Opinion ID: 1941530
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 7

Heading: The Standard Relevant to the Peremptory Challenge Issue

Text: In determining whether a defendant has been denied his or her constitutional right to equal protection as a result of the prosecution's exercise of a peremptory challenge, the defendant must first establish a prima facie case of purposeful discrimination. Batson v. Kentucky, 476 U.S. 79, 96, 106 S.Ct. 1712, 90 L.Ed.2d 69 (1986); see also State v. Pona, 926 A.2d 592, 601 (R.I.2007) (discussing Batson and its progeny). Once the defendant has made a prima facie showing of purposeful discrimination, the burden shifts to the prosecution to articulate a neutral, non-discriminatory reason for the challenge of the potential juror. Batson, 476 U.S. at 97, 106 S.Ct. 1712. The prosecution's race-neutral explanation for exercising a peremptory challenge need not rise to the level justifying exercise of a challenge for cause.  Id. (emphasis added). In this context, the issue is the facial validity of the prosecutor's explanation. Unless a discriminatory intent is inherent in the prosecutor's explanation, the reason offered will be deemed race neutral. Hernandez v. New York, 500 U.S. 352, 360, 111 S.Ct. 1859, 114 L.Ed.2d 395 (1991). Finally, as the third step in the analysis mandated by Batson, the trial court then has the duty to determine if the defendant has established purposeful discrimination. Batson, 476 U.S. at 98, 106 S.Ct. 1712. In making this determination, the decisive question will be whether counsel's race-neutral explanation for a peremptory challenge should be believed. There will seldom be much evidence bearing on that issue, and the best evidence often will be the demeanor of the attorney who exercises the challenge. Hernandez, 500 U.S. at 365, 111 S.Ct. 1859. Since a trial justice's finding of purposeful discrimination largely will turn on [an] evaluation of credibility, a reviewing court ordinarily should give those findings great deference. Batson, 476 U.S. at 98 n. 21, 106 S.Ct. 1712.