Opinion ID: 1689484
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: whether the trial court erred in denying pierce's objections and motions during the jury selection process based upon exclusion of black jurors with the use of peremptory challenges?

Text: ¶ 20. In the case sub judice, the State exercised six peremptory challenges all against potential jurors of the African-American race. The six potential jurors that were struck are Jenkins (3), Smith (7), Beacham (8), Davis (9), Banks and Skipper. Pierce does not raise an objection on appeal as to jurors Banks or Skipper nor did Pierce's counsel at trial raise an objection to the exclusion of Banks and Skipper. The State did accept African-American jurors, Miller and Foster. Pierce contends that the trial court erred in finding that the State could exercise its peremptory challenges on jurors Jenkins, Smith, Beacham and Davis. ¶ 21. In Batson v. Kentucky, 476 U.S. 79, 106 S.Ct. 1712, 90 L.Ed.2d 69 (1986), the United States Supreme Court held that a peremptory challenge cannot be used to exclude venire-persons from jury service based on their race. A peremptory challenge based on race constitutes a violation of equal protection. Id., 476 U.S. at 98, 106 S.Ct. at 1723-24. Since the Batson ruling in 1986, the United States Supreme Court and this Court have extended the use of the rule to other circumstances. See J.E.B. v. Alabama ex rel. T.B., 511 U.S. 127, 129, 114 S.Ct. 1419, 1422, 128 L.Ed.2d 89 (1994)( Batson extended peremptory challenges based on gender); Georgia v. McCollum, 505 U.S. 42, 54, 112 S.Ct. 2348, 2356, 120 L.Ed.2d 33 (1992)(defendant's use of peremptory challenges based on racial consideration was prohibited); Edmonson v. Leesville Concrete Co., 500 U.S. 614, 628-29, 111 S.Ct. 2077, 2087, 114 L.Ed.2d 660 (1991)( Batson extended to civil cases); Powers v. Ohio, 499 U.S. 400, 415-16, 111 S.Ct. 1364, 1373, 113 L.Ed.2d 411 (1991) (race-based challenges by the State without regard to the race of the defendant was prohibited); Thorson v. State, 721 So.2d 590, 594 (Miss.1998) (Batson extended to peremptory strikes based on religion). ¶ 22. The necessary steps to resolve a peremptory challenge based upon Batson are cited in Stewart v. State, 662 So.2d 552, 557-58 (Miss.1995) as follows: 1. The party objecting to the peremptory challenge must first make a prima facie showing that race was the criteria for the exercise of the peremptory challenge. 2. If this initial showing is successful, the party desiring to exercise the challenge has the burden to offer a raceneutral explanation for striking the potential juror. 3. The trial court must then determine whether the objecting party has met their burden to prove there has been purposeful discrimination in the exercise of peremptory challenges. ¶ 23. The United States Supreme Court in McCollum, extended Batson and held that the Constitution prohibits a criminal defendant from engaging in purposeful discrimination on the ground of race in the exercise of peremptory challenges. Accordingly, if the State demonstrates a prima facie case of racial discrimination by the defendants, the defendants must articulate a racially neutral explanation for peremptory challenges. 505 U.S. at 59, 112 S.Ct. at 2348. Ordinarily, the first step in analyzing the peremptory challenge is to determine whether there was a prima facie showing that race was the motivation for the State's peremptory challenges. Woodward v. State, 726 So.2d 524, 530 (Miss.1997). ¶ 24. The United States Supreme Court held that peremptory challenges are not of constitutional dimensions and that the challenges are a means to achieve the end of an impartial jury. Ross v. Oklahoma, 487 U.S. 81, 88, 108 S.Ct. 2273, 2278, 101 L.Ed.2d 80, 90 (1988). ¶ 25. This Court in Stewart, 662 So.2d at 557, stated that: The right to peremptory challenges is not mandated by the federal constitution, but is instead a state created right. Ross v. Oklahoma, 487 U.S. 81, 89, 108 S.Ct. 2273, 2279, 101 L.Ed.2d 80. (1988). A state may place restrictions on the use of peremptory challenges because it is a state created right. Id.; See also Mettetal v. State, 615 So.2d 600, 603 (Miss. 1993) (requiring defendant to use peremptory challenges to cure erroneous denials of challenges for cause). However, the arbitrary denial of a state right rises to a violation of the due process clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. Hicks v. Oklahoma, 447 U.S. 343, 346, 100 S.Ct. 2227, 2229, 65 L.Ed.2d 175 (1980). Mississippi law entitles a capital case defendant to twelve peremptory challenges. Miss.Code Ann. § 99-17-3 (1972); Unif.Crim. R. Cir. Ct. Pr. 5.06. Thus, the arbitrary denial of one of these twelve peremptory challenges afforded in a capital case is a violation of due process. ¶ 26. In Woodward, this Court stated the next step is to determine whether the prosecution met its burden of showing sufficient race-neutral explanations for its strikes. 725 So.2d at 529-30. A peremptory challenge does not have to be supported by the same degree of justification required for a challenge for cause. Stewart, 662 So.2d at 558. It is not necessary to meet the same standard of examination as a challenge for cause for a peremptory challenges. Id. ¶ 27. This Court has held that the trial judge is afforded great deference in determining if the expressed reasons for exclusion of a venire-person from the challenged party is in face race-neutral. Tanner v. State, 764 So.2d 385, 393 (Miss. 2000). In Stewart, this Court held that one of the reasons the trial court is granted such deference in a Batson issue is because the demeanor of the attorney making the challenge is often the best evidence on the issue of race neutrality. 