Larry Yarborough, Appellant v. the State of Texas

Summary

The Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas reversed the Court of Appeals and remanded for further review, holding that a trial judge’s Batson finding based solely on a prosecutor’s uncorroborated statement about a venire member’s demeanor is not clearly erroneous and therefore must be upheld. The majority emphasized that race‑neutral explanations grounded only in subjective demeanor require independent, objectively verifiable evidence to defeat a prima facie case, and that appellate review of such findings is limited to a clear‑error standard. The decision was contested by a dissent and three concurring opinions.