Missouri Court of Appeals, Western District / Date unavailable
State of Missouri vs. Toney Powell, Jr.
Toney Powell, Jr. appealed his convictions for second-degree murder and armed criminal action, challenging the trial court's denial of his Batson challenge during jury selection. The State used a peremptory strike on a venireperson of Pacific Islander descent, providing silence during voir dire and occupation as an underwriter as race-neutral reasons. The appellate court affirmed the trial court's judgment, concluding that Powell failed to create an adequate record on appeal to demonstrate that the State's explanations were pretextual.