P. v. Mata CA2/11
A jury convicted Johnny Mata of attempted murder and possession of a firearm by a felon. Mata appealed, arguing the trial court erred in denying his motion under Batson v. Kentucky (1986) 476 U.S. 79 [106 S.Ct. 1712, 90 L.Ed.2d 69] and People v. Wheeler (1978) 22 Cal.3d 258, commonly referred to as a Batson/Wheeler motion. (People v. Mata (Mar. 26, 2018, B270264) [nonpub. opn.] (Mata I).) In that appeal we held the trial court erred in failing to complete the three-step inquiry required to rule on a Batson/Wheeler motion, conditionally reversed the judgment, and directed the trial court to complete steps two and three of the Batson/Wheeler analysis. On remand the trial court ruled Mata failed to demonstrate the prosecutor exercised any peremptory challenges in a discriminatory manner.
Comments on P. v. Mata CA2/11