Court Opinion

ID: 9518989
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-07 01:06:53.073561+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T12:36:30.854826
License: Public Domain

JUSTICE NICKELS, also dissenting: Normally the first step of the Batson inquiry into a claim that the prosecution has exercised peremptory challenges in a racially discriminatory manner is to determine whether the defendant has established a prima facie case of racial discrimination. Purkett v. Elem, 514 U.S. 765, 767, 131 L. Ed. 2d 834, 839, 115 S. Ct. 1769, 1770-71 (1995). However, when the prosecution volunteers its race-neutral explanation for excusing a challenged venireperson before the trial court’s determination that the defendant has established a prima facie case of discrimination, the question of whether the defendant has satisfied step one of the Batson inquiry is rendered moot. People v. Hope, 168 Ill. 2d 1, 19 (1995), citing Hernandez v. New York, 500 U.S. 352, 359, 114 L. Ed. 2d 395, 405, 111 S. Ct. 1859, 1866 (1991). In the instant case, defense counsel raised a Batson objection to the prosecution’s exercise of a peremptory challenge against venireperson Martin. In response, the prosecution first asserted that it was not required to give reasons for the challenge until a prima facie case had been established. Nevertheless, prior to the trial court’s determination regarding the prima facie case, the prosecution volunteered to the court that: (1) Martin was an African-American with red hair (2) who was not satisfied with the outcome of several cases and (3) that it was obvious from the situation why Martin was excluded. This court has held that "[o]nce the prosecutor offers a race-neutral basis for his exercise of peremptory challenges, it is the trial court’s duty to determine if the defendant has established purposeful discrimination.” People v. Kitchen, 159 Ill. 2d 1, 19 (1994), citing Batson v. Kentucky, 476 U.S. 79, 98, 90 L. Ed. 2d 69, 88-89, 106 S. Ct. 1712, 1723-24 (1986); see also Purkett, 514 U.S. at 767, 131 L. Ed. 2d at 839, 115 S. Ct. at 1770-71 (if a race-neutral explanation is tendered by the prosecution, the trial court must decide whether the opponent of the strike has proved purposeful discrimination). Therefore, because the prosecution here offered race-neutral reasons for its peremptory challenge of Martin, the question of whether a prima facie case had been established was rendered moot and the trial court was required to rule upon the ultimate issue of discrimination. Instead, the trial court found only that a prima facie case had not been established. Even though the issue had been rendered moot, the majority, nevertheless, upholds the trial court’s finding that a prima facie case had not been established. However, the proper analysis of cases in which the prima facie question is rendered moot is to review the trial court’s findings regarding the legitimacy of the prosecution’s race-neutral reasons. See Hope, 168 Ill. 2d at 19-21; Kitchen, 159 Ill. 2d at 19; People v. Mitchell, 152 Ill. 2d 274, 289 (1992). In the instant case, the trial court made no findings as to the reasons offered by the prosecution. The legitimacy of the prosecution’s race-neutral reasons is generally a factual matter determined by the trial court because the trial judge is in the best position to observe the demeanor of potential jurors and then evaluate prosecutive explanations for peremptory challenges. Mitchell, 152 Ill. 2d at 296; see also Hernandez, 500 U.S. at 365, 114 L. Ed. 2d at 409, 111 S. Ct. at 1869, quoting Wainwright v. Witt, 469 U.S. 412, 428, 83 L. Ed. 2d 841, 854, 105 S. Ct. 844, 854 (1985). In addition, after the prosecution offers reasons for its peremptory challenges, the defense counsel is then allowed an opportunity to rebut the prosecution’s reasons as being pretextual. Mitchell, 152 Ill. 2d at 288. However, in the instant case the trial court affirmatively prevented defense counsel’s attempts to develop rebuttal evidence. Because the establishment of the prima facie case was rendered moot, the trial court should have allowed defendant an attempt to rebut the prosecution’s explanations as pretextual and completed the Batson analysis. For the foregoing reasons, I would remand the cause to the trial court for further proceedings pursuant to Bat-son. Therefore, I respectfully dissent. JUSTICE FREEMAN joins in this dissent.