Batson

Batson is a surname of English origin. It is borne by various individuals in different fields, and the name appears in legal, historical, and cultural contexts. The most widely cited use of the term in a broader public sense is its association with a landmark United States Supreme Court decision on jury selection.

In Batson v. Kentucky, decided in 1986, the Court ruled that peremptory challenges used to exclude jurors solely on the basis of race violate the Equal Protection Clause. The decision did not ban peremptory challenges themselves but established a procedural safeguard to prevent racial discrimination in jury selection. From Batson grew the procedure commonly known as the Batson challenge, used to test claims of discriminatory jury selection.

The Batson analysis is typically described as a three-stage test. First, a defendant must make a prima facie showing that the peremptory strike was motivated by race. Second, the party using the strikes must offer race-neutral explanations for the challenges. Third, the court assesses the explanations to determine whether discriminatory intent is present and whether the defendant’s rights have been violated. The process is designed to be neutral and to ensure that jury selection is guided by fair consideration rather than prejudice.

Since Batson, the doctrine has influenced subsequent cases addressing other classifications, such as gender, and has been applied in various criminal and civil contexts. It remains a foundational principle in US jury selection law, shaping how courts evaluate allegations of discriminatory practices in peremptory challenges.