Scott v. State

981 So. 2d 979, 2007 WL 1677944
CourtCourt of Appeals of Mississippi
DecidedJune 12, 2007
Docket2002-KP-00798-COA
StatusPublished

This text of 981 So. 2d 979 (Scott v. State) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Mississippi primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Scott v. State, 981 So. 2d 979, 2007 WL 1677944 (Mich. Ct. App. 2007).

Opinion

981 So.2d 979 (2007)

James Wesley SCOTT, Appellant,
v.
STATE of Mississippi, Appellee.

No. 2002-KP-00798-COA.

Court of Appeals of Mississippi.

June 12, 2007.
Rehearing Denied October 16, 2007.

*980 Jonathan M. Farris, James Wesley Scott, (Pro Se), attorneys for appellant.

Office of the Attorney General by Billy L. Gore, attorney for appellee.

EN BANC.

ROBERTS, J., for the Court.

SUMMARY OF THE CASE

¶ 1. James Wesley Scott went to trial for simple robbery, attempted kidnapping, and attempted sexual assault. During jury selection, Scott objected to the prosecution's use of peremptory challenges. According to Scott, the prosecution exercised its peremptory challenges in a racially-motivated manner in violation of Batson v. Kentucky, 476 U.S. 79, 106 S.Ct. 1712, 90 L.Ed.2d 69 (1986). The circuit court found that Scott had failed to demonstrate a prima facie case of discrimination in the prosecution's use of peremptory challenges.

¶ 2. Ultimately, the jury found Scott guilty of the simple robbery charge and not guilty of the attempted kidnapping charge. As for the attempted sexual battery charge, the jury was not able to reach a verdict. Scott appealed to this Court and alleged that the circuit court erred when it overruled his Batson objection without conducting a Batson hearing. This Court remanded the matter to the Forrest County Circuit Court for a Batson hearing. At the conclusion of the hearing, the circuit court found that Scott failed to demonstrate a prima facie case of discrimination in the prosecution's use of peremptory challenges. As such, the circuit court found that it was unnecessary for the prosecution to submit race-neutral reasons for striking black members of the venire. Aggrieved, Scott asserts the following two issues:

I. WHETHER, UPON REMAND, THE CIRCUIT COURT PROPERLY OVERRULED SCOTT'S BATSON OBJECTION WITHOUT REQUIRING THE STATE TO PROVIDE RACE-NEUTRAL REASONS FOR USING TEN OF ITS PEREMPTORY CHALLENGES TO STRIKE AFRICAN-AMERICAN JURORS?
II. WHETHER THE CIRCUIT COURT ERRED IN DENYING SCOTT'S MOTION FOR JNOV AND/OR NEW TRIAL AND IN REFUSING TO GIVE HIS PEREMPTORY INSTRUCTIONS?

We find that the circuit court erred when it held that Scott did not demonstrate a prima facie case of racial discrimination in its exercise of peremptory challenges and that the prosecution was not required to provide race-neutral reasons for its peremptory challenges. As such, we need not consider Scott's second issue. Accordingly, we reverse and remand this matter for a new trial on the merits.

FACTS

¶ 3. Around 2:30 a.m. on December 3, 1999, Michelle Madden arrived at her apartment in Hattiesburg after spending a night out with friends. When Madden exited her vehicle, a car pulled up behind her and stopped. The driver asked Madden if she knew where apartment sixteen was located. As she gave the man directions to apartment sixteen, he exited his vehicle and grabbed Madden by the front of her pants. The man informed Madden that he was robbing her and that she was going to have to come with him so that he may do as he pleased with her. The man threatened to shoot and stab Madden if she did *981 not cooperate. When the man stuck his hand down the front of her pants, Madden was able to break away and run into the street. Occupants of a passing car, Kevin Thompson, Elizabeth Rubby, and Lauren Edgett, saw Madden running from the man and stopped to help her. The man then fled the scene, but not before Thompson, Rubby, and Edgett were able to record his license plate number. However, the attacker managed to get away with Madden's wallet and checkbook.

