State v. Holmes

Summary

The court affirmed the defendant’s convictions, holding that the prosecutor’s reliance on the prospective juror’s distrust of law enforcement and concerns about criminal-justice fairness was facially race neutral under the federal Batson framework, even if those reasons disproportionately affect minority jurors. Because the defendant did not challenge the finding that the stated reasons were pretextual, the court upheld the denial of the Batson objection. The court also directed the Chief Justice to convene a Jury Selection Task Force to consider reforms addressing implicit bias and disparate impact.