Case Name: Jolly Mae BAKER, Appellant, v. The STATE of Florida, Appellee
Court: Florida District Court of Appeal
Jurisdiction: Florida
Decision Date: 1998-02-11
Citations: 705 So. 2d 139
Docket Number: No. 97-1246
Parties: Jolly Mae BAKER, Appellant, v. The STATE of Florida, Appellee.
Judges: Before JORGENSON, LEVY and GREEN, JJ.
Reporter: Southern Reporter, Second Series
Volume: 705
Pages: 139–140

Head Matter:
Jolly Mae BAKER, Appellant, v. The STATE of Florida, Appellee.
No. 97-1246.
District Court of Appeal of Florida, Third District.
Feb. 11, 1998.
Bennett H. Brummer, Public Defender, and Bruce A Rosenthal, Assistant Public Defender, for appellant.
Robert A. Butterworth, Attorney General, and Sandra S. Jaggard, Assistant Attorney General, for appellee.
Before JORGENSON, LEVY and GREEN, JJ.

Opinion:
PER CURIAM.
Jolly Mae Baker appeals her conviction for burglary and two counts of battery. For the following reasons, we reverse.
During the prosecutor's rebuttal closing argument, his comments implying that the defense counsel was fishing for gullible jurors were completely improper. See Jackson v. State, 421 So.2d 15 (Fla. 3d DCA 1982). These comments were not an invited response to the defense counsel's proper closing argument. There was no adequate curative instruction from the court, nor any instruction to the jury to disregard the comments. See id. at 16.
Accordingly, to uphold the defendant's fundamental right to a fair trial, this case is reversed and remanded for a new trial.