Court Opinion

ID: 9615207
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-22 04:32:39.536617+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T13:22:09.592945
License: Public Domain

Eldridge, Judge,
concurring specially.
I concur in the majority’s judgment. I write to clarify the standard of review with regard to Batson v. Kentucky, 476 U. S. 79 (106 SC 1712, 90 LE2d 69) (1986), in Division 1. Much has been written regarding Batson and Georgia v. McCollum, 505 U. S. 42 (112 SC 2348, 120 LE2d 33) (1992) analysis since 1995 when the Supreme Court of Georgia authored Jackson v. State, 265 Ga. 897 (463 SE2d 699) (1995), the case upon which the majority relies in its analysis of a trial court’s step three inquiry into the proffered explanations for the use of peremptory strikes.
Purkett v. Elem, 514 U. S. 765 (115 SC 1769, 131 LE2d 834) (1995), which Jackson discussed in detail, has come to be seen in relation to its purpose, which was an explanation, of appellate court procedure when reviewing Batson/McCollum challenges on appeal; Purkett was not a directive for the trial court in its handling of a Batson/McCollum step three inquiry at the trial level. Purkett, supra at 131 LE2d at 840; Gardner v. State, 225 Ga. App. 427, 430 (483 SE2d 912) (1997). Thus, while Purkett held that “a legitimate reason is not a reason that makes sense” to the appellate court and that there is no requirement to “enunciate an explanation that is persuasive or even plausible” to an appellate court, such holding was never meant to apply to a trial court. Purkett, supra at 131 LE2d 840; Gardner, supra at 430-433. A legitimate reason is one that does make sense to the trial court and is plausible or persuasive to a trial court, whose duty it remains to determine that the proffered reason passes muster as “neutral, related to the case, clear and reasonably specific” based upon a myriad of factors to which an appellate court may not be privy through the record alone. Purkett, supra at 131 LE2d at 840; Batson, supra; Gardner, supra at 429-431, 434; see also Russell v. State, 267 Ga. 865, 867 (485 SE2d 717) (1997); Turner v. State, 267 Ga. 149 (476 SE2d 252) (1996); Greene v. State, 266 Ga. 439, 443 (5) (469 SE2d 129) (1996); Tedder v. State, 265 Ga. 900, 901 (463 SE2d 697) (1995). Purkett in no way required a trial court in step three to accept explanations that are unpersuasive or implausible simply because they are neutral on their face, and such a requirement would fly in the face of the trial court’s constitutional duty under Batson. Gardner, supra at 431; see also McKenzie v. State, 227 Ga. App. 778 (490 SE2d 522) (1997).
*730Further, the step three procedure of Batson/McCollum analysis on the trial court level has not been “collapsed” when the trial judge makes a decision regarding the plausibility of the striker’s explanations without hearing further from the challenger/opponent of the strikes. “Once the explanation for the strikes has been proffered, the inquiry is properly framed for the trial court’s determination.” (Punctuation omitted.) Gardner, supra at 429, citing Greene, supra at 443; Turner, supra; McKenzie, supra; Jones v. State, 226 Ga. App. 428 (487 SE2d 62) (1997); Herrin v. State, 221 Ga. App. 356 (471 SE2d 297) (1996). There is no obligation in step three for a trial court to formally “deem” explanations gender or race neutral simply because the explanations may be neutral on their face. Regardless of their neutral aspect, if the striker’s explanations appear implausible or unpersuasive to the trial court, the trial court may so find immediately following the proffered explanations and based upon the totality of the circumstances. McKenzie, supra; Scott v. State, 225 Ga. App. 729, 730 (484 SE2d 780) (1997); Gardner, supra at 428-429.
In addition, although “the ultimate burden of persuasion rests with, and never shifts from, the opponent of the strike,” in step three the trial court may determine that such burden of persuasion is satisfied by the strength of the challenger/opponent’s prima facie showing under step one. McKenzie, supra; Gardner, supra at 438 (use of all ten strikes to remove white jurors “was very persuasive indeed”); see also Lingo v. State, 263 Ga. 664, 665 (1) (a) (437 SE2d 463) (1993) (trial court determines whether otherwise neutral explanations are “strong enough to overcome the prima facie case”); accord Ford v. State, 262 Ga. 558 (423 SE2d 245) (1992).
