People v. Thornton

Defendant, Victor Thornton, was found guilty of robbery (Ill. Rev. Stat. 1989, ch. 38, par. 18 — 1) in a jury trial and sentenced to six years’ imprisonment.

The sole issue for review on appeal is whether the trial court erred in finding that the State’s explanations for its use of peremptory challenges to strike three African-Americans from the venire were race-neutral. (Batson v. Kentucky (1986), 476 U.S. 79, 90 L. Ed. 2d 69, 106 S. Ct. 1712.) We reverse and remand for a new trial.

During voir dire, the State exercised two peremptory challenges to dismiss Alberta Pitts and Vida Baker…