662 So.2d at 559. Furthermore, the determination of discriminatory intent will likely turn on a trial judge's evaluation of a presenter's credibility and whether an explanation should be believed. Hernandez v. New York, 500 U.S. 352, 365, 111 S.Ct. 1859, 1866, 114 L.Ed.2d 395 (1991). In Stewart, this Court also, held that [d]espite the importance of demeanor evidence, the trial court must consider all the relevant circumstances, such as the way prior peremptory strikes have been used and the nature of the questions poised on voir dire. 662 So.2d at 559 (citing Griffin v. State, 607 So.2d 1197, 1202 (Miss.1992)). A reversal will only occur if the factual findings of the trial judge appear to be clearly erroneous or against the overwhelming weight of the evidence. Tanner, 764 So.2d at 393 (citing Stewart, 662 So.2d at 558; Davis v. State, 551 So.2d 165, 171 (Miss.1989)). ¶ 28. The trial court had the opportunity to witness the challenges and observed the demeanor of all involved and all other relevant circumstances in the case. The trial court's findings are not clearly erroneous or against the overwhelming weight of the evidence. Therefore, we find that this contention is without merit. ¶ 29. In the case sub judice, the trial court made a prima facie determination and required the State to set forth race neutral reasons since all six peremptory challenges were against members of the black race. On appeal, Pierce addresses only four jurors: Jenkins, Smith, Beacham and Davis. The trial court accepted the race neutral reason set forth by the State. The record reflects in pertinent part as follows: By the Court: The State exercised six peremptory challenges. All six of which were against members of the black race. I will find the prima facie case and will require the State to give race neutral reasons. Start with juror number 3, your S-1. By the State: Your Honor, 3actually 3, 7, 8, and 9 were, by us, considered together. By the Court: I think I know why, but go ahead. By the State: Yes, sir. The reason being, Your Honor, that during the very fine voir dire of Mr. Walls he succeeded in effecting these or affecting these four similarly. He got to talking about, during voir dire, people who were witnesses and they are not telling the truth simply because they take the stand, and these ladies started nodding and started being very vocal, outwardly vocal, speaking out and saying yes. I believe in the policethe extensive questioning concerning police and not believing them simply because they were wearing a uniform were they telling the truth. They, again, were very vocal in that regard. For instance, Ms. Jenkins and the other three incidentally, too, but I recall her being so obviously upset when Mr. Walls began saying people judge blacks who are sitting on the corners and so forth. She sat up in her seat. There were questions concerning don't believe a lot of black men get into crime and how many of you believe that? Let me see, you read that black men get into various crimes, how many of you believe that? And she said, no, I don't believe that. I mean, it was outward and verythey were very vocal in answering that, not only through their gestures; that is, nodding and sitting up in their seats but being vocal, as they were doing there too. What I considered to be obvious, was that because of the police officer questioning there, they have, in fact, a distrust for police officers. When I say they, I'm talking about all four. If you don't mind, since my argument is dealing with all four of them. So that is why weI thought it was so loud that everybody in the courtroom By the Court: Since you mentioned it, while ya'll were out in the recess to consider yourwho you were going to challenge peremptory, the three of us the deputy clerk and my court reporter commented on these four because of the fact that they were so vocal. We all make the comment, at least I made, I think we all agreed, that if Senator Walls ever became a preacher, he could surely use these four in his congregation because of their Amen responses to his questions. They were very vocal, these four. In fact, I don't know any other jurors in the courtroom who were as vocal as they were nor did these four respond to anyone except Senator Walls. I don't know if y'all want to say anything on that or not, but that was the Court's observation on it anyway. (THESE ARE THE UNIDENTIFIED JURORS REFERRED TO IN MR. WALLS' VOIR DIRE.) By the Defense: Your Honor, my response is: I can't say these particular four did not respond, but so did jurors number 2, Brocato; Bankston; Littrell. They were the ones who reacted to my questioning about police officers, as well as believing people. By the Court: With a polite nod but not as vocal as these four. These four were very noticeable. By the State: I did see some nodding, but I never did hear any of the others, and I don't know who did what. By the Court: I'll support you on the vocal part. Of course, you got the nods throughout the entire audience, whites and blacks, very appropriate. But these four were very vocal, and I did observe that. By the Defense: Your Honor, just for the record, it was my hearing, which is impaired granted, as a matter of fact, I had to ask one of the jurors to speak up because I couldn't hear him, but from my observation and hearing, those four were about the same posture as was juror number 10, Deborah Rybolt and Danith Brocato. By the Court: I did not note that. By the State: If I may, Your Honor, since all the lawyers seem to be addressing this issue, I didn't evenit was about Mr. Walls' second or third question by the time I started hearing something very loud over there in responses. And I turned around and made it a point to try to observe where that was coming from and each time that there was a really loud response, it was number 3, number 7, number 8 and number 9 who were making it. I virtually, simultaneously By the Court: I recognized the same thing. That was something that the Court itself noticed. I will accept all four of those as race neutral. ¶ 30. We find that the trial court did not err in allowing the State to exercise its peremptory challenge as to jurors Jenkins, Smith Beacham and Davis. The State set forth a valid race neutral reason for striking the jurors. This issue is without merit.