Parker v. State

William Dean Parker was convicted for robbery in the first degree and sentenced to 20 years' imprisonment. That conviction is reversed because of the prosecutor's racial discrimination in the selection of the jury in violation of Batson v.Kentucky, 476 U.S. 79, 106 S.Ct. 1712, 90 L.Ed.2d 69 (1986), and Ex parte Branch, 526 So.2d 609 (Ala. 1987).

I

The prosecutor used 6 of his 8 peremptory strikes to remove blacks from the jury venire. After the defendant objected, the trial judge required the prosecutor to state his reasons for the strikes. We find one of those reasons insufficient.

That reason…