Evans v. State

Ruffin, Judge.

Deon Evans was tried and convicted of violating the Georgia Controlled Substances Act. He appeals the judgment of conviction following the denial of his motion for new trial.

1. Evans, who is black, contends the trial court erred in seating juror number seven, a white female, after his attorney articulated a reasonable race-neutral reason for striking the juror. We agree with Evans and reverse.

The record shows that Evans’s attorney used a peremptory strike for juror number seven and the State made a “reverse Batson” (Batson v. Kentucky, 476 U. S. 79 (106 SC 1712, 90 LE2d 69)…