Opinion ID: 1720797
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Batson Procedures

Text: In MacKintrush v. State, supra , members of the court of appeals voiced multiple opinions about the soundness of this court's decisions in Batson cases. Three judges held that once a trial court decides that the explanations offered by the striking party are race neutral, there is no requirement for a sensitive inquiry. Two judges concurred with this result based on this court's precedent but asserted that this court's cases on the subject are in conflict or confused. One judge dissented because in his judgment a sensitive inquiry is required in every instance where a Batson challenge is made. In Batson , a majority of the United States Supreme Court held as follows in the concluding paragraph of the decision: If the trial court decides that the facts establish, prima facie, purposeful discrimination and the prosecutor does not come forward with a neutral explanation for his action, our precedents require that petitioner's conviction be reversed. Batson, 476 U.S. at 100 106 S.Ct. 1712 (citations omitted). The term sensitive inquiry is not used in the Batson holding though reference is made to a sensitive inquiry in the body of the opinion when the Court discusses purposeful discrimination and the burden of persuasion in the case of Arlington Heights v. Metropolitan Housing Development Corp., 429 U.S. 252, 97 S.Ct. 555, 50 L.Ed.2d 450 (1977). The Court left it up to the states to develop specific procedures for implementing Batson . Initially, this court interpreted the Batson decision to require that the trial court undertake a sensitive inquiry in every instance into the direct and circumstantial evidence available to decide if the State had made an adequate explanation for the strike. See Ward v. State, 293 Ark. 88, 733 S.W.2d 728 (1987). See also Mitchell v. State, 295 Ark. 341, 750 S.W.2d 936 (1988). This court later modified its interpretation of Batson with respect to the sensitive-inquiry requirement in Colbert v. State, 304 Ark. 250, 801 S.W.2d 643 (1990). In Colbert , we said: We now believe that our previous interpretations of the Batson holding were misdirected only to the extent that we have said that Batson requires a `sensitive inquiry' by the trial court in every instance, notwithstanding the validity of the state's explanation for its peremptory challenges. We now hold that upon a showing by a defendant of circumstances which raise an inference that the prosecutor exercised one or more of his peremptory challenges to exclude venire persons from the jury on account of race, the burden then shifts to the state to establish that the peremptory strike(s) were for racially neutral reasons. The trial court shall then determine from all relevant circumstances the sufficiency of the racially neutral explanation. If the state's explanation appears insufficient, the trial court must then conduct a sensitive inquiry into the basis for each of the challenges by the state. Id. at 254-255, 801 S.W.2d at 646. This court somewhat modified its holding in Colbert in Franklin v. State, 314 Ark. 329, 863 S.W.2d 268 (1993): First, the defendant must make a prima facie case that racial discrimination is the basis of a juror challenge. In the event the defendant makes a prima facie case, the State has the burden of showing that the challenge was not based upon race. Only if the defendant makes a prima facie case and the State fails to give a racially neutral reason for the challenge is the court required to conduct a sensitive inquiry. Id. at 338, 863 S.W.2d at 273. The Franklin holding also eliminated a trial court's obligation to conduct a sensitive inquiry every time a Batson objection is made and has been followed consistently by this court as well as by the Court of Appeals since 1993. See, e.g., Cooper v. State, 324 Ark. 135, 919 S.W.2d 205 (1996); Mitchell v. State, 323 Ark. 116, 913 S.W.2d 264 (1996); Heard v. State, 322 Ark. 553, 910 S.W.2d 663 (1995); Sims v. State, 320 Ark. 528, 900 S.W.2d 508 (1995); Gilland v. State, 318 Ark. 72, 883 S.W.2d 474 (1994); Rockett v. State, 318 Ark. 831, 890 S.W.2d 235 (1994). However, both appellate courts, at times, have also continued to use the language from Colbert in their decisions as well. See, e.g., Lammers v. State, 330 Ark. 324, 955 S.W.2d 489 (1997); Roseby v. State, 329 Ark. 554, 953 S.W.2d 32 (1997); Hugh Chalmers Chevrolet v. Lang, 55 Ark.App. 26, 928 S.W.2d 808 (1996); Sonny v. Balch Motor Co., 328 Ark. 321, 944 S.W.2d 87 (1997). In 1995, the United States Supreme Court clarified its holding in Batson with its decision in Purkett v. Elem, 514 U.S. 765, 115 S.Ct. 1769, 131 L.Ed.2d 834 (1995) (per