State v. Amerson

JEFFREY W. BATES, Judge.

Antonio Amerson (Defendant) contends the trial court erred in permitting the State to waive its final peremptory challenge so as to exclude Charles Jones (Jones), an African-American vernireper-son, from the jury. Defendant argues that, for the reasons articulated in Batson v. Kentucky, 476 U.S. 79, 106 S.Ct. 1712, 90 L.Ed.2d 69 (1986), the State’s action violated the rights of Jones and Defendant to equal protection. This Court affirms.

Defendant was charged by amended information with committing the class B felony of possessing a controlled substance with the intent…