Opinion ID: 1953260
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 7

Heading: whether the trial court erred in allowing the defendant/appellee to adduce evidence at the hearing on the plaintiff/appellant's motion for leave to correct omission and supplement appeal record regarding the race of the prospective jurors peremptorily challenged by the plaintiff/appellant.

Text: Brown argues that it was error to allow Blackwood to adduce evidence at the post-trial hearing as to the race of prospective jurors peremptorily challenged by the plaintiffs, because 1) Blackwood had made no Batson objection during trial, and 2) the race of these jurors was not relevant to the issue raised by the plaintiff's motion. Blackwood agrees that he raised no Batson issue at trial, but submits that the fact that Brown used her peremptory challenges against white prospective jurors only was relevant, because this practice had a direct bearing on the racial composition of the venire tendered to him. Blackwood also asserts that the fact that he was permitted to offer evidence concerning the race of jurors struck by Brown is a non issue on appeal; that at best, the court's ruling properly admitted evidence relevant to an issue not raised by the defendant, and at worst, it constitutes harmless error. Blackwood second argument is more persuasive. The judge held this hearing for the purposes of supplementing the trial record, so that the plaintiff/appellant's Batson claims could be properly assessed on appeal. The fact that arguably extraneous information  the race of jurors Brown struck  entered the record has had no effect on the consideration of Brown's Batson claims. Error may not be predicated upon a ruling which admits or excludes evidence unless a substantial right of the party is affected. Century 21 Deep South Prop. v. Corson, 612 So.2d 359, 370 (Miss. 1992), citing M.R.E. 103(a). No substantial rights of either party were affected by the evidence admitted, and therefore its introduction was, at worst, harmless error.