06-12-1986 Justice Powell, Per Curiam

In 1978, petitioner Earl Allen, a black man, was indicted for murdering his girlfriend and her brother. During selection of the petit jurors at petitioner\u27s trial, the prosecutor exercised 9 of the State\u27s 17 peremptory challenges to strike 7 black and 2 Hispanic veniremen. Defense counsel moved to discharge the jury on the ground that the \u27State\u27s use of peremptory challenges undercut [petitioner\u27s] right to an impartial jury selected from a cross-section of the community by systematically excluding minorities from the petit jury.\u27 People v. Allen. 96 Ill. App. 3d 871, 875, 422 N. E. 2d 100, 104 (1981). The trial judge denied the motion. The jury convicted petitioner on both counts, and the judge sentenced him to two concurrent prison terms of from 100 to 300 years