State of Tennessee v. Stephen M. Mobley

A Hamilton County jury convicted the Defendant, Stephen M. Mobley, of two counts of
first-degree premeditated murder, one count of attempted first-degree murder, one count
of aggravated assault, and one count of employing a firearm during the commission of a
dangerous felony. The trial court merged the attempted first degree murder and aggravated
assault convictions and imposed an effective sentence of life imprisonment plus twentysix
years. In his first appeal, the Defendant contended that the trial court erred when it
failed to make requisite findings based on Batson v. Kentucky regarding the State’s use of
a peremptory challenge to strike an African-American potential juror during voir dire.
State v. Stephen Maurice Mobley, No. E2020-00234-CCA-R3-CD, 2021 WL 3610905, at
*1 (Tenn. Crim. App., at Knoxville, Mar. 31, 2021). This court remanded the case for the
trial court to make appropriate findings pursuant to Batson. On remand, the trial court
concluded that the State’s exercise of the peremptory challenge did not violate Batson. The
Defendant again appeals, contending that the trial court erred. After our review, we affirm
the trial court’s judgments.