Error and/or relief
The trial court erred by overruling his Code of Civil Procedure section 231.7 objection to the prosecutor’s use of a peremptory challenge against a prospective juror who disclosed a negative experience with law enforcement.
First Holding:
Prior to January 1, 2022, trial courts examined peremptory challenges under the three-step inquiry established by Batson and Wheeler. Recognizing the limitations of the Batson/Wheeler inquiry, the Legislature enacted AB 3070 (2019–2020 Reg. Sess.) to add Code of Civil Procedure section 231.7, which creates new procedures for identifying unlawful discrimination in the use of peremptory challenges. Section 231.7(a) prohibits the use of a peremptory challenge to remove a prospective juror on the basis of the prospective juror’s race, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, or religious affiliation, or the perceived membership of the prospective juror in any of those groups.
The statute is designed to address both purposeful discrimination and implicit unconscious bias in the jury selection process, and the Legislature has instructed that it is to be broadly construed to eliminate both forms of discrimination and the use of group stereotypes and discrimination, whether based on conscious or unconscious bias in the exercise of peremptory challenges.
Authority:
CCP 231.7
Batson v. Kentucky (1986) 476 U.S. 79,
People v. Wheeler (1978) 22 Cal.3d 258,
People v. Jaime (2023) 91 Cal.App.5th 941, 943,
People v. Ortiz (2023) 96 Cal.App.5th 768, 791-792
Second Holding:
A party or the trial court on its own motion may object that a party’s use of a peremptory challenge violates section 231.7(a). The statute does not require any threshold showing by the objecting party. The party seeking to challenge the prospective juror must then state the reasons the peremptory challenge has been exercised. It is then up to the trial court to correctly apply the procedure set forth in section 231.7 when deciding whether to sustain the objection.
The trial court must evaluate the reasons given to justify the peremptory challenge in light of the totality of the circumstances, considering only the reasons actually given and not any other possible justifications. If the court finds a substantial likelihood that an objectively reasonable person would view race, ethnicity, or another prohibited characteristic as a factor in the use of the peremptory challenge, then the objection shall be sustained. A substantial likelihood means more than a mere possibility but less than a standard of more likely than not. The court must explain the reasons for its ruling on the record.
Authority:
CCP 231.7
People v. Ortiz (2023) 96 Cal.App.5th 768, 792
People v. Aguilar (2026) 118 Cal.App.5th 1, 8–9
Third Holding:
Section 231.7(e) lists 13 reasons that are presumed to be invalid when offered as justifications for a peremptory challenge, including expressing a distrust of or having a negative experience with law enforcement or the criminal legal system. A party that relies on one of those presumptively invalid reasons must show by clear and convincing evidence that an objectively reasonable person would view the rationale as unrelated to a prospective juror’s race or other prohibited factor, and that the reasons articulated bear on the prospective juror’s ability to be fair and impartial in the case.
For purposes of overcoming this presumption of invalidity, clear and convincing evidence exists when the court determines it is highly probable that the reasons given for the exercise of a peremptory challenge are unrelated to conscious or unconscious bias and are instead specific to the juror and bear on the juror’s ability to be fair and impartial in the case.
Authority:
CCP 231.7
People v. Gonzalez (2024) 104 Cal.App.5th 1, 14
Fourth Holding:
Section 231.7(g) lists an additional set of three presumptively invalid reasons for exercising a peremptory challenge, all of which relate to a prospective juror’s demeanor, behavior, or manner. These reasons are: The prospective juror was inattentive, or staring or failing to make eye contact; the prospective juror exhibited either a lack of rapport or problematic attitude, body language, or demeanor; and the prospective juror provided unintelligent or confused answers.
These three reasons are presumptively invalid unless the trial court is able to confirm that the asserted behavior occurred, based on the court’s own observations or the observations of counsel for the objecting party. Even with that confirmation, the counsel offering the reason shall explain why the asserted demeanor, behavior, or manner in which the prospective juror answered questions matters to the case to be tried.
Authority:
CCP 231.7
Fifth Holding:
We review the trial court’s denial of an objection under section 231.7 de novo, with the trial court’s express factual findings reviewed for substantial evidence. The reviewing court shall not impute any findings to the trial court that the court did not expressly state on the record. The appellate court is to consider only reasons actually given under subdivision (c) and shall not speculate as to or consider reasons that were not given to explain the party’s use of the peremptory challenge. Section 231.7 precludes a finding of harmless error. If the appellate court concludes that the trial court erred by overruling an objection under the statute, that error shall be deemed prejudicial, the judgment shall be reversed, and the case remanded for a new trial.
Authority:
CCP 231.7
People v. Ortiz (2023) 96 Cal.App.5th 768, 795
Sixth Holding:
Section 231.7(e) prescribes how the court must analyze this issue and requires clear and convincing evidence.
Authority:
CCP 231.7
People v. Alston (2026) 118 Cal.App.5th 575, 587