Opinion ID: 1830890
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: second venire

Text: ¶ 33. Although Manning did not object to any specific strikes made by the prosecutor during voir dire of the second venire, he entered an objection based upon the racial composition of the jury at the close of jury selection, which was overruled by Judge Montgomery without a hearing. The State argues that Manning's objection to the racial make-up of the jury was not equivalent to a Batson challenge. Since Batson proscribes purposeful racial discrimination and not mere incidental exclusion of blacks from a jury, Govan v. State, 591 So.2d 428, 430 (Miss.1991) (emphasis in original), the State maintains that Judge Montgomery was correct in summarily overruling Manning's objection to the racial composition of the jury. However, where the grounds for objection are apparent from the context, we have held the error preserved for appeal. See Barnette v. State, 478 So.2d 800, 803 (Miss. 1985). Manning's objection to the racial composition of the jury was sufficiently clear to require a Batson hearing in this case. ¶ 34. Unlike the process followed in the first venire, the State did not offer race-neutral reasons for the two peremptory strikes used in the second venire. Judge Montgomery erred in failing to require the State to articulate sufficient race-neutral reasons for its strikes on members of the second venire. Such failure to follow the proper procedure required after a Batson challenge requires reversal for a Batson hearing. Batson, 476 U.S. at 100, 106 S.Ct. 1712; Berry v. State, 703 So.2d 269, 295 (Miss.1997); Thorson v. State, 653 So.2d 876, 896 (Miss.1994); Bush, 585 So.2d at 1268; Baskins v. State, 528 So.2d 1120, 1122 (Miss.1988); Abram v. State, 523 So.2d 1018, 1019 (Miss.1988); Dedeaux v. State, 519 So.2d 886, 891 (Miss.1988); Joseph v. State, 516 So.2d 505 (Miss.1987); Harper v. State, 510 So.2d 530, 532 (Miss. 1987); Williams v. State, 507 So.2d 50, 53-54 (Miss.1987). Following these cases, we remand this case for the trial court to conduct a Batson hearing, at which the State will be allowed to offer any raceneutral reasons for its peremptory strikes on members of the second venire, and Manning will be afforded an opportunity to rebut those reasons.