Stroia v. State

The issue presented for our review is whether the trial court erred in allowing a peremptory strike of an African-American juror by the state, where the state accepted two white jurors who were similarly situated to the African-American juror. We find that the trial court erred in finding the state’s race-neutral reason for striking that African-American juror to be genuine, and as a result, we reverse appellant’s convictions and remand for a new trial.

Appellant was charged with one count of trespass of a structure with a firearm and one count of improper exhibition of a firearm, after…