curiam). In Purkett , the Court outlined the proper steps for a trial court to follow when a Batson claim is made: (1) the opponent of a peremptory challenge must make a prima facie case of racial discrimination; (2) the proponent of the strike must come forward with a race-neutral explanation; and (3) the trial court must decide whether the opponent has proven purposeful racial discrimination. Purkett, 514 U.S. at 767. The Court, in Purkett , expressed its concern that trial courts were combining steps two and three in the Batson inquiry by requiring that the justification tendered at the second step be not just neutral but also at least minimally persuasive.... It is not until the third step that the persuasiveness of the justification becomes relevant  the step in which the trial court determines whether the opponent of the strike has carried his burden. Id. at 768, 115 S.Ct. 1769. This opinion leaves no doubt that a trial court must proceed to the third step of the Batson analysis, when a prima facie case is made and a racially neutral response is given, and then determine whether the opponent of the strike has proven intentional racial discrimination. At no point in the Purkett decision is the term sensitive inquiry used. In light of the Purkett decision, we have reassessed the proper procedures for the trial courts to follow in Batson cases and take this opportunity to set forth those procedures. Manifestly, there is a three-step process that must be used when the opponent of the strike makes a prima facie case. Furthermore, it is clear that the burden of persuasion establishing purposeful discrimination never leaves the opponent of the strike. And, finally, the Batson process must occur outside of the hearing of the venire. Step One. Prima facie case. The strike's opponent must present facts, at this initial step, to raise an inference of purposeful discrimination. According to the Batson decision, that is done by showing (1) that the strike's opponent is a member of an identifiable racial group, (2) that the strike is part of a jury-selection process or pattern designed to discriminate, and (3) that the strike was used to exclude jurors because of their race. [1] In deciding whether a prima facie case has been made, the trial court should consider all relevant circumstances. Should the trial court determine that a prima facie case has been made, the inquiry proceeds to Step Two. However, if the determination by the trial court is to the contrary, that ends the inquiry. Step Two. Racially neutral explanation. Assuming the strike's opponent has made a prima facie case, the burden of producing a racially neutral explanation shifts to the proponent of the strike. (But, again, the burden of persuading the trial court that a Batson violation of purposeful discrimination has occurred never leaves the strike's opponent.) This explanation, according to Batson , must be more than a mere denial of discrimination or an assertion that a shared race would render the challenged juror partial to the one opposing the challenge. Under Purkett , this explanation need not be persuasive or even plausible. Indeed, it may be silly or superstitious. The reason will be deemed race neutral [u]nless a discriminatory intent is inherent in the prosecutor's explanation. Purkett, 514 U.S. at 768, 115 S.Ct. 1769. But, according to Purkett , a trial court must not end the Batson inquiry at this stage, and, indeed, it is error to do so. Step Three. Trial court decision on purposeful discrimination. If a race-neutral explanation is given, the trial court must then decide whether the strike's opponent has proven purposeful discrimination. Purkett v. Elem, supra . Though the United States Supreme Court has not elucidated precisely what is required at this step, clearly the strike's opponent must persuade the trial court that the expressed motive of the striking party is not genuine but, rather, is the product of discriminatory intent. This may be in the form of mere argument or other proof that is relevant to the inquiry. But it is crucial that the trial court weigh and assess what has been presented to it to decide whether in light of all the circumstances, the proponent's explanation is or is not pretextual. If the strike's opponent chooses to present no additional argument or proof but simply to rely on the prima facie case presented, then the trial court has no alternative but to make its decision based on what has been presented to it, including an assessment of credibility. We emphasize that following step two, it is incumbent upon the strike's opponent to present additional evidence or argument, if the matter is to proceed further. On the point of whether a sensitive