Opinion ID: 2387191
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Motion for Mistrial During State's Closing Argument

Text: Appellant asserts for his final point on appeal that the trial court erred in denying his motion for a mistrial during the prosecutor's closing argument. In arguing to the jury regarding appellant's claimed defense of duress, the prosecutor listed the series of crimes in which the brothers participated, culminating in their return to Arkansas from Oklahoma, and then said, On and on and on, and then they come back here because of the storm. Then the man, the truck driver, brutally murdered ..., a reference to Chauncey's alleged murder of a truck driver at a rest stop. Appellant had testified that he had seen a dark-skinned man at the rest stop, then watched his brother enter the restroom behind the man. Appellant later saw on television that the man had been murdered at the rest stop, and spoke with his brother about what he had seen on the news. Appellant moved for a mistrial, claiming that there was no evidence that anyone had been brutally murdered, but that the prosecutor had claimed that he was involved in a brutal murder. The trial court found that there was evidence that appellant had seen a news story about the murder and discussed it with his brother. The court denied the motion for a mistrial and declined appellant's request for an immediate admonition to the jury, but directed the prosecutor to move away from discussing the murder further. The jury had already been instructed that closing arguments of the attorneys were not evidence, and that the jurors were to disregard any argument having no basis in the evidence. In Cobbs v. State, 292 Ark. 188, 728 S.W.2d 957 (1987), this court held that in reviewing an allegedly improper closing argument, it is the duty of the appellate court to look to the remarks, and weigh their probable effect upon the issues; then to the action of the trial court in dealing with them; and if the trial court has not properly eliminated their sinister effect, and they seem to have created prejudice, and likely produced a verdict not otherwise obtainable, then the appellate court should reverse. However, a wide range of discretion must be allowed the circuit judges in dealing with the subject, for they can best determine at the time the effect of unwarranted argument; ... Cobbs, 292 Ark. at 192, 728 S.W.2d at 958 (emphasis added). Here, while there was no direct evidence that Chauncey murdered the man at the rest stop, there was evidence that appellant saw Chauncey follow the man into the restroom and that appellant confronted Chauncey following a news account of the murder. This was but one reference in a series of actions which had been admitted into evidence for the purpose of challenging appellant's claimed affirmative defense of duress. Even if the prosecutor's statement was provocative, the trial court had properly admonished the jury not to consider arguments of counsel unsupported by the evidence. The trial court is in the best position to decide the issue of prejudice because of its first-hand observation. Puckett v. State, 324 Ark. 81, 87, 918 S.W.2d 707, 710 (1996). A mistrial is a drastic remedy which should only be used where there has been an error so prejudicial that justice cannot be served by continuing the trial or when the fundamental fairness of the trial itself has been manifestly affected. Puckett, 324 Ark. at 89, 918 S.W.2d at 711-12. The trial court has wide discretion in granting or denying a motion for a mistrial, and absent an abuse of that discretion, the trial court's decision to deny a motion for a mistrial will not be disturbed. Id. Even assuming that these comments by the prosecutor were inappropriate and prejudicial to appellant, the evidence presented of Barr's guilt at trial was overwhelming and the fundamental fairness of the trial was not compromised. As we pointed out in Kidd v. State, 330 Ark. 479, 955 S.W.2d 505 (1997), when the evidence of guilt is overwhelming and the error is slight, we can declare that the error was harmless and affirm. Kidd, 330 Ark. at 485, 955 S.W.2d at 508, citing Hicks v. State, 327 Ark. 652, 941 S.W.2d 387 (1997) (the admission of additional drug paraphernalia was harmless error where there was overwhelming evidence to support convictions for delivery of controlled substances and possession of controlled substances with intent to deliver); Abernathy v. State, 325 Ark. 61, 925 S.W.2d 380 (1996) (harmless error shown where trial court erred in admitting testimony of a prior bad act, which was remote in time and unconnected to the crime at issue); Stanley v. State, 324 Ark. 310, 920 S.W.2d 835 (1996) (prosecutor's opening-statement reference to other offenses that occurred in another county held not reversible error because there was overwhelming evidence of defendant's guilt). See also Kidd v. State, 330 Ark. 479, 955 S.W.2d 505 (1997); Heard v. State, 322 Ark. 553, 910 S.W.2d 663 (1995); Rockett v. State, 318 Ark. 831, 890 S.W.2d 235 (1994); Greene v. State, 317 Ark. 350, 878 S.W.2d 384 (1994). In light of the overwhelming evidence of appellant's guilt, it cannot be said that the prosecutor's remark resulted in a verdict not otherwise obtainable. We affirm on this point as well.