State of Missouri v. Joshua L. Stokes

In the Missouri Court of Appeals Eastern District DIVISION TWO STATE OF MISSOURI, ) No. ED112524 ) Respondent, ) Appeal from the Circuit Court ) of Cape Girardeau County vs. ) Cause No. 22CG-CR00023-01 ) JOSHUA L. STOKES, ) Honorable Benjamin F. Lewis ) Appellant. ) FILED: April 22, 2025 Introduction Joshua Stokes (Stokes) appeals his conviction of second-degree burglary and stealing. Stokes appeals only the denial of his Batson1 challenge during jury selection. Finding the State provided a race-neutral reason for using their peremptory strike and Stokes failed to prove the reason was…