Akin v. State

MONTIEL, Judge.

The appellant, Joseph Dewey Akin, was indicted for murder in violation of § 13A-6-2, Code of Alabama 1975. A jury found Akin guilty as charged, and the trial court sentenced him to life in prison.

Akin argues that the trial court erred in failing to grant his motion for a Batson1 hearing and in failing to grant his motion for a mistrial, both of which were based on what Akin says was the State’s racially discriminatory use of its peremptory challenges. Specifically, Akin argues that the State used all 20 of its strikes to remove white people from the jury. Akin is white; the…