The appellant, Robert Charles Jones, appeals from his convictions for felony murder and robbery in the first degree, violations of §
The record reveals that the appellant's arguments are procedurally precluded from appellate review. The appellant, in his brief to this Court, fails to identify the black veniremembers as to which he takes issue, stating only that the State "failed to give race-neutral reasons for striking several of the black jurors whom the State excused." The appellant's argument must "contain the contentions of the appellant with respect to the issues presented, and the reasons therefor, with *378 citations to the cases, statutes, other authorities, and parts of the record relied on. . . ." Rule 28(a)(10), Ala. R.App. P.
Next, the record indicates that the appellant's disparate-treatment claim, alleging that the State struck a black person for having a teenage son, but failed to strike a white juror for the same reason, was made after his Batson motion was denied, and during the hearing on the State's reverse-Batson
motion. Moreover, the appellant failed to renew his Batson
motion on this ground, failed to make an objection to the trial court and thereby failed to obtain an adverse ruling. Thus, this argument was not preserved for appellate review. Ex parteWeddington,
Lastly, the appellant's argument that the State improperly struck C.W., a black veniremember, because she was religious is without merit. The record indicates that the State struck three additional veniremembers, two white women and one black woman, for religious reasons. The record reveals that the State gave an additional reason for striking C.W., stating that "there was a very, very long delay before she answered that she could recommend a death sentence," and that "the State would have to remove all doubt from her mind before she would be able to return a death verdict." Because reluctance to impose the death penalty is a valid race-neutral reason for a peremptory strike, the appellant's argument is without merit. Fisher v. State,
The record reveals that in a written order denying the motion to suppress, the trial court found that the right to communicate with the parent or guardian can be asserted only by the defendant. See Flynn v. State,
The appellant's argument is procedurally precluded from appellate review because his objections were not timely presented to the trial court. "To be timely, a motion for a mistrial must be made `immediately after the question or questions are asked that are the grounds made the basis of the motion for the mistrial.'" Powell v. State,
We need not address the appellant's claim that the State presented insufficient evidence to sustain his first-degree robbery conviction because that conviction and the sentence of 99 years' imprisonment is due to be reversed on double-jeopardy grounds.
As noted above, the appellant was convicted of felony murder during a robbery, and robbery in the first degree. The appellant, however, could not constitutionally be convicted of both felony murder during a robbery and robbery in the first degree based upon the same conduct. Because the same robbery formed the basis for the felony-murder conviction and for the robbery conviction, the appellant's convictions for both violate the principles of double jeopardy. See Harris v. Oklahoma,
Based on the foregoing, the appellant's conviction and sentence for felony murder is affirmed. However, this case is remanded to the trial court with instructions to vacate its judgment as to the appellant's conviction and sentence for robbery in the first degree.
AFFIRMED IN PART; REMANDED *380 WITH DIRECTIONS.*
COBB, BASCHAB, SHAW, and WISE, JJ., concur.
