Opinion ID: 1119070
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: The Doyle Arguments

Text: Doyle v. Ohio, 426 U.S. 610, 96 S.Ct. 2240, 49 L.Ed.2d 91 (1976), prohibits the state's use of the accused's invocation of his Fifth Amendment rights. The State asked a police detective about a statement Kemp made after his arrest. On cross-examination, Kemp's counsel asked the police detective about other aspects of Kemp's statement. During the redirect examination of the police detective, the prosecutor asked Detective Salgado: Q: At some point, sir, in that same conversation with Mr. Kemp, did you actually come out and ask him questions about the apartment complex parking lot and how Hector Juarez may have gotten in the vehicle with Mr. Kemp. A: Yes, I did. Q: At that point, sir, did Mr. Kemp express reluctance to answer your question about the parking lot? Transcript of June 3, 1993, at 87. Kemp's objection to the question was sustained before the detective could answer. Although a transcript of Kemp's statement is not part of the record, it appears the answer to the question about the parking lot would have been that Kemp said he was getting nervous. Id. at 98. Apparently, the question to which Kemp asserted his Miranda rights was a later question asking whether Juarez got into his truck. Id. Kemp points to no part of the record to show otherwise. There was no error. But even assuming it was an improper question, Kemp suffered no prejudice because his objection was immediately sustained before the witness answered the question. In similar cases, we have held that a sustained objection protects a party from improper questions. State v. Sullivan, 130 Ariz. 213, 217-18, 635 P.2d 501, 505-06 (1981) (holding that prejudice from a question that violated Doyle was cured by immediately sustaining objection before the question was answered); State v. Clark, 110 Ariz. 242, 244, 517 P.2d 1238, 1240 (1974) (holding that prejudice from question concerning the treatment of defendants found not guilty by reason of insanity to be cured by immediately sustaining objection and by a curative instruction to the jury). Likewise, Kemp's motion for a mistrial was properly denied. Kemp also argues that the prosecutor commented on Kemp's silence during closing argument. At closing argument, the prosecutor said: In this particular case, Mr. Kemp and Mr. Logan obviously were out together as Mr. Kemp told Detective Salgado when he talked to him. He was evasive in some of the areas he was giving answers to. Defense counsel did not object, and thus the point is waived. But even had the point been preserved, there was no error. The prosecutor said that Kemp answered questions evasively. This argument is supported by the statements Kemp made to the police after his arrest and before he asked for a lawyer. Kemp said that he was cruising apartment complexes. He said there was a very good possibility that he was at the apartment from which Juarez was abducted. He said he was going in and out of various apartment complexes. Transcript of June 3, 1993, at 57, 60-61. These answers are evasive. Lawyers are entitled to make arguments based on the evidence and reasonable inferences that can be drawn from the evidence. E.g., State v. Woods, 141 Ariz. 446, 454, 687 P.2d 1201, 1209 (1984). The prosecutor's closing argument is supported by the evidence.