knowledge that her husband wrote the letter. ¶ 45. Juror Whitaker was under oath when she was interrogated during voir dire. Her husband, Eli, was under oath when he testified. As the trial judge stated: The Court clearly recalls the voir dire of each and every juror as to their knowledge of this case. The Court recalls that there were four white jurors on the potential panel; the Court allowed the attorney for the defendant to challenge three out of the four; the Court found no validity whatsoever to the challenge by counsel for the defendant, Mr. Sanders, in regard to Mrs. Whitaker. The Court recalls that Mrs. Whitaker either did not answer or did answer in the negative when I asked whether or not she or any members of her family had written letters. Now, we have before us a statement that Mr. Whitaker who took the witness stand and testified under oath, that he did in fact write a letter to the Attorney General of the State of Mississippi, but that his wife had no knowledge whatsoever of his having done so to the best of his knowledge. ¶ 46. As the foregoing clearly shows, the judge had ample evidence from which to conclude that Whitaker had no knowledge of the letter her husband wrote. Based upon the abuse of discretion standard of review articulated, supra, we find that the trial judge did not abuse his discretion by not allowing juror Whitaker to testify in Sewell's motion for a new trial and that the judge was within his discretion to determine that the results of the extensive voir dire confirms Whitaker's lack of substantial knowledge that her husband had written the letter. ¶ 47. This assignment of error is without merit.