Lightfoot v. State

152 So. 3d 434, 2012 WL 3641413, 2012 Ala. Crim. App. LEXIS 69
CourtCourt of Criminal Appeals of Alabama
DecidedAugust 24, 2012
DocketCR-11-0376
StatusPublished
Cited by15 cases

This text of 152 So. 3d 434 (Lightfoot v. State) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Criminal Appeals of Alabama primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Lightfoot v. State, 152 So. 3d 434, 2012 WL 3641413, 2012 Ala. Crim. App. LEXIS 69 (Ala. Ct. App. 2012).

Opinion

On Application for Rehearing

KELLUM, Judge.

The unpublished memorandum issued on June 15, 2012, is withdrawn and the following opinion is substituted therefor.

Reginald Tyrone Lightfoot was convicted of trafficking in cocaine, a violation of § 13A-12-231(2), Ala.Code 1975, and of unlawful possession of marijuana in the second degree, a violation of § 13A-12-214, Ala.Code 1975. For the trafficking conviction, he was sentenced to 15 years’ imprisonment and was ordered to pay a $100 fee to the Alabama Forensic Services Trust Fund, see § 36-18-7(a), Ala.Code 1975, a $1000 penalty under the Demand Reduction Assessment Act, see § 13A-12-281, Ala.Code 1975, and fines totaling $75,000 pursuant to §§ 13A-12-231(2)a. and 13A-12-23K13), Ala.Code 1975. For the possession conviction, he was sentenced to one year’s imprisonment and was ordered to pay a $500 fine.

The evidence adduced at trial indicated the following. On January 18, 2009, at approximately 4:00 a.m., Blake Dean, a patrol officer with the Huntsville Police Department, executed a traffic stop of a vehicle that had “swerved a few times across the line and had no tag light.” (R. 123.) The vehicle was being driven by Lightfoot; Brandy Newberry was a passenger in the vehicle. When Officer Dean approached the vehicle, he smelled the odor of marijuana emanating from inside the vehicle. When asked about the odor, Lightfoot said that he had been in a nightclub. Lightfoot also told Officer Dean that he had a pistol in the vehicle and that he had a permit for the pistol. Officer Dean then had Lightfoot and Newberry get out of the vehicle, and he searched the vehicle, finding what was later determined to be 42.4 grams of cocaine and 21.3 grams of marijuana in a purse on the passenger-side floorboard, and finding a pistol in the cen[437]*437ter console. Officer Dean first questioned Newberry about the narcotics. Based on her responses, he then, after advising Lightfoot of his rights under Miranda v. Arizona, 384 U.S. 436, 86 S.Ct. 1602, 16 L.Ed.2d 694 (1966), questioned Lightfoot about the narcotics. Lightfoot told Officer Dean that when he first saw Officer Dean’s emergency lights, he got the cocaine and marijuana out of the center console of the vehicle and gave them to Newberry, who put them in her purse.

After both sides rested and the trial court instructed the jury on the applicable principles of law, the jury convicted Light-foot of trafficking in cocaine and of unlawful possession of marijuana in the second degree as charged in the indictment. This appeal followed.

I.

Lightfoot contends that the trial court erred in denying his motion made pursuant to Batson v. Kentucky, 476 U.S. 79, 106 S.Ct. 1712, 90 L.Ed.2d 69 (1986). He argues that the State exercised its peremptory strikes in a racially discriminatory manner and that the trial court erred in finding that he had failed to establish a prima facie case of discrimination and not requiring the State to provide its reasons for the strikes. We disagree.

The record reflects that there were 30 prospective jurors on the venire. Of those 30, 21 were Caucasian, 8 were African-American, and 1 was listed on the venire list as “A,” signifying Asian. The State was afforded nine peremptory strikes and the defense eight peremptory strikes; the State’s ninth strike was the alternate juror. The State struck five African-Americans and four Caucasians; the defense struck seven Caucasians and the sole Asian. The jury consisted of nine Caucasians and three African-Americans. After the jury was struck, but before it was sworn, the following occurred:

“THE COURT: Do we have any motions?
“[Defense counsel]: Yes, sir. At this time I would make the motion to dismiss this panel, based on a Batson motion. The State has used five of its nine strikes — the majority of its nine strikes — to strike black members of the Jury from the panel. And as I recall the voir dire questioning, I don’t remember but one with a possible — that they would have a possible reason for doing so other than the color of their skin, Your Honor.
“THE COURT: I think that courts have found that numbers alone are not sufficient to shift the burden to the State to offer a reason for a peremptory challenge. Do you have any other basis for your motion?
“[Defense counsel]: Your Honor, the voir dire questions, as they were asked and answered — they were answered except, again, as I remember, one of the strikes in particular — they were all answered on a pretty equal, or equivalent, basis, by both blacks and whites. And it appears as though the choice has been made, based on the way the State has struck the black members of the Jury, based on the color of their skin rather than the questioning and the answers received in questioning on voir dire.
“THE COURT: Who is the one strike in particular you are referencing?
“[Defense counsel]: I would be referring right now to No. 26—
“THE COURT: And what is your particular—
“[Defense counsel]: — who had a similar charge against her.
“THE COURT: That would appear, in my opinion, to be a race-neutral reason.
[438]*438“[Defense counsel]: That is what I’m saying.
“THE COURT: With the exception of her, you mean?
“[Defense counsel]: With the exception.
“THE COURT: I do not find that the Defense has made a prima facie case that would justify shifting the burden to the State to offer peremptory challenges [sic], based on Batson.”

(R. 102-04.)

“When reviewing a trial court’s ruling on a Batson motion, this court gives deference to the trial court and will reverse a trial court’s decision only if the ruling is clearly erroneous.” Yancey v. State, 813 So.2d 1, 3 (Ala.Crim.App.2001). “ ‘ “[A] finding is ‘clearly erroneous’ when although there is evidence to support it, the reviewing court on the entire evidence is left with the definite and firm conviction that a mistake has been committed.” ’ ” Fletcher v. State, 703 So.2d 432, 436 (Ala.Crim.App.1997) (quoting Davis v. State, 555 So.2d 309, 312 (Ala.Crim.App.1989), quoting in turn Powell v. State, 548 So.2d 590, 594 (Ala.Crim.App.1988), aff'd, 548 So.2d 605 (Ala.1989)).

In evaluating a Batson claim, a three-step process must be followed:

“First, a defendant must make a prima facie showing that a peremptory challenge has been exercised on the basis of race. [Batson,] 476 U.S., at 96-97. Second, if that showing has been made, the prosecution must offer a race-neutral basis for striking the juror in question. Id., at 97-98. Third, in light of the parties’ submissions, the trial court must determine whether the defendant has shown purposeful discrimination. Id., at 98.”

Miller-El v. Cockrell, 537 U.S. 322, 328-29, 123 S.Ct. 1029, 154 L.Ed.2d 931 (2003).

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
152 So. 3d 434, 2012 WL 3641413, 2012 Ala. Crim. App. LEXIS 69, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/lightfoot-v-state-alacrimapp-2012.