Opinion ID: 1057594
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 22

Heading: Shifting of Burden to Defendant

Text: The Defendant claims that the trial court erred when it permitted the State to improperly shift the burden to him to present evidence mitigating against the imposition of the sentence of death by pointing out several times to the jury, and in several ways, that the defense would be presenting such evidence. The State counters that the Defendant did not object until the third day of voir dire and, therefore, cannot complain that the jury impaneled on the first two days was tainted. Further, it asserts that the comments did not shift the burden but rather alluded to the possibility that the defense would bring up mitigating circumstances, which is, in fact, an accurate statement in most cases. Finally, the State contends that the comments are not jury instructions and that the jury was properly instructed that the Defendant did not have the burden of proving a mitigating circumstance. The record reflects that the prosecution repeatedly said during the voir dire of prospective jurors that the defense would be presenting evidence of mitigating circumstances. The Defendant did not object until the third day of voir dire, and he objected to only one statement, which will be discussed below. According to Tennessee Rule of Appellate Procedure 36(a), relief is not available to a party who failed to take whatever action was reasonably available to prevent or nullify the harmful effect of the error. Therefore, a defendant must object contemporaneously to statements by the prosecution that the defendant believes to be legally wrong or misleading. State v. Alder, 71 S.W.3d 299, 302 (Tenn.Crim.App.2001). The Defendant has, therefore, waived our review of the statements occurring before and after his objection, statements to which he made no contemporaneous objection. In the comment made by the prosecutor to which the Defendant did object, the prosecutor said, The defense can put on evidence they want to, in this part of the trial. We call them mitigating circumstances. Anything ... they want you to consider about the defendant ... whatever, that they think you need to consider in making this decision. Defense counsel objected, claiming that the prosecutor shifted the burden of presenting mitigating evidence to the Defendant. The trial court ruled that the State had merely told the jury that the Defendant presenting mitigating evidence was a possibility, which is a fact jurors need to know. We understand the Defendant's argument to be that the prosecutor, by repeatedly informing the jury that the Defendant can present mitigating evidence, created the expectation that if the Defendant did not present such evidence then there is no evidence mitigating against a sentence of death. In fact, any evidence presented to the jury from the State or the defense can constitute evidence of a mitigating circumstance. See T.C.A. § 39-13-204(j)(9) (2003). Upon our thorough review of the record, we do not agree with the Defendant's interpretation of the prosecutor's comments. The State said, The defense can put on evidence .... (emphasis added). This comports more with the State's contention that its comments were informing the jury of what may happen during the trial and did not shift the burden to present mitigating proof to the Defendant. We conclude that the trial court did not abuse its broad discretion when it allowed the State to tell the jury that the Defendant can present mitigating evidence.