Court Opinion

ID: 9623804
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-22 06:43:50.669176+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T09:50:37.322990
License: Public Domain

Toal, Justice,
dissenting:
I respectfully dissent. I would reverse the Appellant’s conviction on the grounds that the solicitor’s reasons for striking the black jurors did not comply with the requirements of Batson v. Kentucky, 476 U.S. 79, 106 S. Ct. 1712, 90 L. Ed. (2d) 69 (1986) and South Carolina precedent established under Bat-son.
The majority interprets Hernandez v. New York, 500 U.S. —, 111 S. Ct. 1859, 114 L. Ed. (2d) 395 (1991), to overrule Batson v. Kentucky, 476 U.S. 79, 106 S. Ct. 1712, 90 L. Ed. (2d) 69 (1986), to the extent Batson required the prosecutor’s race-neutral explanation to be related to the case. Id. at 99, 106 S. Ct. at 1724. I disagree with this interpretation of Hernandez and would further hold that abolishing this requirement is inconsistent with South Carolina precedent and unwise.
In Hernandez, the state’s main witnesses were to testify in Spanish with an interpreter translating for the jury. The prosecutor exercised his peremptory strikes against four bilingual *99prospective jurors. Ill S. Ct. at 1864-5. The prosecutor’s explanation was that when the bilingual jurors were asked if they would be able to rely on the interpreter’s translation of the testimony they heard, they looked away from the prosecutor and hesitated before answering affirmatively. Id.
In Hernandez, the Court held to rebut the defendant’s prima facie showing, an explanation may still be racially neutral even though it has a disparate racial impact. Id. A disproportionate impact is not enough, the intent to discriminate is required. Id. In this context, the Court said unless the discriminatory intent is inherent in the prosecutor’s explanation, the reason offered will be deemed racially neutral. Id. at 1866.
The majority would hold that, by this language, the Hernandez Court has overturned the feature of Batson which required the racially neutral explanation be related to the particular case. 476 U.S. at 99, 106 S. Ct. at 1724. I disagree. In Hernandez the explanation given was clearly related to the case. It was also clear, reasonably specific and legitimate. These requirements set out in Batson were not in issue in Hernandez and therefore, naturally not addressed. The majority does not suggest there the explanation need not be clear, specific or legitimate either. To interpret Hernandez to overrule Batson on issues not presented reads too much into the opinion.
Furthermore, even if Hernandez is read to no longer require the explanation to be related to the case, it does not necessarily follow that this Court should eliminate the requirement from South Carolina law. Ross v. Oklahoma, 487 U.S. 81, 108 S. Ct. 2273, 101 L. Ed. (2d) 80 (1988); State v. Jones, 293 S.C. 54, 358 S.E. (2d) 701 (1987).
Since Batson, the South Carolina courts have consistently reiterated the requirement that the prosecutor must give a racially neutral explanation that is related to the case to be tried. State v. Grandy, — S.C. —, — S.E. (2d) — Op. No. 23326 (S.C. Sup. Ct. filed Feb. 4, 1991) (Davis Adv. Sh. No. 3 at 16); State v. Tomlin, 299 S.C. 294, 384 S.E. (2d) 707 (1989); State v. Howard, 295 S.C. 462, 369 S.E. (2d) 132 (1988), cert. denied, 490 U.S. 1113, 109 S. Ct. 3174, 104 L. Ed. (2d) 1036 (1989); State v. Lewis, 293 S.C. 107, 359 S.E. (2d) 66 (1987). To abandon this requirement would seriously jeopardize the application of the principles of Batson.
*100If the explanation given is not related to the case, it is not an explanation, but merely a characteristic of the juror who has been struck. The prosecutor could easily devise one or more characteristics which would fit all the minority jurors struck but none of the white. The trial court would then have to rely solely on the attorney’s demeanor to determine the credibility of the explanation given. Although the attorney’s demeanor should be considered, the relationship of the explanation to the case is also an important factor in assessing the legitimacy of the explanation. State v. Tomlin, 299 S.C. 294, 384 S.E. (2d) 707 (1989). I believe it would be unwise and unnecessary to curtail the trial court’s inquiry and this Court’s review in this manner.
In the instant case, the prosecutor struck four black prospective jurors. For two of the strikes, the only explanation given was that prospective jurors were unemployed, one due to his advanced age. While this Court has upheld unemployment as a racially neutral explanation, the issue of whether the unemployment of the juror was related to the case has not been presented to this Court. See, State v. Martinez, 294 S.C. 72, 362 S.E. (2d) 641 (1987); see also, State v. Tomlin, 299 S.C. 294, 384 S.E. (2d) 707 (1989).
It is apparent from the record, the trial judge believed that since unemployment has been upheld as a racially neutral explanation in previous cases it was automatically racially neutral in this case. The trial judge failed to examine the explanation any further. Without further inquiry, it is impossible to determine whether this explanation is merely a pretext for the discriminatory exercise of the prosecutor’s peremptory challenges.
I would hold that by failing to articulate a racially neutral explanation that is related to the case, the prosecutor has not met his burden to rebut this showing as required under Bat-son and subsequent decisions in this court.
Finney, J., concurs.