Scott v. Gelb

TORRUELLA, Circuit Judge.

Darryl Scott, petitioner-appellant, contests the district court’s denial of his petition for a writ of habeas corpus under 28 U.S.C. § 2254. Scott, who is African-American, argues that Massachusetts state courts unreasonably applied Batson v. Kentucky, which held that the Equal Protection Clause prohibits prosecutors from challenging potential jurors on the basis of race. 476 U.S. 79, 89, 106 S.Ct. 1712, 90 L.Ed.2d 69 (1986). After careful consideration, we affirm the district court’s denial of habeas corpus relief.

I. Background

Petitioner Darryl Scott was convicted of…