▁of ▁H ector ▁Ay ala ▁H ector ▁Ay ala ▁was ▁charged ▁with ▁three ▁counts ▁of ▁murder ▁that ▁alleg edly ▁occurred ▁during ▁an ▁attempted ▁rob ber y ▁of ▁an ▁autom obile ▁body ▁shop ▁in ▁San ▁Diego , ▁California ▁in ▁April ▁ 1 9 8 5 . ▁During ▁j ury ▁selection , ▁the ▁pro sec ution ▁used ▁per empt ory ▁challeng es ▁to ▁strike ▁all ▁Black ▁and ▁His pan ic ▁jur ors ▁who ▁were ▁available ▁for ▁j ury ▁service . ▁Ay ala , ▁who ▁was ▁of ▁His pan ic ▁descent , ▁file d ▁a ▁series ▁of ▁Bat son ▁challeng es ▁to ▁contest ▁the ▁pro sec ution ' s ▁use ▁of ▁per empt ory ▁challeng es . ▁The ▁trial ▁judge ▁permitted ▁the ▁pro sec ution ▁to ▁explain ▁the ▁basis ▁of ▁their ▁per empt ory ▁challeng es ▁in ▁a ▁closed ▁hearing , ▁outside ▁the ▁presence ▁of ▁Ay ala ' s ▁coun sel , ▁" so ▁as ▁not ▁to ▁disc lose ▁trial ▁strategy ". ▁The ▁trial ▁court ▁ultimately ▁concluded ▁that ▁the ▁per empt ory ▁challeng es ▁were ▁based ▁on ▁race - neut ral ▁criteria , ▁and ▁Ay ala ▁was ▁conv icted ▁of ▁the ▁three ▁counts ▁of ▁murder ▁in ▁August ▁ 1 9 8 9 . ▁The ▁j ury ▁returned ▁a ▁sentence ▁of ▁death ▁for ▁the ▁three ▁murder ▁conv ict ions , ▁and ▁the ▁trial ▁judge ▁entered ▁a ▁judgment ▁consistent ▁with ▁the ▁j ury ' s ▁sentence . ▁On ▁direct ▁appeal , ▁the ▁California ▁Supreme ▁Court ▁u ph eld ▁Ay ala ' s ▁conv iction ▁and ▁sentence , ▁not