A-20-934, State v. Kwamayne D. Jackson (appellant)
Douglas County, District Court, Judge Timothy P. Burns
Attorneys for Appellant: Thomas C. Riley, Mary Rose Donahue, and Mary M. Dvorak (Douglas County Public Defender’s Office)
Attorneys for Appellee: Douglas J. Peterson and Siobhan E. Duffy (Attorney General’s Office)
Criminal Action: Child Abuse Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury
Action Taken by Trial Court: During voir dire, Jackson claimed that the State used peremptory challenges on certain jurors solely because of their race, contrary to Batson v. Kentucky, 476 U.S. 79, 106 S. Ct. 1712, 90 L. Ed. 2d 69 (1986). After hearing arguments, the district court denied Jackson’s Batson challenge. Following the trial, Jackson was convicted of child abuse resulting in serious bodily injury. The district court sentenced him to 14 to 18 years imprisonment, with credit for 538 days already served.
Assignments of Error on Appeal: Jackson assigns that the district court: (1) improperly denied his Batson challenge as the State failed to provide racially neutral reasons that were supported by the record; and (2) abused its discretion because it failed to adequately consider mitigating factors at sentencing.