People v. Rivers

—Judgment, Supreme *343Court, Bronx County (Phylis Skloot Bamberger, J.), rendered July 2, 1998, convicting defendant, after a jury trial, of assault in the second degree, and sentencing him to a term of 3 to 6 years, consecutive to a term of 1 to 3 years for violation of probation, unanimously affirmed.

Defendant challenges rulings made by the court pursuant to Batson v Kentucky (476 US 79), in which the court refused to disallow peremptory challenges by the People and disallowed a peremptory challenge by the defense. However, after making its final Batson ruling the court offered to declare a…