inquiry is required in every instance when a Batson objection is made, we must confess to some confusion over what the term means in the Batson context. Does it refer to the entire three-step procedure or merely to an inquiry that takes place at the third stage? And to what extent is the trial court, on its own, required to direct a further inquiry into the matter? Again, the term sensitive inquiry is not used by the majority in Purkett . Justice Stevens, in his dissent in Purkett , said: A trial court must accept that neutral explanation unless a separate `step three' inquiry leads to the conclusion that the peremptory challenge was racially motivated. Purkett, 514 U.S. at 775, 115 S.Ct. 1769 (Stevens, J. dissenting). This suggests a separate inquiry. Nevertheless, we conclude that it is still the responsibility of the strike's opponent to move the matter forward at this stage to meet the burden of persuasion, not the trial court. The trial court can only inquire into evidence as may be available. See Batson v. Kentucky, supra , Arlington Heights v. Metropolitan Housing Development Corp., supra . If the strike's opponent does not present more evidence, no additional inquiry by the trial court is required. However, if the strike's opponent presents additional relevant evidence and circumstances to the trial court for its consideration, then the trial court must consider what has been presented, make whatever inquiry is warranted, and reach a conclusion. We turn then to the facts of the case before us. During voir dire, the prosecutor exercised three of her peremptory strikes, striking first a black male, then a white female and, next another black male. After the third strike, MacKintrush, who is African-American, objected that the strike violated Batson dictates. The trial court excused the jury and allowed both parties to state their positions. Defense counsel argued initially that the prosecutor had used fifty percent of her strikes against minorities and that the third male, Mr. Stephen Orji, had given no response which indicated that he would not be a proper juror. The prosecutor responded by noting that there were already two black females seated on the jury and that MacKintrush had not made a prima facie case of discrimination. The prosecutor went on to explain her reasons for striking the black jurors. She contended that she struck Mr. Orji because he was nonresponsive and not frank during questioning and further because a prosecutor in another case had struck Mr. Orji from a jury panel for giving inappropriate answers about sitting in judgment on a person and on the issue of self-defense. Defense counsel responded that these reasons were not satisfactory under Batson and that the prosecutor never gave Mr. Orji a chance to answer questions in this selection process on the point of sitting in judgment or self-defense. The trial court listened to both sides and then made its ruling: Counsel, in looking at it and for the purposes of the record, at this time, without those two jurors that were just struck by the State, we would have nine jurors selected. Of those, two are apparently of African descent. That would be Mr. Mooney and Mrs. Versie. The State at this time having exercised three of six pre-emptory ( sic ) challenges, one of those being against Mrs. Ahne, who is Caucasian. And one against Mr. Orji, who is of African descent and Mr. West, who is African descent. Noting that there is still another African-American to be called as a possible juror remaining in the panel, and noting the State's response, which is a racially neutral reason, I'm going to deny your motion at this time, counsel. We, of course, keep these in mind during the rest of the jury selection. On appeal, MacKintrush argues that the reasons offered by the prosecutor for using a peremptory strike were lukewarm and seemingly benign reasons that could always be used, if permitted, in almost any case to discriminate. We note, however, that defense counsel argued against the genuineness of the prosecutor's race-neutral explanation but presented no additional relevant proof to vitiate the strike. It was defense counsel's obligation to do so, if he wanted the matter to proceed further. The trial court, in its assessment of the circumstances presented to it, found no discriminatory intent but rather that the explanation given was race neutral and that two African-Americans were already seated on the jury and a third African-American remained as part of the venire. We affirm the trial court's decision in this regard. To the extent that our previous decisions regarding Batson procedures and a required sensitive inquiry are inconsistent with this opinion, we overrule them.