Source: http://academy.lawofselfdefense.com/law_case/people-v-lucas-324-p-2d-933-ca-ct-app-1958/
Timestamp: 2019-04-19 11:26:19+00:00

Document:
Counsel: Nathan Cohn and Lawrence Shostak for Appellant.
Edmund G. Brown, Attorney General, Clarence A. Linn, Assistant Attorney General, Raymond M. Momboisse, Deputy Attorney General, Thomas C. Lynch, District Attorney (San Francisco), and Jack Berman, Deputy District Attorney, for Respondent.
Judges: Draper, J. Kaufman, P. J., and Dooling, J., concurred.
Defendant was indicted for the murder of her husband. A jury found her guilty of manslaughter, and she appeals from judgment entered upon that verdict and from order denying new trial.
On appeal, it is conceded that defendant fired the gun. All five shells were fired, and four bullets struck decedent. He died shortly after.
As is apparent from the testimony quoted above, it was defendant’s contention that she shot in self-defense when decedent rose from his chair and advanced upon her, with arms reaching toward her. There was oral testimony of three statements made by defendant to police shortly after the shooting, in which she said that decedent was in the chair when the first shot was fired, and that he then started to get up from the chair and she fired the remaining four shots at him.
At the time of the argument immediately preceding the shooting, the two grown sons of defendant and decedent were downstairs in the family home with friends. Mrs. Lucas admitted that she was not so fearful of attack by her husband when her sons were home. She testified that she did not know the boys were present, although she also testified that she planned to prepare dinner for them, and one son testified that he had quieted a slightly earlier argument between his parents.
Defendant’s principal contention is that the assistant district attorney who prosecuted this case was guilty of misconduct which prejudiced her case. More than 30 pages of the opening brief are required to detail the asserted instances of misconduct. It would serve no purpose to list them all here.
It is argued that the prosecutor, in his opening statement, improperly told the jury that he expected to prove five matters which he did not prove by the evidence introduced. Upon three of these issues, there was evidence from which the jury could infer the facts as claimed by the prosecution. The fact that defendant is unwilling to draw such inferences does not show misconduct. One statement, that defendant on December 3 told police officers that she “would file a civil action” is but collateral. The opening statement did say that “the pictures will show” that the final shot was fired into decedent’s head while he lay on the floor. In fact this was not established, but was disproved by evidence produced by defendant. However, there is no showing that the erroneous statement by the prosecutor was made in bad faith. In the absence of a positive showing of a deliberate attempt to misstate the case, such a remark cannot constitute prejudicial misconduct. (People v. Alexander, 41 Cal.App.2d 275, 282 [106 P.2d 450, 916].) CA(3) (3) Appellate courts recognize that such an overstatement reacts against the party making it, and thus often is not prejudicial to the opposing party. ( People v. Berryman, 6 Cal.2d 331, 336 [57 P.2d 136], and cases there cited.) In the case at bar, defense counsel made effective use of the overstatement in his argument, quoting the opening statement and pointing out to the jury the respects in which the proof fell short of sustaining its assertions.
During the prosecutor’s argument, defendant cried out that he was lying. A recess was taken, and, when argument was resumed, the prosecutor began to comment upon this incident. The court, of its own motion, stopped this argument and instructed the jury to disregard it. Later, the prosecutor said that there was “no evidence of mourning” on the part of defendant. No objection was made. Defendant urges these incidents as prejudicial misconduct. Defendant relies upon People v. Peete, 54 Cal.App. 333, 370 [202 P. 51]. The facts of that case differ from those of the case at bar. Here defendant took the witness stand, where Mrs. Peete did not. Here defendant interrupted the argument by comment audible to the jury. In any event, the decision in People v. Peete, although it termed the prosecutor’s conduct “reprehensible,” held there was no reversible error because there had been no objection, and the error was one which could have been cured by admonition. Here the admonition was given, in the one instance, by the court upon its own motion. In the other instance, no objection was made. Thus, on the authority of the very case cited by defendant, the error must be held not prejudicial.
The substantial majority of the remarks assigned as misconduct were directed against defense counsel, rather than defendant. Full review of the extensive transcript reveals that both counsel frequently reverted to the ancient form of trial by champion, making the issue a personal quarrel between them. The trial court twice cited both counsel for contempt. It is true that the assistant district attorney was more often the aggressor in these flurries, and his conduct was often overzealous or in poor taste. The trial judge, however, was constantly alert to these deviations from the proper course. His firmness quickly ended the diversions of counsel. He was prompt and decisive in sustaining defense objections and in admonishing the jury to disregard the statements of counsel for the People whenever objection was made, and in some cases where it was not. In his instructions to the jury, he fully advised them to look solely to the evidence and not to the statements of counsel in determining the facts.
In general, criticisms of defense counsel are not grounds for reversal of judgment, in the absence of a showing of prejudice to defendant. (People v. Rickman, 67 Cal.App.2d 711, 714 [155 P.2d 374].) The decision in People v. Podwys, 6 Cal.App.2d 71 [44 P.2d 377], is not applicable. There the opinion does make reference to criticisms of the public defender by the district attorney. However, the prosecutor also argued that he had not sought and would not seek to convict an innocent man. Also, the closeness of that case was evidenced by the fact that in the previous trial the jury had disagreed after a full day’s deliberation.
In a criminal case, the prosecution has a heavy burden of proof. The likely tendency of such diversionary tactics as attacks upon defense counsel, at least where he fends off the attacks as adroitly as in our case, is to distract the jury’s attention from the proof by which the prosecution must convince the jury beyond a reasonable doubt, thus prejudicing the prosecution rather than the defense.
Full review of the record convinces us that defendant suffered no prejudice from the misconduct of the prosecutor. The jury found her guilty of the lesser included offense of manslaughter, upon evidence which would have warranted conviction of a greater offense. On the whole record, it is difficult to believe that defendant could have been acquitted. The conduct of the prosecution is by no means to be condoned. Had it been successful, reversal would be required. However, we agree with defense counsel’s statement to the jury that the prosecutor’s conduct “helped my case immeasurably.” Under all the circumstances, the misconduct was not prejudicial to defendant.
Judgment and order denying new trial affirmed.

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