People v. White

OPINION OF THE COURT

Leon Ruchelsman, J.

The defendant stands charged with two counts of murder in the second degree (Penal Law § 125.25 [1], [2]), criminal possession of a weapon in the second degree (Penal Law § 265.03) and criminal possession of a weapon in the third degree (Penal Law § 265.02 [4]). During the third round of jury selection the People exercised two peremptory challenges against two African-American women. Thereafter, the defendant challenged the propriety of those challenges and asserted that the People had used 8 out of 11 peremptory challenges to exclude black women from…