¶ 4. Thompson, Rubby, and Edgett immediately took Madden to the Hattiesburg Police Station, where Madden gave the police a detailed account of the robbery. Thompson, Rubby, and Edgett provided the police with the license plate number of the car driven by Madden's attacker. Later that same night, the vehicle driven by Madden's attacker was involved in an automobile accident. At the time of the accident, the vehicle at issue was being driven by Scott. Madden's checkbook was found in the car. Five days after the attack, Madden identified Scott as her attacker. That is, Madden picked Scott's picture out of a photo line-up. Madden also identified Scott at trial.

PROCEDURAL HISTORY

¶ 5. On April 5, 2000, a Forrest County Circuit Court grand jury returned a three-count indictment against James Wesley Scott for simple robbery, attempted kidnapping, and attempted sexual assault. Scott pled not guilty. Consequently, Scott went to trial on August 29, 2001. During jury selection, Scott objected to the prosecution's use of peremptory challenges. According to Scott, the prosecution exercised its peremptory challenges in a racially-motivated manner in violation of Batson v. Kentucky, 476 U.S. 79, 106 S.Ct. 1712, 90 L.Ed.2d 69 (1986). The circuit court disagreed. That is, the circuit court found that Scott had failed to demonstrate a prima facie case of discrimination in the prosecution's use of peremptory challenges.

¶ 6. Ultimately, the jury found Scott guilty of the simple robbery charge and not guilty of the attempted kidnapping charge. As for the attempted sexual battery charge, the jury was not able to reach a verdict. Post-trial, Scott filed a motion for JNOV or, alternatively, for a new trial. The circuit court overruled both motions. Scott appealed to this Court and alleged that the circuit court erred when it overruled his Batson objection without conducting a Batson hearing. Scott also appealed the circuit court's decision to overrule his motion for JNOV and/or new trial, as well as the circuit court's refusal to give his peremptory instructions.

¶ 7. On December 13, 2005, this Court issued an order and remanded this case to the Forrest County Circuit Court for a Batson hearing. Following the appointment of a special circuit judge, the matter was heard on August 15, 2006. At the conclusion of the hearing, the circuit court found that a prima facie case of a discriminatory pattern in the prosecution's use of peremptory challenges had not been established. Therefore, the circuit court found that it was unnecessary for the prosecution to submit race-neutral reasons for striking black members of the venire. Scott appeals.

STANDARD OF REVIEW

¶ 8. Great deference is given the circuit court when determining whether or not peremptory challenges were race-neutral. Manning v. State, 765 So.2d 516(¶ 8) (Miss.2000). "Such deference is necessary because finding that a striking party engaged in discrimination is largely a factual finding and thus should be accorded appropriate *982 deference on appeal. . . . Indeed, we will not overrule a trial court on a Batson ruling unless the record indicates that the ruling was clearly erroneous or against the overwhelming weight of the evidence." Id.

ANALYSIS

I. WHETHER, UPON REMAND, THE CIRCUIT COURT PROPERLY OVERRULED SCOTT'S BATSON OBJECTION WITHOUT REQUIRING THE STATE TO PROVIDE RACE-NEUTRAL REASONS FOR USING TEN OF ITS PEREMPTORY CHALLENGES TO STRIKE AFRICAN-AMERICAN JURORS?

¶ 9. According to Scott, the prosecution used its peremptory challenges to eliminate black members of the venire panel in violation of Batson v. Kentucky,

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Related

Batson v. Kentucky
476 U.S. 79 (Supreme Court, 1986)
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650 So. 2d 1289 (Mississippi Supreme Court, 1994)
Berry v. State
703 So. 2d 269 (Mississippi Supreme Court, 1997)
Robinson v. State
761 So. 2d 209 (Mississippi Supreme Court, 2000)
Conerly v. State
544 So. 2d 1370 (Mississippi Supreme Court, 1989)
Walters v. State
720 So. 2d 856 (Mississippi Supreme Court, 1998)
Manning v. State
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Bluebook (online)
981 So. 2d 979, 2007 WL 1677944, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/scott-v-state-missctapp-2007.