Also, regardless of whether the reasons are neutral on their face, the trial court may determine that the burden of persuasion is satisfied by, inter alia: (1) the strength of the prima facie showing in step one, and the trial court’s disbelief of the proffered neutral explanations in relation thereto; (2) the trial court’s determination that the neutral explanations themselves are unpersuasive or implausible; (3) the trial court’s consideration of similarly situated jurors who were left unchallenged; (4) the trial court’s knowledge of the one utilizing the strike in relation to the neutral explanations given; and/or (5) the trial court’s knowledge of the community in relation to the neutral explanations given. Gardner, supra at 429, citing Hernandez v. New York, 500 U. S. 352, 359 (111 SC 1859, 114 LE2d 395) (1991), St. Mary’s Honor Center v. Hicks, 509 U. S. 502 (113 SC 2742, 125 LE2d 407) (1993), Hairston v. Gainesville Sun Publishing Co., 9 F3d 913, 914 (11th Cir. 1993); McKenzie, supra, citing Hernandez, supra, St. Mary’s Honor Center, supra. “In the typical peremptory challenge inquiry, the decisive question will be whether counsel’s [otherwise] race-neutral explanation for a peremptory challenge should be *731believed. 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. As with the state of mind of a juror, evaluation of the [striker’s] state of mind based on demeanor and credibility lies ‘peculiarly within a trial judge’s province.’ ” (Emphasis supplied.) Hernandez, supra at 365; McKenzie, supra; Gardner, supra at 428; Scott, supra at 730; Taylor v. State, 219 Ga. App. 475 (465 SE2d 473) (1995).
Instructive, too, is our Supreme Court’s recent decisions in Greene v. State, 268 Ga. 47 (485 SE2d 741) (1997), and its predecessor, Greene, supra at 440 (2) (“Greene F). Although the referenced portions of these opinions deal with jury challenges under Wainwright v. Witt, 469 U. S. 412 (105 SC 844, 83 LE2d 841) (1985), in death penalty cases, the Supreme Court’s thorough discussion of the necessity for deference to a trial court’s determinations with regard to factual matters during jury selection applies no less completely to a trial court’s step three determinations under Batson/McCollum — in fact, the language echoes that of Batson/McCollum case law: “On review, an appellate court should not substitute its findings for those of the trial court. The conclusion that a prospective juror is disqualified for bias is one that is based upon findings of demeanor and credibility which are peculiarly within the trial court’s province and such findings are to be given deference by appellate courts.” Greene I, supra at 441.
Clearly a trial record alone cannot provide a legitimate basis from which to substitute an appellate court opinion for a trial court’s factual/credibility findings in step three; this has been recognized in numerous recent decisions wherein Batson/McCollum issues were raised. Jones, supra at 430 (“[t]he trial court, unlike this Court, had the opportunity to view [the] prospective jurors”); McKenzie, supra at 780-781 (“the trial judge . . . alone has the opportunity to observe the witnesses’ testimony and evaluate their credibility”); Scott, supra at 731 (1) (“the trial court can visually and auditorially observe the demeanor of both prospective jurors and counsel”); Gardner, supra at 434 (“a trial court’s credibility determination under Batson/McCollum will often go beyond the mere words that accompany the record before the appellate courts”); see also Greene I, supra at 440, citing Wainwright, supra at 426 (deference must be paid the trial judge because it is the trial judge “who sees and hears the juror”).
Obviously, the evolution of Batson/McCollum jurisprudence has been ongoing since the Supreme Court’s decision in Jackson. Based thereon, I concur with the majority’s judgment because I cannot say that the trial court was clearly erroneous in choosing to disbelieve appellant’s explanations. Appellant has not demonstrated error in the trial court’s factual/credibility determination that appellant’s *732explanations failed to overcome the prima facie case. Greene I, supra at 442; Turner, supra at 151; McKenzie, supra; Scott, supra at 731; Jones, supra; Gardner, supra at 438; Herrin, supra at 357; see also Lingo, supra at 666.
Decided October 3, 1997.
Zipperer & Lorberbaum, Alex L. Zipperer, Eric R. Gotwalt, for appellant.
Spencer Lawton, Jr., District Attorney, Lori E. Loncon, Assistant District Attorney, for appellee.